Traction Loc???
Edward
I have Traction Loc on my 96' GT, but I do not know what it actually does.
I can still light up the tires and on wet pavements there is still no
help in traction. Does anyone know what this is actually supposed to help
do? Not that I mind being able to light up my tires :).
--
Edward Kim
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
Internet: gt6...@prism.gatech.edu
Dennis Smith
> I have Traction Loc on my 96' GT, but I do not know what it actually
does.
> I can still light up the tires and on wet pavements there is still no
> help in traction. Does anyone know what this is actually supposed to
help
> do? Not that I mind being able to light up my tires :).
>
In an "open" differential (rear end) the power is fed to whichever tire has
the least traction. So, if one wheel spins, the other wheel is just along
for the ride. Traction Loc (Ford's trademark for limited slip differential)
uses clutches to equalize power transfer in the case of a large mismatch in
rear wheel speed (does little or nothing when doing a normal turn, in which
the outer wheel turns slightly faster than the inner wheel.) If one wheel
spins, power is transferred to the other wheel. This helps both directional
control and acceleration.
It is still possible, given the power of our cars, to easily spin both rear
wheels. Limited slip doesn't function like an electronic traction control
device. It does help a great deal in the wet and snow; take it from someone
who had a 390 cid '66 Fairlane GTA with an open differential. :-)
One scenario in which limited slip differentials hurt control is the
following. If you are accelerating hard and get one wheel (usually the
right side) off in the dirt, power will be transferred to the wheel that
still has traction, namely the left wheel that's still on the pavement.
This tends to force the car further to the right, making steering back onto
the road more difficult. If you get a wheel off under hard acceleration,
you should get off the gas (not a bad idea, anyway.)
Some race cars use "locked" rear ends, which force the rear wheels to turn
at the same speed. This is hard on the rear tires, and is uncomfortable and
dangerous for driving on the street. It's not a big improvement (in
traction) over limited slip, but it does stop problems like clutches
wearing out or breaking.
low...@smartt.com
"Dennis Smith" <dsm...@eng.uab.edu> wrote:
>Some race cars use "locked" rear ends, which force the rear wheels to turn
>at the same speed. This is hard on the rear tires, and is uncomfortable and
>dangerous for driving on the street. It's not a big improvement (in
>traction) over limited slip, but it does stop problems like clutches
>wearing out or breaking.
It's too bad Ford's traction lok is so lame and wears out so quickly.
I've finally got my rear end apart to freshen the bearings up and
install an Auburn. Should be back together tommorow with Rear wheel
drive instead of Right wheel drive.
And for the poster who was saying his Mustang likes to spin the wheels
(hahahah, haven't heard that one before ;) try some lower control arms
like the HPMs or Southsides. (SSM control arms are NOT designed for
cornering though!). It would also help a bit to mount the battery in
the back... and then break out the piggy bank and lighten the front
end as much as possible. Here's my christmas diet/wish list to lose a
couple hudred pounds, mostly off the front:
Tubular front subframe
Griggs front control arm/coil over kit
Wilwood brakes
carbon fibre hood
TFS aluminum heads
carbon fibre seats
Magnesium wheels
lightweight front bumper
Chris Matthaei
low...@smartt.com writes:
>"Dennis Smith" <dsm...@eng.uab.edu> wrote:
>>Some race cars use "locked" rear ends, which force the rear wheels to turn
>>at the same speed. This is hard on the rear tires, and is uncomfortable and
>>dangerous for driving on the street. It's not a big improvement (in
>>traction) over limited slip, but it does stop problems like clutches
>>wearing out or breaking.
>It's too bad Ford's traction lok is so lame and wears out so quickly.
>I've finally got my rear end apart to freshen the bearings up and
>install an Auburn. Should be back together tommorow with Rear wheel
>drive instead of Right wheel drive.
My traction lok still works perfectly after 70K miles. If I drop the clutch
in 1st, I get 2 nice long black streaks. :) Also the Ford diff can be rebuilt
with new clutches. I plan on having mine rebuilt when I get my 3.73 gears.
The Auburn cannot be rebuilt. You have to buy a new one when it wears out. $$$
Chris
low...@smartt.com
fu...@MCS.COM (Chris Matthaei) wrote:
>low...@smartt.com writes:
>>"Dennis Smith" <dsm...@eng.uab.edu> wrote:
>Chris
True, but unless you abuse it they last a pretty long time from what
I've heard. I've got the car back together and like the Auburn for
the $$$. Turns out my old diff sheared off two of the traction lok
clutch dogs.
Mike Burress
> The Auburn cannot be rebuilt. You have to buy a new one when it wears
out. $$$
>
> Chris
>
From what i've read here the Auburn could be rebuilt but they
*won't* sell you the parts to do so. I guess it's the same difference,
though <G>. Marketing guys......
Mike
Charlie Daubitz
"Mike Burress" <mbur...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>Mike
>
F.F . magazine went through two of them on a car with NOS .I think
their a waste. A shimmed track-loc works great. I have close to 60
runs on a 89 that is a trailer car with 10x26 and 4.10 and it pulls
straight and on both sides and has run a best of 10.89 or 6.70 1/8 and
most recently I did a 1.444 60 ' but cracked a piston.(over-filled my
nos bottle)
hans schroeder
fu...@MCS.COM (Chris Matthaei) wrote:
>low...@smartt.com writes:
>
>>"Dennis Smith" <dsm...@eng.uab.edu> wrote:
>
>>>Some race cars use "locked" rear ends, which force the rear wheels to turn
>>>at the same speed. This is hard on the rear tires, and is uncomfortable and
>>>dangerous for driving on the street. It's not a big improvement (in
>>>traction) over limited slip, but it does stop problems like clutches
>>>wearing out or breaking.
>
>>It's too bad Ford's traction lok is so lame and wears out so quickly.
>>I've finally got my rear end apart to freshen the bearings up and
>>install an Auburn. Should be back together tommorow with Rear wheel
>>drive instead of Right wheel drive.
>
>My traction lok still works perfectly after 70K miles. If I drop the clutch
>in 1st, I get 2 nice long black streaks. :) Also the Ford diff can be rebuilt
>with new clutches. I plan on having mine rebuilt when I get my 3.73 gears.
$$$
>
>Chris
>
scenario, two long black marks... I haven't heard of anybody having problems
with them, now the T-5 is another story...
Hans Schroeder
'87 Mustang GT
Patrick Gattafoni
> >>It's too bad Ford's traction lok is so lame and wears out so quickly.
> >>I've finally got my rear end apart to freshen the bearings up and
> >>install an Auburn. Should be back together tommorow with Rear wheel
> >>drive instead of Right wheel drive.
> >
> >My traction lok still works perfectly after 70K miles. If I drop the clutch
> >in 1st, I get 2 nice long black streaks. :) Also the Ford diff can be rebuilt
> >with new clutches. I plan on having mine rebuilt when I get my 3.73 gears.
> >The Auburn cannot be rebuilt. You have to buy a new one when it wears out.
I have seen many Mustangs in the burnout box at the strip only spinning
one wheel, and my original Traction Lock rear end was exactly the same.
I decided that I want both wheels to spin always, but since I was doing
a lot of street driving still I could not run a spool. Instead I did the
next best thing, and that was to install the 31 spline Auburn unit, and
to help it out I ran 1 quart of regular synthetic fluid, and 1 quart of
Redline no-slip synthetic. The Redline no-slip fluid helps to make sure
both wheels stay as locked as they can, under tight turns I can hear the
Auburn chattering because it wants to try and keep both wheels at the
same speed. I have had this Auburn in there since the spring of 95, and
with many many quarter mile runs on it I have not had any problems with
it. I launch my car hard with slicks, so I didn't want to end up with
rear end parts all over the track, and since I never trailer the car
there it is even more important that the car stays in one piece!
Patrick Gattafoni
95 Trans Am (bone stock/2.73 auto)
14.16 at 97.5 mph
87 Mustang GT (stock motor/Paxton)
12.16 at 112 mph
Mike Burress
> >
> >My traction lok still works perfectly after 70K miles. If I drop the
clutch
> >in 1st, I get 2 nice long black streaks. :) Also the Ford diff can be
rebuilt
> >with new clutches. I plan on having mine rebuilt when I get my 3.73
gears.
> >The Auburn cannot be rebuilt. You have to buy a new one when it wears
out.
> >
> >Chris
> >
> My traction lok still works perfectly after 155k miles... Same
> scenario, two long black marks... I haven't heard of anybody having
problems
> with them, now the T-5 is another story...
>
> Hans Schroeder
> '87 Mustang GT
>
After 150k miles I only had one wheel drive. A MotorSport replacement
rear with 3.55s was the ticket. Now I can wear my rear tires at
an even rate on both sides!
BTW, am on 2nd T5 and it's making lots of whining/growling noises.....
Mike
Joseph E. Huesmann
BTW, how can you tell whether or not your LS diff is on the way out?
Joe
low...@smartt.com
net...@wam.umd.edu (Joseph E. Huesmann) wrote:
>BTW, how can you tell whether or not your LS diff is on the way out?
>Joe
Best way is pull off around a tight right had turn and goose it. If
the right wheel sends up smoke signals and the car doesn't get
sideways, it's toasted.