How to check if i have an lsd?

[DanFromOmaha]

^^

[UnderCoverGuy11]

Put the car in the air, put it into neutral, and spin one of the rear wheels, if the other wheel spins in the same direction, it's LSD, if it spins in the opposite direction, it's Open

[bav 325i]

go around a corner put your foot down or get stuck in the snow and see how many wheels spin.
one wheel peel= open diff

[joey79]

Search.

[AllenE36]

Put the car in the air, put it into neutral, and spin one of the rear wheels, if the other wheel spins in the same direction, it's LSD, if it spins in the opposite direction, it's Open
^ This.

[fahdyehia628]

Turn your wheels to the right or the left ( as far as they go )

rev the engine high and relase the clutch fast ( while holding the accelerator to the floor )

If the car spins and does doughnuts .. you have a LSD

if it doesn't spin you don't have a LSD

[flyfishvt]

UUHHH...... put it up in the air and look at the tag on the dif. if it has a "S" at the beginnig its LSD. If it doesn't then it's NOT. You might have to pull the bolt that holds the tag so you can use a nylon scrubbie on it to see if the S is there.

[rllynch1]

Turn your wheels to the right or the left ( as far as they go )

rev the engine high and relase the clutch fast ( while holding the accelerator to the floor )

If the car spins and does doughnuts .. you have a LSD

if it doesn't spin you don't have a LSD

I like this idea best.

Sent from my DROID X2 using BF.com

[MParallel]

UUHHH...... put it up in the air and look at the tag on the dif. if it has a "S" at the beginnig its LSD. If it doesn't then it's NOT. You might have to pull the bolt that holds the tag so you can use a nylon scrubbie on it to see if the S is there.

All tags have the S. The tag itself means it's LSD, as open diffs don't come with a tag. But since people can just fit a tab, you need to check to be sure.

I don't like the wheels-in-the-air method when in neutral, as the drag on the prop can be so little, that both wheels will spin the same way and simply turn the prop, thinking you have an LSD.

It's easier putting the car in gear. As this locks the propshaft. Turn one wheel and the other will turn the other way.

With an LSD you won't be able to turn any wheel, any direction, unless you can push it through the engines compression and diff pre-load.

[Alex0607]

UUHHH...... put it up in the air and look at the tag on the dif. if it has a "S" at the beginnig its LSD. If it doesn't then it's NOT. You might have to pull the bolt that holds the tag so you can use a nylon scrubbie on it to see if the S is there.
Undercoverguy has the best way to test if your diff is LSD or not. This just seems abit dangerous to try if you ask me unless you have a good garage lift. Sorry mate. Just had to say.

[joey79]

All tags have the S. The tag itself means it's LSD, as open diffs don't come with a tag. But since people can just fit a tab, you need to check to be sure.

I don't like the wheels-in-the-air method when in neutral, as the drag on the prop can be so little, that both wheels will spin the same way and simply turn the prop, thinking you have an LSD.

It's easier putting the car in gear. As this locks the propshaft. Turn one wheel and the other will turn the other way.

With an LSD you won't be able to turn any wheel, any direction, unless you can push it through the engines compression and diff pre-load.

This doesn't apply to North American cars. All diffs here have a tag. Only the LSDs have an "S".

[Dirty Phil]

On the diff stamp if there is an S then you got an LSD if you see a B then its open. It eill also tell which ratio you have also.

[Lavinius]

a locked diff will spin both wheels in same direction and LSD will not until one wheel looses traction and you have some sort of a load

best way to check is do some skids, two lines means LSD, one line means single pegger

[staydubbin]

a locked diff will spin both wheels in same direction and LSD will not until one wheel looses traction and you have some sort of a load

best way to check is do some skids, two lines means LSD, one line means single pegger

This seems the easiest way to me.... As long as u know how to do burn outs :)

[joey79]

a locked diff will spin both wheels in same direction and LSD will not until one wheel looses traction and you have some sort of a load

best way to check is do some skids, two lines means LSD, one line means single pegger

You're thinking of a torsen LSD. With both wheels in the air, these clutch type LSDs will spin both wheels in the same direction.

[MParallel]

This doesn't apply to North American cars. All diffs here have a tag. Only the LSDs have an "S".

Hmm ef me again. Once again I fall into a "US-spec" trap.

Over here no diff, but LSD's have a tag. So they all have the S on it.

Also beware the printed "S" can wear off as it's just paint.



a locked diff will spin both wheels in same direction and LSD will not until one wheel looses traction and you have some sort of a load...

It will. As the diff is always locked a bit by the preload. That's why I use the in-gear method.

[michal182]

Its actually pretty easy to check if you have an lsd.
If you bought your car and started driving it and got that strange feeling of disapointment but you were at the same time trying to justify that it must be okay because its a bmw and it must be good then you don't have a lsd.

[DJCarbine]

I had a non LSD and an LSD diff next to me today

Spin the input shaft and hold one of the rear wheels

If the other wheel spins, you have an open
If you can't turn the input shaft by hand, you have an LSD

[mwood]

snow and ice method worked for me... non-lsd.
I want a lsd but I wonder if a non-lsd is actually safer on snow and ice?

[MParallel]

I...If the other wheel spins, you have an open
If you can't turn the input shaft by hand, you have an LSD

Exactly. That what I explained with the diff on the car.



snow and ice method worked for me... non-lsd.
I want a lsd but I wonder if a non-lsd is actually safer on snow and ice?

It's not safer. It simply won't have traction, specially if one wheel is on ice/snow and the other wheel isn't. All power will go to the wheel with zero grip, while you want it going to the wheel that has.

[bav 325i]

theres a member that if you email the him your vin he will give you factory options for your car it will tell you

[MParallel]

I wouldn't hold any value to that list on 12+ year old cars with numerous previous owners.

[Lavinius]

i think for beginners or unexperienced drives an open diff is much much safer as one wheel spins and looses traction and you slow down or don't go anywhere so you back off the loud pedal and happy days

with an LSD things get interesting, if you dump the clutch the car will try and slide a little from the bum, if you have the wheels pointed anywhere but straight and it's wet it will kick the car around, anything under 250hp will not really warrant an LSD not in a E36 BMW where the rear end is quite good compared to other cars from the same era or even new ones, with a locked diff it's more fun :) i personally love locked rear ends as they are predictable and you have to threat them with respect

my E36 if i lift it up on a 4 post hoist and spin one wheel the other spins in the opposite direction which means no LSD but if i fish tail it, it will leave two lines one the tarmac....go figure

[Rudolph320i]

its still possible to spin both tires without an LSD, sudden power like dumping the clutch usually does it or drifting can do it too.