Racing Diffs lsd conversion.

[Spriteracer]

Morning all. While I have the diff in bits replacing the bearings, I was considering adding one of these. If they are any good it would be rude not to at this stage. The additional work is minimal and cost very much less than a proper plate or torsen diff. I'm aware it won't be as good but this is only for normal road use to add a bit of security in winter etc.

I was wondering how Tintoverano got on with his fitted back in 2020? Anyone else got one ? Thanks.

 

[grannyknot]

Are you talking about this one? https://racingdiffs.com/products/bmw-e46-e90-e92-e39-e60-lsd-conversion-set?variant=33548118327431
A company called Phantom made them popular and still makes them, apparently they don't have a great reputation, stories of them barely doing anything to some saying they ate up the spider gears and destroyed the diff.
Racingdiffs version, personally I don't know but if anyone could make a good version then it would be Aleksander.
Probably ok for the street but not the track, or save your pennies for a real LSD.

 

[Spriteracer]

Yes that is the one. The phantom grip had a poor reputation due largely to poor materials apparently. There seems to be very little in the way of independent reviews for this one hence my query. You may have seen the video on the Racing diffs site where they strip a unit from a bmw estate with allegedly 250k km on it and which showed little wear. Speaking as a professionally qualified cynic (chartered QS) I would take that with a pinch of salt, but not much risk for a car that only does a few k miles a year. I can't justify the cost of a full LSD for my use which is street only. I race the Sprite on track. So if no-one has any other info I might just be the pioneer.

 

[Vanne]

I've got thier custom racing diff in my car. I like it a lot.

They know their stuff, give em a bell and just have a chat to em about what you need. Recommended

 

[Rldee007]

Excuse my ignorance but what would be the benefit of this for everyday/road use?

 

[Spriteracer]

Vanne - many thanks, good to know.

Ridee007 - with an open diff - no lsd - if one wheel loses traction as on ice / snow / diesel etc. the other wheel looses power and the car looses drive. With an lsd the two wheels are more connected such that when one looses traction the other wheel retains some power and drive. Most lsds - plate or torsen types are much more sophisticated and the amount of locking and the rate can be set differently for race, rally, power on and power off situations etc.

On the road at legal speeds there is not much benefit other than a bit of added security cornering in poor conditions. In competition they make a big difference to cornering speeds, as without an lsd the inside wheel will spin under full power, removing traction all round. If it wasn't reasonably cheap and I hadn't got the diff in bits already I wouldn't bother. Others will be able to describe the benefits better I'm sure.

 

[grannyknot]

So if no-one has any other info I might just be the pioneer

Take lots of pics of the install, I'm sure there are lots guys who would be interested, me too.

 

[Ed Doe]

Have you looked at blackline lsds? Iirc they do a copy of the quaife arb diff which is so close to the actual quaife unit the parts are allegedly interchangeable. At least one member on here has one fitted and has tracked the car iirc too and speaks very highly of it. Also I belive they're only about £525 for the unit? I'd personally find the extra cash to get a known diff solution - just my opinion!

 

[Rambo91]

DO NOT BUY NOTHING FROM RACING DIFF

Sorry for my bad English.
I had bad experience with racingdiffs, I'll explain everything below..
I emailed the company to make sure I was buying the correct kit for my machine. They send me the link with correct kit (273 euros). DHL arrives at my house with the kit and asks me for 78 euros in customs duties. So far, so good.
I take the car to the mechanic to have the kit installed and we realize it's not the correct one.
With the differential open and the car stopped, I decided to buy another differential in the recovery field to be able to use the machine. In the meantime with my differential open I contacted racingdiffs and they replied that I had the wrong kit in hand (they had suggested it to me).
They washed their hands and only refunded me 38 euros. They tell me that if I want to install the correct kit they'll discount it for a total of 120 euros, I accept. So far, so good.
When the package arrives, I go to the mechanic to assemble the kit (he was inserting the oil recommended by racingdiffs).
AFTER ONLY 15.000KM I'M ON THE ROAD AND I'M STILL ON FOOT, the car doesn't move anymore. RESULT: DIFFERENTIAL WRAPS, COMPLETELY DESTROYED INSIDE.
Tow truck, mechanic reinstalling my original differential (which I had bought in addition). I ask racingdiffs for a partial refund for what happened and he replies that it's been more than 6 months and they would not refund even one euro. After a few emails he doesn't even answer me anymore.

Summing up, I bought 2 LSD kits, an extra differential, I paid for a mechanic and a tow truck. For what? To have the original car again. And all this money completely thrown in the toilet.

 

[Vanne]

yep that looks pretty s**t. I do wonder why you would have gone for that setup? that to me is a worse setup than you have in your oem diff. Again, not happy that they shafted you like that, i had similar issues with the z4m kit i bought from them, only to discover that there were not enough plates.. but i got a full refund after i bought their racing diff setup. Not sure what you paid for that, but (just looed it up) for 160 euros, i wouldn't expect much if anything at all. pretty true with most things, pretty much get what you pay for. in this case.. s**t.. sorry you had to go through that. edit: i also have to ask.. i wouldn't trust a run of the mill mechanic to install a new diff /center, its specialized work, are you sure he installed it correctly? you should take it to a gear place that specializes in installing differentials/gears. what was the preload and Pinion Depth
what was the Backlash and the carrier Bearing Preload when you installed it? what shims did you use?

not saying your mech didnt install it correctly, but its very important to do it correctly. from a personal view point, i would have completely steered away from any of those conversion units..

 

[grannyknot]

Exactly what Vanne says^, a general mechanic doesn't rebuild diffs as rule, a specialist is better bet.
But even if he did install it properly the design of that LSD has a history eating diffs if it pushed hard.
I know it's horrible when you spend good money and get a poor product but the price of that sandwich LSD is a 1/4 of what you would pay for a proper LSD.
From what I have heard if you had purchased that same unit from Phantom Diffs you would have got no response from them much less a refund or a discount.
Still, sorry to hear about your lousy experience, sucks.