My S13 Welded Differential Review.

[thefro526]

So, I finally decided to bite the bullet and drop my differential and get it welded. I researched through all of the bull on here and NICO and finally decided that I would weld mine and deal with it. I really like how it feels and it helps substantially with launches. Also on high speed turns that have a very wide radius the car accelerates much faster. The only thing that I've found that I don't like about the diff is that I can't roll into parking spots like I used to, which to me isn't that big of a deal. In the end I really like it and think it was well worth what it cost me ~$75 and the 3-4 hours of labor. I'm going out drifting tonight so I will update this thread tomorrow with my results.

I'm hoping that by keeping a log of sorts on here with all of my ups and downs with the differential more people will be more well informed about welded diffs. :bigok:

First Update! 8-9-08

For those of you with cement driveways or cement driveway aprons you might want to consider that sometimes when you pull in and out of the driveway you will be dragging a wheel so you may leave a mark or two. I just found that out but the marks wash right off with a garden hose.

Second Update! 8-10-08

I went out Drifting last night with some friends in a big parking lot and a teardrop shaped truck turn around and the differential makes a huge difference. Honestly, I'm worse now than I was on my open but I need to learn more. The differential is much better for drifting but most of us will need a bit of a refresher once you switch from an open to a welded.

Also I drove through Philly last night on the way in and out of our drift spots and the differential isn't too noticeable for city driving. Low speed turns are still a little noisy but it should be expected. Highway driving is unaffected for the most part, the car may track a little straighter but it may be my imagination.

Now here's what everyone's been waiting for, the RAIN. I took the car for a quick spin in the rain today, I didn't go over 40 or so but it's not that bad. I launched very cautiously when I was making turns from a stop and the car was very predictable and civilized. Rolling through turns in 2nd and then powering out is a bit scary and you will get the rear end out even with new tires but, a gentle lift of the throttle was all that I needed to do to get the rear in line.

One of the most important things I'm noticed though is the difference in tire performance. With my open diff, tire grip wasn't too noticeable between different tires but once I started swapping between tires the difference was obvious. I have brand new tires on my car that are A rated temp and traction and 400 treadware which are my street/DD tires and then I have a pair of steelies with some used goodyears for the rear when I'm drifting. When I drove from one spot to another which is about 20-30 miles (south philly to almost delaware New Jersey) on my drift tires I noticed that I had much less grip on the rear and if I would've driven in the rain on my drift tires I would've had to do all of my launches in 2nd instead of 1st to keep the rear in line.

Third Update!!!! 8-11-08

Much of anything to report. I'm really getting used to the welded diff when the road is wet, it's not to hard to keep the rear in line. I love how I can power out of turns with my almighty dohc KA!!! Also the rear grip in wide turns is much better I feel more confident flying into turns. That being said, sharp turns are easy to loose grip in so be cautious and use good judgement.

Update #4!!!!!!

Went to a local meet tonight and my welded is still awesome. I took a bunch of people for rides and let my friend drive it and the general consensus is that it's not that bad. I still love it and my friend who used to have an S14 (totaled by a drunk driver) said my welded is better than his 1.5 way was. That's his opinion but regardless it's still good.

People still give me crazy looks and in a parking lot of 150 cars that are modded I was getting a shitload of attention and my car is mostly stock. I absolutely love the noises, they're awesome.

Did a donut or two when giving rides and I'm getting so much better with this welded as I drive it more. :D

On the Subject of tires and price, Welded diffs are a cheap and effective alternative to LSD's. My Welded cost me a total of $75 and most LSD's are 10 times that much. But at the same time you need good tires to DD on. Don't complain that your welded sucks in the rain when you have shitty tires. I got brand new tires for $208 dollars that are A rated across the board so with the money you save you can buy new tires.

[timster]

I really liked mine when I had it. I haven't been tracking my car at ALL though so in the interest of keeping my 255/40 GForces looking nice I swapped back in an open differential. Once my car is track ready though the welded will be going back in, for sure.

[jackjack]

ah yes

good times

only bad thing.... bald tires + rain or snow = no no

[thefro526]

First Update!

For those of you with cement driveways or cement driveway aprons you might want to consider that sometimes when you pull in and out of the driveway you will be dragging a wheel so you may leave a mark or two. I just found that out but the marks wash right off with a garden hose.

[s13boy89]

:naughty:i just put a welded on too and i wore out my azenis in a half hour, i love it

[k's_silvia2.0]

Welded, 2 way, 1.5 way, :blah:.....

[po12nh d]

weld diffs are gangta.. when i drive mine around a parking lot at a mall or school you hear the tire skeet skeet and people would turn their heads.. lol gangsta.

[thefro526]

Welded, 2 way, 1.5 way, :blah:.....

Hehe, from a price standpoint I would say a welded owns all of those. Honestly from what I've done with the car, I'd say the only time that a welded might not be good is autocross, and even then if one were to adjust their style of driving to the welded then it wouldn't matter.

weld diffs are gangta.. when i drive mine around a parking lot at a mall or school you hear the tire skeet skeet and people would turn their heads.. lol gangsta.

Definitely, I pulled into a taco bell yesterday and this dude gave me this weird ass look and I smiled at him.

[jdm510]

I just scored a s13 coupe and its welded and although its the funnest thing i ever drove when drifting when it comes to parking lots (just waitng for a axle to snap when i pull in a parking space) and turns in the street the tires start barking then my stiff ass kei office coilovers start bouncing god it sucks I just picked up a VLSD for street driving

and if you live in cali its even more of a burn to be hopping threw the intersection in your illigal sr20 powerd 240 give the popo just another reason to pull you over

[jdm510]

Hehe, from a price standpoint I would say a welded owns all of those. Honestly from what I've done with the car, I'd say the only time that a welded might not be good is autocross, and even then if one were to adjust their style of driving to the welded then it wouldn't matter.



Definitely, I pulled into a taco bell yesterday and this dude gave me this weird ass look and I smiled at him.




i guess i need to learn how to drive then lol



i know these looks your talking about i get them everywhere!!!

[thefro526]

I just scored a s13 coupe and its welded and although its the funnest thing i ever drove when drifting when it comes to parking lots (just waitng for a axle to snap when i pull in a parking space) and turns in the street the tires start barking then my stiff ass kei office coilovers start bouncing god it sucks I just picked up a VLSD for street driving

and if you live in cali its even more of a burn to be hopping threw the intersection in your illigal sr20 powerd 240 give the popo just another reason to pull you over

Hehe very true bro, it just gives Cali cops another reason to pull you over. As for the coilovers, have you tried a softer setting?

[INeedNewTires]

I LOVE my welded diff... I would say i would love a 2way more, but for the money welded is this shit. My acceleration in 1st and 2nd is unbelieveably better, before i would just spin, now in first it spins a bit, 2nd it grips and goes! Chirping in the plot is no big deal, people usually think that means somethings broken or its a POS which i love even more because that means they dont know, but those that look at you like aww yea, then i say wasup cause they know.

However the hard clunk a 2way gives you and the noises it makes are irreplaceable.... So if money were no object, i'd rather a KAAZ.... their better anyway (in every way) So dont be fooled newbs, the welded is not the end all... just a cheap alternative thats not a POS.

[jdmstatuS13]

I just scored a s13 coupe and its welded and although its the funnest thing i ever drove when drifting when it comes to parking lots (just waitng for a axle to snap when i pull in a parking space) and turns in the street the tires start barking then my stiff ass kei office coilovers start bouncing god it sucks I just picked up a VLSD for street driving

and if you live in cali its even more of a burn to be hopping threw the intersection in your illigal sr20 powerd 240 give the popo just another reason to pull you over


u fuckin pot head :fruit:

hahaha and weldededs are dopeskeez except if you wanna keep tread on your tires, but usually when u get an "lsd" its cuz u dont want any tread left. :bigok:

[s13_Angelo]

a guy name carlos from here just put mine on and its insane i like it a lot .thanks Carlos for putting it in and Ethan for giving me the weld diff

[s13coupedrfter]

I'm going back to welded after having a Kazz 2way, call me crazy but I love um.

[Z33dori]

i cant wait to get my welded in..

ditching my VLsd for it...god that thing sucks

[thefro526]

Just for the record, please don't turn this into an argumentative thread because I want to put some good info out there.


Back on topic though, I'll have a new update tomorrow morning about drifting performance and then tomorrow evening I should I have an update about driving the the rain. :D

[Leetheslacker]

i went from open to welded on my old s14 and i really missed the nice turn in and rotation when cruising on twisty roads.

it was either pushing or sliding, no inbetween.

my s13 came with a welded but i drove a buddies s13 with a kaaz 2way and liked it a lot.
its great for drifting but eventually i want to budget in a real lsd so i can still enjoy my twisty commutes.

[derek_s13]

i dig welded.

i thought everyone knew the pro's and con's by now though.

[jdmstatuS13]

i dig welded.

i thought everyone knew the pro's and con's by now though.


im pretty sure they do, but hes just giving a review...im actually interested to see how it all comes out.:keke:

just nice to hear another side of the story especially after giving us the specifics as to what he is rating the performance on.

im in.:drama:

[Z33dori]

i went from open to welded on my old s14 and i really missed the nice turn in and rotation when cruising on twisty roads.

it was either pushing or sliding, no inbetween.

my s13 came with a welded but i drove a buddies s13 with a kaaz 2way and liked it a lot.
its great for drifting but eventually i want to budget in a real lsd so i can still enjoy my twisty commutes.

QFT.. +rep

i <3 twisties ... but i <3 drifitng more

[tru180sx]

i like the MILLER diff but IF i had the money id buy me a nismo 2way.
but i dont see that happening anytime soon.haha
d1 pro manabu fujinaka told us on guam "you rill never git betta wis a welded diff". may be true but ive seen some guys with a welded diff kill it!
any reviews on that obx helical:confused:

[Vinny]

Dustin! What?!?!?! Thanks for the inform hahaha, we were supposed to do this together! Lemme know man!

[i8yourfwd]

i like the MILLER diff but IF i had the money id buy me a nismo 2way.
but i dont see that happening anytime soon.haha
d1 pro manabu fujinaka told us on guam "you rill never git betta wis a welded diff". may be true but ive seen some guys with a welded diff kill it!
any reviews on that obx helical:confused:
That guy never updated his thread on the helical :( I was watching it for a while too. Open sux, I prefer grip styled driving over drifting, so I no longer have a welded. Also the fact that I live in a court, and U-turns twice a day+welded>tires

[irax]

Best compromise of welded and 2 way is a shimmed locked vlsd. Its a little more expensive than a welded, but tones cheaper than a 2-way. It's basically a rebuilt VLSD with 2-3 extra shims thrown in there.

[thefro526]

Second Update!!!

I went out Drifting last night with some friends in a big parking lot and a teardrop shaped truck turn around and the differential makes a huge difference. Honestly, I'm worse now than I was on my open but I need to learn more. The differential is much better for drifting but most of us will need a bit of a refresher once you switch from an open to a welded.

Also I drove through Philly last night on the way in and out of our drift spots and the differential isn't too noticeable for city driving. Low speed turns are still a little noisy but it should be expected. Highway driving is unaffected for the most part, the car may track a little straighter but it may be my imagination.

Now here's what everyone's been waiting for, the RAIN. I took the car for a quick spin in the rain today, I didn't go over 40 or so but it's not that bad. I launched very cautiously when I was making turns from a stop and the car was very predictable and civilized. Rolling through turns in 2nd and then powering out is a bit scary and you will get the rear end out even with new tires but, a gentle lift of the throttle was all that I needed to do to get the rear in line.

One of the most important things I'm noticed though is the difference in tire performance. With my open diff, tire grip wasn't too noticeable between different tires but once I started swapping between tires the difference was obvious. I have brand new tires on my car that are A rated temp and traction and 400 treadware which are my street/DD tires and then I have a pair of steelies with some used goodyears for the rear when I'm drifting. When I drove from one spot to another which is about 20-30 miles (south philly to almost delaware New Jersey) on my drift tires I noticed that I had much less grip on the rear and if I would've driven in the rain on my drift tires I would've had to do all of my launches in 2nd instead of 1st to keep the rear in line.

[thefro526]

Dustin! What?!?!?! Thanks for the inform hahaha, we were supposed to do this together! Lemme know man!

Maybe if someone showed up to meets we could plan stuff. Actually I dropped the diff myself and drove it to Will's to get it welded so it was only $50 instead of the $175 you were quoted. If you want though I'll help you drop your diff so you can get it welded too. BTW, Reese from Drift Nasty and I roasted two of the tires you gave me last night.

[Vinny]

lmao...puttin those crappy tires to good use, huh? hahaha
and I totally come out to the meets! I only missed 1 week! :P and sure as hell I'll be out for the 16th!

and I'd rather just take the car to the shop and have them do it all. I need other things installed as well.

[thefro526]

lmao...puttin those crappy tires to good use, huh? hahaha
and I totally come out to the meets! I only missed 1 week! :P and sure as hell I'll be out for the 16th!

and I'd rather just take the car to the shop and have them do it all. I need other things installed as well.

Word? Well if you want to go out there one day this week then hit me up and we can go out there. It seems like I got to the shop once a week anyways.

[Vinny]

Next week for sure, we'll talk more on tuesday

[DataXUnknown]

I use welded. It's awsome. Very predictable once you get a little bit used to it. Even in the rain, but like said before bald tires + rain + welded diff = be careful. For me, I have bald tires on right now and any time I hit ANY kind of water, like even people from car washes and things, if I push on the gas like even just 1/4th throttle it will start to kick out the rear.

[mugendork]

I have daily driven on a welded diff for nearly 2 years now.....I enjoy it, especially during "spirited" driving. I cant imagine not having one now; the car is so predictable and easy to drive.

[Vinny]

you've had it for 2 years? Axles break at all during those times or everythings been fine and dandy?

[irax]

i've had a welded diff in my s14 for 3 years and I had never broken an axle

[thefro526]

I use welded. It's awsome. Very predictable once you get a little bit used to it. Even in the rain, but like said before bald tires + rain + welded diff = be careful. For me, I have bald tires on right now and any time I hit ANY kind of water, like even people from car washes and things, if I push on the gas like even just 1/4th throttle it will start to kick out the rear.

Yeah I've noticed that tires make much more of a difference in all conditions with a welded. That's why I'm being much more conscious about what I do on my street tires.

And Vinny from what I understand at most power levels under 300hp axles rarely break. Reese from DN has been drifting on his welded for years on a stock KA and hasn't had a problem with his Axles.

[Vinny]

good to hear, I'll def be headed for the welded ways then

[roboticnissan]

ive been through many welded diffs two ways and vlsd. it depends on what your doing with your car more. for example drifting, touge runs. if your going to drift only get a weld its cheap and totally safe in all aspects of daily driving rain and all its how you drive it. i dont recomend welded diffs for touge it tends to push cars into understeer which is already an avid problem with our s13. so in conclusion

touge=2 way
dorifto=weld or 2 way

[blu808]

Weld locd FTW.

I love welded as well.

http://www.lukelonberger.com/media/formulad/7082268_G.jpg over 300 welded over 5 years. No failures.

[mugendork]

Oh my single cam has broken dozens of axles with all its incredible torque, especially when I am running 295 Azenis on the back while drifting!

No buddy, I have never broken a drive-shaft, differential, or axle. The only possibility is if you are running 350+ hp...then the welded becomes sketchy...But I would still run it. Then comes the factor of if you can afford 300+ hp, then you can afford a real 2-way.... My 2 cents...

[240sxdrifterS14]

Just installed my welded diff today and man is that thing a blast!!!

[DohcKA]

welded diffs are the shit... but in the end i want a fucking tomei t-trax

[thefro526]

Third Update!!!! 8-11-08

Much of anything to report. I'm really getting used to the welded diff when the road is wet, it's not to hard to keep the rear in line. I love how I can power out of turns with my almighty dohc KA!!! Also the rear grip in wide turns is much better I feel more confident flying into turns. That being said, sharp turns are easy to loose grip in so be cautious and use good judgement.

[ms!3]

I like my welded. i chose the wrong diff to get welded though, lots of play between the ring an pinion, clunks like a mother. Thinking about trying out a shimmed vlsd. I don't see a lot of track time right now. Welded is just burning up my tires and I DD my car most of the time.

[motegineon]

yea just to add the the info for those of you who have vlsd or have access to one in a junkyard ect..

I shimmed my vlsd about 3 weeks ago after it began to never want to lock up until ive had one tire fire for a good few seconds..I shimmed mine to a total thickness of about 2.3mm thick via a 1.49 and a .8 shim

the diff is completely locked and you wouldnt be able to tell the difference between a welded and my shimmed diff if i didnt tell you (im not trying to argue its better or worse just stating this for info) it cost a whopping 7 bucks for the shim at nissan so if you already have a vlsd it would actually be cheaper than welding an open..

just as those of you with welded diff's have stated i absolutely love it, the only downfall is the tire wear since it is my dd as well, but overall the predictability and cornering has enhanced so much, truly a night and day difference

If anyone has any questions on shimming feel free to pm me or whatever

[Vinny]

...why does this eat tires so bad? Sorry to sound so noob at the moment.

[irax]

in the 3 years i had a welded diff in my car i did not notice an increase of ware on the tires.
you will if your alignment is off though, You might want to have the rear toe adjusted to be perfectly straight, any toe in or out will increase tire ware.

[s14jesse]

haha welded diff is the shit dude i had a welded diff for like 2 yrs and couple of drift events but dam it sucks for daily driver one tire always goes balled faster then the other and it sucks in the rain but its also bad ass in the rain cuz u can slide ez but get LSD dude..lol

[motegineon]

differential does not let the inner tire slip, being locked it causes it to move the same as the outer tire while turning thus it slips/chirps/skids against the pavement.. thus increasing tire wear..

[!Zar!]

...why does this eat tires so bad? Sorry to sound so noob at the moment.
The real reason is because the whole point to having a welded diff is to drift for 90% of us. The rest are racing.

What do YOU think happens when you're drifting or driving harder than average?

Tires wear out. It's common sense.

And if you aren't driving harder than normal then why the fuck do you even have a welded in the car in the first place?

You SAVE tires with a welded. Tires wear evenly. You don't have one bald tire and another with 70% thread.

I'm SO sick of these threads. People obviously don't know what to talk about.

[HyperTek]

i had a nismo 2way in my old s13.. i dunno how i was able to afford that.. But i liked it.. For some reason, a part of me likes the art of tuning and not skipping on details.. a proper lsd just makes the car overal more acceptible to different driving styles. I like tuning cars to be double edged blades and not single sided.. get me?

My fc has a welded.. it broke on me and i threw another welded in. dont have the money for a lsd, and didnt feel like downgrading it to an open so just got another open and welded. Once i get back into the workforce ill go play with it. But in my opinion lsd over welded over open. But welded is ok.

Never went canyon driving with this thing yet, i just got the feeling that ill get alot of oversteer with it. I like to heel-toe downshift before corners and could feel the jolt through the drivetrain break traction since theres not clutch slip with a welded. Unfortunately my fc wasnt built for grip driving in mind.

[ericcastro]

^Come on HyperTel!!.
The heel toe downshift is meant to rev match so there will be no jolt to the drive train. That way you will utilize your maximum grip potential. (not like I can get it perfect either ;))

Alot of the welded stuff your talking about is just common sense, pedal control and driver experience. I could take off on a snow covered corner in 1st anyday. And be careful with those high speed corners, cause it WILL come out on you at some point.

So just be conscious as you learn on that thing. remember how it works so you dont get yourself hurt. And if your having a hard time going from opne to welded while drifting, your giving it to much gas. Just start your turn in, clutch kick. Let go of the wheel and lift once the tires break. Right as your car starts to"set", grab the wheel, then hit the gas. (for second gear. mid to high 3rd is a ebrake with a clutch kick on a KA. But you should not be at 3rd gear speeds drifting off the track!)

Glad your happy with your welded!! I love mine.

The real reason is because the whole point to having a welded diff is to drift for 90% of us. The rest are racing.

Tires wear out. It's common sense.


So fucking true ZAR. Thats the one argument people always have against welded. "tire ware". but if you got a welded your fucking drifting, so who cares!!!!
imma posi rep you ZAR, I love you right now!, you get it ! lol

[i8yourfwd]

^Come on HyperTel!!.
The heel toe downshift is meant to rev match so there will be no jolt to the drive train. That way you will utilize your maximum grip potential. (not like I can get it perfect either ;))

Alot of the welded stuff your talking about is just common sense, pedal control and driver experience. I could take off on a snow covered corner in 1st anyday. And be careful with those high speed corners, cause it WILL come out on you at some point.

So just be conscious as you learn on that thing. remember how it works so you dont get yourself hurt. And if your having a hard time going from opne to welded while drifting, your giving it to much gas. Just start your turn in, clutch kick. Let go of the wheel and lift once the tires break. Right as your car starts to"set", grab the wheel, then hit the gas. (for second gear. mid to high 3rd is a ebrake with a clutch kick on a KA. But you should not be at 3rd gear speeds drifting off the track!)

Glad your happy with your welded!! I love mine.



So fucking true ZAR. Thats the one argument people always have against welded. "tire ware". but if you got a welded your fucking drifting, so who cares!!!!
imma posi rep you ZAR, I love you right now!, you get it ! lol
Pffft Zar gets everything.

I'm probably going to get a welded again soon.. We'll see if I can get a spare open.

[k's_silvia2.0]

^Wheres my decal?:squint:

jp Yea my welded diff was done by Flybert

so its hella legit!

[VQMaxFan]

Going to weld up my diff. today. Not really worried about tire wear or if it breaks i have a daily driver. Id like to get one of these made for the car too lol.

http://stuweb.ee.mtu.edu/%7Ejamchris/Funny_and_misc/lincoln_locker.jpg

[i8yourfwd]

^Wheres my decal?:squint:

jp Yea my welded diff was done by Flybert

so its hella legit!
My decal guy has been outta town for the past weekend! haha I'll get on him about that though.

[CA18_S13]

I love my welded diff too.

[thefro526]

On the discussion of tire wear, I haven't noticed anything too extreme. Yes a welded that is DD-ed and not drifted will see a slight increase in tire wear because one of the wheels is being drug around at low speeds when turning but, it's so minimal that at most you lose a few hundred miles on a tire rated to go for 20 or 30 thousand miles.

When drifting, you will experience a shitload of tirewear but, you're drifting so deal with it. I got my diff welded so that I wouldn't have such a hard time drifting in the long run, I have to re-learn my car but it's worth it IMO. I also have a pair of steelies that are for drift use only and I mount up tires that I'm given or buy for cheap onto them so that I can drift and not have to worry about my street tires. Honestly, I don't forsee my car wearing through my current set of tires anytime soon if I drive like a normal person most of the time.

When it comes to a Welded Differential the driver is in control of what effects it has on their car and driving. If you drive like a normal person then you'll barely notice any difference except for the low speed chirping. Now if you're like me and some of the other people here and you tend to drive you're car hard on occasion then you'll notice things like tire wear and understeer/oversteer, but you as the driver will be in control of these things. Just think twice about what you do with a welded if you're worried about the consequences, it's that simple.

[honeybadger]

What is the price of a welded... ?

Is it even better than a real limited slip?

[S13_marine]

What is the price of a welded... ?

Is it even better than a real limited slip?

Did you bother to read anything in this thread?

[Sileighty_DRFT89]

a welded diff has always tickled my fancy. but I've heard many stories of people hydroplaning on the freeway while raining on welded diffs. I'm gonna be dailying this to rancho everyday from covina to rancho and I'd sure hate for that to happen to me.

[!Zar!]

a welded diff has always tickled my fancy. but I've heard many stories of people hydroplaning on the freeway while raining on welded diffs. I'm gonna be dailying this to rancho everyday from covina to rancho and I'd sure hate for that to happen to me.

Explain the logic in how that would be?

[SochBAT]

i'll tell you right now, once you learn how to re-drive with the welded, you're a god.

If you're still driving retarded in the rain, then you deserve that shit. There are chances you will hydroplane on the freeway, yes. but you can eliminate those factors by A) getting tires with tread, B) take it slow, its not a fucking race, C) approach turns and banks the right way at the right speed.

Hydroplaning happens moreoften on cheap ass 240 owners that can't afford tires and have bald ass ones rolling daily. "Gangsta" my ass.

PS. I fucking love TarMan. Zar's ava = Cooltown.

[redclaw05]

just got me a free welded 6 bolt dif. getting it put on this friday.... so my open that is on my car right now will be my winter dif.

[thefro526]

Update #4!!!!!!

Went to a local meet tonight and my welded is still awesome. I took a bunch of people for rides and let my friend drive it and the general consensus is that it's not that bad. I still love it and my friend who used to have an S14 (totaled by a drunk driver) said my welded is better than his 1.5 way was. That's his opinion but regardless it's still good.

People still give me crazy looks and in a parking lot of 150 cars that are modded I was getting a shitload of attention and my car is mostly stock. I absolutely love the noises, they're awesome.

Did a donut or two when giving rides and I'm getting so much better with this welded as I drive it more. :D

On the Subject of tires and price, Welded diffs are a cheap and effective alternative to LSD's. My Welded cost me a total of $75 and most LSD's are 10 times that much. But at the same time you need good tires to DD on. Don't complain that your welded sucks in the rain when you have shitty tires. I got brand new tires for $208 dollars that are A rated across the board so with the money you save you can buy new tires.

[Silverbullet]

just got me a free welded 6 bolt dif. getting it put on this friday.... so my open that is on my car right now will be my winter dif.

i dont see why you would want to put an open diff in the winter. It probably doesn't snow in TX often, but for ppl who live in states that do, getting stuck in the snow with an open diff is quite embarrassing (winter 04-05 lol)

[redclaw05]

why in the world would you want to put an open diff on your car in the winter? Do you enjoy getting stuck in snow? I find it very embarrassing getting stuck going up a hill that is covered in snow (winter of 2004 lol)

it doesnt snow in texas. it freezes

[thefro526]

it doesnt snow in texas. it freezes

Makes sense, no matter what a welded is gonna be difficult to drive on Ice unless you have studded tires. Idk I'd still rock mine in the winter and just wait until after the roads are treated to drive.

[redclaw05]

well i could always drive my dads car......ls400 :)

its still RWD but its heavy

[Silverbullet]

Makes sense, no matter what a welded is gonna be difficult to drive on Ice unless you have studded tires.

quite the opposite. Your not going anywhere on ice with an open diff. Your also only getting half as much contact area to move the car. Just all season tires will do.

the down side however is obviously you have to be gentle on the gas around turns or angled roads.

[drifterdave]

i have a welded diff and i love it! its so nice for drifting, and isnt that bad for daily driver. but then again i have megan track spec coils for daily, lol, but to each his own, personal id rather spend $50.00 then $250.00 on a lsd any day since they both do the same thing. alot of people from texas have welded diffs, but since i moved back here to cali no one has one, lol, and they think im weird or haggared for having one, lol

[thefro526]

quite the opposite. Your not going anywhere on ice with an open diff. Your also only getting half as much contact area to move the car. Just all season tires will do.

the down side however is obviously you have to be gentle on the gas around turns or angled roads.

I stand corrected, I was refering to turning tho

[jdm510]

I have a update for you:
I threw my 15,000k VLSD bought from a memeber on here. he had a really bad ass red s13 coupe, anyways not only did he give me a perfect low mile diff.....

*note this is my first 240 it is a s13 coupe with a pretty much stock sr20det and kei office coilovers it had a welded diff when i baught it so thats what i got used to

Well HOLY SHIT my car drives soo much better!!! if you think about the physics of it your independent rear suspention can not work properly with the axle's locked driving down a bumpy road and turns(note i have race type suspention really stiff). Even bumps in the road are smoother the freeway is less bumpy. I'm just soo happy with the car throwing it into turns its soo nice now. Befor u turns were a BITCH! pulling into dirve thru's or drive ways or parking lots was JUST STUPID!!! And I could just feel all the stress and binding on my rear suspention damn tweaking everything to all hell. now all that bullshit is gone and its GREAT THANKS Jbma327 (http://zilvia.net/f/members/jbma327.html)

AND Since I picked up a good low mile VLSD it locks hard and works just as good as my welded and to tell you the truth i think the drifts are alot smoother now!!!!


with that said if any one in socal (san diego) wants a perfect 6 bolt welded diff for s13 with axles hit me up and make offer and its yours and you can be a hard core thug and deal with all the bullshit i did :loco:

[thefro526]

Update #5!!! 8-14-08

So today, I drove the welded in the rain again. It wasn't raining too hard but it was hard enough that the road was completely wet. I have good tires so rolling through turns in second off the throttle was hella easy but once I gave it some gas, it was drift central!!! Which IMO is pretty awesome. All I had to do was let go of the wheel and let of the gas and everything went back in line.

Regardless, rock you're welded with good tires and a light foot in the rain and you'll be fine. :bigok:

[jdm510]

you keep talking about all this drifting in the streets your going to be hating life when you lose it in the rain and smack a pole or parked car hopefully you wont be giving one of your buddys a ride then you will end up in jail like nick faget ass hogan

[thefro526]

you keep talking about all this drifting in the streets your going to be hating life when you lose it in the rain and smack a pole or parked car hopefully you wont be giving one of your buddys a ride then you will end up in jail like nick faget ass hogan

Honestly dude, I've talked about drifting on the street in this thread twice. Today I slid onto my street and and last weekend I was in a parking lot. Whenever I'm gonna do something dumb I make sure I drive around the area real quick to scout things out and then try. I knew where every parked car on the street was, where people were walking, and I looked for moving traffic before I turned, all I was going about 15 miles an hour in 2nd gear prepared to stop. Don't ever compare me, someone who is trying to get experimental data for the better of our community to someone like Nick Hogan is a complete Douchebag. I think many of us would rather me try to push my diff in the rain over some noob who can barely drive their car normal.

This being said, I'm doing this stuff so others don't have too. I had to find out what my diff would do in the rain so that others don't find out by mistake.

[!Zar!]

I'm already made countless statements on welded diff.

So your research isn't groundbreaking.

[thefro526]

I'm already made countless statements on welded diff.

So your research isn't groundbreaking.

I understand that, sorry if I sound like I'm belittling the current info out there but, I'm trying to make a noobs guide to welded differentials or something like it. I want people to know how a welded differential will react in varied driving. I figure if I pull all of my info into one thread, and a very large first post then someone will be more likely to read it than if it were in a bunch of individual posts.

[SochBAT]

you keep talking about all this drifting in the streets your going to be hating life when you lose it in the rain and smack a pole or parked car hopefully you wont be giving one of your buddys a ride then you will end up in jail like nick faget ass hogan

Stop bashing you retard. "To each his own." Don't start shit talking in someone else's thread.

He's trying to be helpful, and you're not. And quit that homosexual name calling. Its fucking offensive. You dick.

To the OP, any help in giving information on weldeds is more than welcomed. Thanks for your contribution.

[jdm510]

just saying be carful SHIT HAPPENS im a very good driver and ive had some good wrecks few flips i been threw it all. All it takes is one time

[SoSideways]

It's pretty much common sense with how to drive a car with a welded diff.

Don't drive like an idiot and haul ass in the rain around corners and you'll be ok.

Pretty much what a lot of us welded diff owners have said in this thread over and over, so I honestly don't see how you think the message isn't already out there.

you keep talking about all this drifting in the streets your going to be hating life when you lose it in the rain and smack a pole or parked car hopefully you wont be giving one of your buddys a ride then you will end up in jail like nick faget ass hogan

Pretty sure you're getting banned for that comment.

[jdm510]

im soo glad i pulled mine out it was making the whole car feel like shit it drives soo much beter. I am officialy ANTI-WELDED DIFF!!!!!

[DrFtKiNg240sxy]

im soo glad i pulled mine out it was making the whole car feel like shit it drives soo much beter. I am officialy ANTI-WELDED DIFF!!!!!

Somebody get this guy cookie!..



stfu. k thanks

[thefro526]

Stop bashing you retard. "To each his own." Don't start shit talking in someone else's thread.

He's trying to be helpful, and you're not. And quit that homosexual name calling. Its fucking offensive. You dick.

To the OP, any help in giving information on weldeds is more than welcomed. Thanks for your contribution.

Thank you for seeing that I'm just trying to help out.

just saying be carful SHIT HAPPENS im a very good driver and ive had some good wrecks few flips i been threw it all. All it takes is one time

You're a good driver? What makes you assume I'm not? Because I'm a kid? And on the issue of accidents, my back still hurts from when my friend jumped a curb and ate a pole being a dumbass trying to drift. I know the outcome of driver inexperience. Which is the reason I've made this thread, to try inform people on what happens when you drive with a welded diff in various conditions.

It's pretty much common sense with how to drive a car with a welded diff.

Don't drive like an idiot and haul ass in the rain around corners and you'll be ok.

Pretty much what a lot of us welded diff owners have said in this thread over and over, so I honestly don't see how you think the message isn't already out there.

I never said the info wasn't out there, it just wasn't all in one thread that could be found easily through searching. I've read much of what I've found out already but I also researched for a month before I welded my diff, most people wait until they see "welded diffs suck in the rain" or "I totaled my car because of a welded diff" and they stay away forever. And SoSideways, I know you're very well informed from your posts on here and JDMUniverse so it may be common sense to you and I and other people in this thread but not everyone's as smart, or awesome as us.

And I don't street drift regularly. The reason I've tried it on my welded is to get information. Honestly I hate drifting on the streets because I'm always worried about cops or other traffic or messing up my car and it's not forgiving at all.

[SoSideways]

Ah ha!

I knew your sn looked familiar. Couldn't remember where I've seen it before though.

You're never going to get a 100% united in opinion type thread on anything on the internet.

Even in this thread alone, you've got people saying welded is awesome, and welded sucks, and they all have their reasons for it.

But that's just it, if you made a search about welded diffs, every thread is pretty much the same, as far as the message goes... which also makes this thread the same as the other ones.

Only difference is that, you made this one, and you put your own experiences in it as the thread progressed.

Which is why Zar is saying that your findings aren't ground breaking, and didn't need to make another thread about it, because there are many other threads documenting the same exact information, started by others.

[thefro526]

Ah ha!

I knew your sn looked familiar. Couldn't remember where I've seen it before though.

You're never going to get a 100% united in opinion type thread on anything on the internet.

Even in this thread alone, you've got people saying welded is awesome, and welded sucks, and they all have their reasons for it.

But that's just it, if you made a search about welded diffs, every thread is pretty much the same, as far as the message goes... which also makes this thread the same as the other ones.

Only difference is that, you made this one, and you put your own experiences in it as the thread progressed.

Which is why Zar is saying that your findings aren't ground breaking, and didn't need to make another thread about it, because there are many other threads documenting the same exact information, started by others.

Haha fair enough bro, thanks for clarifying the meanings of some of these posts for me. Sorry for sounding kinda pissed but I saw no reason for that dude to say that I was going to crash and hurt my friends.

[thefro526]

Update #6

Drove up to Club Loose's All Star Bash East yesterday and had some fun. It was predominantly highway driving and car feels pretty good. Interestingly enough though, I was cut off by a Honda on my way in and dropped a tire into some mud that was on the entrance road to the track. It wasn't a fun experience, I completely lost control of the rear end for about Half a second because I was too worried about hitting the D-Bag Honda that cut me off. Nothing too bad happened, I just looked like a noob but everything's OK. Also drove on gravel too, and any of you that are familiar with Englishtown's road course parking will know about what I'm talking about.

[SilviaSR20DET]

i live in seattle, rain is never an issue with my welded diff and good tires. one thing i do notice dramatically is the grip around corners. The thing doesn't let me get sideways!!! haha but i think its because of my crappy clutch, underpowered and full soft setting on my coilovers. The cool thing about welded is that you don't have to maintenance it ever.... cept changing the oil =)

[thefro526]

i live in seattle, rain is never an issue with my welded diff and good tires. one thing i do notice dramatically is the grip around corners. The thing doesn't let me get sideways!!! haha but i think its because of my crappy clutch, underpowered and full soft setting on my coilovers. The cool thing about welded is that you don't have to maintenance it ever.... cept changing the oil =)

I have family that lives in seattle, well actually right outside of it, and you show that you can DD a welded in Rain. What's it rain in Seattle, like 280 days out if the year?

[redclaw05]

got my dif welded. its very fun :) and its a learning process.

[chrisa]

gonna install my welded sometime this week, just waiting for my new diff bushings to come in the mail!!!

[punk138]

good to know, might be welding my own soon....

[Irukandji]

Welcome to 2002

[OperationSr20]

I have a welded on my current 240, had it since I got it 2 years ago and I love it. All pros and "cons" have been listed and even with that said I wouldn't go another route. My G/f doesn't enjoy the low rpm turns, but shed hate my car either way with the coils and hard motor mounts =)

I worked at Best Buy so I'd give a lil show before leaving after close, every now and agan. Best story though would have to be what happened a few weeks ago...

As I was getting into my 240 after work, a "cool" blondie and his girl got into his 1.8 Jetta next to me. So I pull out right behind him, and were driving down the back alley towards our back parking lot. He then guns it, I'm like "wtf, what's he doing" and as he exits the alley into the back lot he E-Brakes his Jetta, trying to be cool for his girl I suppose, and he slid but a foot and just stopped. As I Lol to myself, I kick my clutch and its all "Bah Bah Bah" from there with some great angle, showing him what's what. I don't normally do that, but its a blondie in a Jetta trying to show off and I had to put him in his place.

I got a peek and a smirk from the girl in the pass. seat as I made my right, Lol. =)

Too many good times with my welded, all the little "cons" can't match the pros.

[jdm510]

My Vlsd Works just as good with out all the bucking in slow turns. Once you have some "REAL" Coilovers on your car with a welded diff you will know what im talking about

[singlecamslam]

All i can say is i love my welded diff. With solid bushings and everything makes a little noise but its nothing big. And its super cheap, 40 bucks here in sacramento.

[SilviaSR20DET]

what does solid bushings do?

[singlecamslam]

well i have solid subframe bushings, and i meant you can feel more vibration and stuff and on slow turns it clunks.

[SHARKERIOcoupe]

awsome thread, everybody puttin in some good info. Looks like ima go welded...

Everybody sayin, to be carefull with the high speed turns...how does this affect freeway on ramps? haha, you know the "20-30" mph ones, so far fun in my open diff...

n one more question...if i sound like a noob...look at my rep points, be nice...
some one told me i can go to a junkyard and get an lsd off a 300z and it'll bolt right on....true??

[jdm510]

i did not feel any signs of mine feeling loose on the freeway ramps just in the streets

now in the rain i would be carefull


SOME ONE BUY MY WELDED DIFF!!!!!! i have the axles and everything 65 bucks and its yours!!!!!!! buy mine so you can swap from open to welded whenever!!!!

[s13boy89]

my welded sounds like a bad wheel bearing is that a bad thing

[thefro526]

awsome thread, everybody puttin in some good info. Looks like ima go welded...

Everybody sayin, to be carefull with the high speed turns...how does this affect freeway on ramps? haha, you know the "20-30" mph ones, so far fun in my open diff...

n one more question...if i sound like a noob...look at my rep points, be nice...
some one told me i can go to a junkyard and get an lsd off a 300z and it'll bolt right on....true??

IIRC, a 300zx diff will fit into an s13 case but it may need new output shafts.

[thefro526]

Haha thread revival time! It's been about 3 months since I got the diff welded and I don't even notice it anymore. I haven't had any big issues lately. One thing I have noticed though, it that if you have bad engine,trans,subframe mounts you will feel some of the clunks from the rear end because the drive line is so loose. It's not so much of a diff problem as it is a mount problem. Honestly in my opinion it's the way to go if you're looking for a diff upgrade on a low budget.

Also keep in mind if you have a vlsd you can achieve a similar effect by shimming the the diff for a similar price.

[Fonix36]

i have an open in that back yard that ive been too lazy to get welded...
soon soon
but overall good thread

[Fonix36]

Is there anyway to get rid of the clunk?
lets start the topic go

[BoostedCoupe]

How is everyone doing on tire wear. I Have a welded diff with 18's. But i havent put a new tire on the rear so i dont know how quick it will wear out. My friend had almost new tires befor his welded diff but now the insides of them are toaste. But he has also done donuts/burnouts to. So lets talk about tire wear from normal driving. I have also found out that 18's will not chatter as much as 15's do while making tight turns.

[thefro526]

Is there anyway to get rid of the clunk?
lets start the topic go

theoretically, no you can get rid of the clunk because of the way everything works. In practice, yes depending on the surface and what kind of tires you have then the clunk may be unnoticeable. When I'm on my smooth drift tires on smooth pavement then i can't really hear the clunk and low speeds but with high grip tires on fresh pavement you'll notice more. Honestly it's not that bad.

[!Zar!]

You get rid of the clunking by having aluminum subframe bushings. Tranny mounts also help.

People who say tire wear is faster is talking BS.

It doesn't matter what size the tires are you're running, it has to do with the quality of the tires. Normally cheaper tires chirp and squeak while better quality tires tend to scuff and make less noise.

[chrisa]

100% agree ^^^ if i'm on my shitty drift spares they chirp sooooo much, but on my daily rims and bran new tires...its like i dont have a welded. and i also agree about the tire wear. get a fucking ALIGNMENT!!!! i have a very good alignment and i do donuts and shit and i still have like bran new tires. welded FTW!

[DisEpyon]

Having a welded diff is not only good for drifting but also great for drag racing. Helps get those launches down, For those of you that like to go to the drag strip every once in a while.

[thefro526]

Having a welded diff is not only good for drifting but also great for drag racing. Helps get those launches down, For those of you that like to go to the drag strip every once in a while.

Haha a welded does own all at launching. I did notice that much...

And as for tire wear, the diff doesn't really affected much, if anything the sides of the tread will get little nicks and scuffs but nothing major. the majority of the shitty tire wear is from the fact that 95 percent of the people who have welded diffs do burnouts, donuts, drift, drag, or do tire shredding stunts in their cars.

[chrisa]

^^^wrong dude...read my last post. obviously people doing crazy shit in their cars the tires will wear out fast. what people on this thread are asking is if normal daily driving with a welded will affect tire wear. NO IT DOES NOT! get an ALIGNMENT!!!!

[thefro526]

^^^wrong dude...read my last post. obviously people doing crazy shit in their cars the tires will wear out fast. what people on this thread are asking is if normal daily driving with a welded will affect tire wear. NO IT DOES NOT! get an ALIGNMENT!!!!

lol I was just saying that you'll get little nicks and stuff on the sides of the treads on the tires from dragging one wheel around in the parking lot..... might want to turn caps lock off next time........

[MetricHotrods.com]

I ran a welded in my R33 for awhile. It didnt agree with tight japan side roads and it makes HICAS shit the bed. on entrance ramps to the freeway, it makes hicas stick in that steering angle, so when you hit the straight fast lane, your steering wheel is at like 10 o clock. LOL, then you have to switch your ignition off and on real quick with the clutch in so hicas will re-center itself.

hicas is gone, and nismo is in, but i have no regrets from the welded days. the problem wasnt the diff it was nissans worst mistake ever. 4 wheel steering. that shits for preludes in parking lots.

[Fonix36]

^^^^

lofl soo true that shit is odd

theoretically, no you can get rid of the clunk because of the way everything works. In practice, yes depending on the surface and what kind of tires you have then the clunk may be unnoticeable. When I'm on my smooth drift tires on smooth pavement then i can't really hear the clunk and low speeds but with high grip tires on fresh pavement you'll notice more. Honestly it's not that bad.

thanks

You get rid of the clunking by having aluminum subframe bushings. Tranny mounts also help.

People who say tire wear is faster is talking BS.

It doesn't matter what size the tires are you're running, it has to do with the quality of the tires. Normally cheaper tires chirp and squeak while better quality tires tend to scuff and make less noise.

Is there anything you can do on a budget for all us ghetto niggas out there.. i think thats why we are rocking welds instead of lsd

[!Zar!]

Here is a new concept.

Don't be cheap.

If you are going to buy a welded, at LEAST buy tires that have good characteristics.

I mean, if you all want to get into something like modifying cars, let alone driving them harder than intended you have to expect to spend money.

If you can't afford that, maybe you should stick to skating.

[S13SilviaGirl]

Is there anything you can do on a budget for all us ghetto niggas out there.. i think thats why we are rocking welds instead of lsd

There is absolutely ZERO tolerance for ANY racial/sexual/discriminatory remarks here period.

[silviaguy240]

Having a welded diff is not only good for drifting but also great for drag racing. Helps get those launches down, For those of you that like to go to the drag strip every once in a while.

only if you have low power, some dude broke the fuck out of his axels from launching with a welded. someone find the video.

[soreballz]

^If you're breaking axles launching, its because your axles can't handle the power. The welded diff has nothing to do with it.

[ZenkiCam]

only if you have low power, some dude broke the fuck out of his axels from launching with a welded. someone find the video.

this what your talking about lol. YouTube - Drag race rofsp (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbp5zPw38aI)

[slow40sx]

i really don't see wtf the big deal is, i welded my open diff for the track and i had my vlsd for the street, after putting in the welded i couldn't stand the vlsd anymore, i like having guaranteed both wheels everytime its so much better for sliding, and i've been dailying mine for 6 months and its fine, parking isn't a bitch or anything, turning corners in the rain is no problem, i've never hydro-planed or anything like that, yes shittier tires cherp around corners and the rear end makes noises but come on, its a 240 if u can't handle noises coming from ur car u don't need a 240, u need a neon or a cavalier ya homo :fawkd:

[WaNa-DrIft]

Hmm i got VLSD and i always wanted to weld it but here on a army base there isnt much to go drifting. Lol every once in a while when no ones looking i pull the ol' e-brake or shift lock every now and then but "which" is the question....

[soreballz]

^You can't weld a vlsd.

[BlueKpS13]

Hmm i got VLSD and i always wanted to weld it but here on a army base there isnt much to go drifting. Lol every once in a while when no ones looking i pull the ol' e-brake or shift lock every now and then but "which" is the question....

that was the most retarded nonsense ive seen on this thread...

and please weld your vlsd i wanna see how it tunrs out...

[wikun]

how does a viscous work?

[Bushido]

a viscous diff has fluid inside, when the fluid heats up the diff will lock.

look it up on google.

[S13Yosh]

^You can't weld a vlsd.

Powered by max has done it..heres a link

POWERED BY MAX: Forums　フォーラム/ パーツショプMAXプ ãƒÂ*ダクトフォーム©ãƒ Parts Shop MAX Products Forum / Weld Locked Diff Service at MAX USA (http://www.gtfactory.jp/cms/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?2101)

[SochBAT]

waste of a VLSD.

[soreballz]

Powered by max has done it..heres a link

POWERED BY MAX: Forums　フォーラãƒ* / パーツショプMAXプãƒ*ダクトフォーラム*Parts Shop MAX Products Forum / Weld Locked Diff Service at MAX USA (http://www.gtfactory.jp/cms/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?2101)
Hmmm... Very interesting. Pointless, but interesting.

[bardabe]

it clearly states its an open diff. and it looks like an open diff to me

[charlie321]

it clearly states its an open diff. and it looks like an open diff to me

in the second post of the link it says vlsd. i wanna see more pics of it xD.

man, i fucking hated vlsd, it would never lock up when i did transitions at drift events.

[Grindmind]

please dnt flame me.....lol
but where can i get my open welded im in socal..??

[SochBAT]

Flybert (Chris) can do it for you.

Bardabe (Juan) can do it for you.

[DDDsquad_s13panda]

i looked at a coupe last night with a welded diff, dude let me drive it and everything, and that thing swing mighty fine, even with its DOHC KA. but U-TURNs..ugh!!! fuck specially in a small neighborhood... i jst wanna dump the clutch and swing it, but the car seems to want to go straight!. but other than that. i might considering picking up a welded diff for drifting and VLSD shimming it(2x) for daily.

[Otto347]

If anyone in the west central florida area needs one welded I can do it for you.

[!Zar!]

VLSD shimming it(2x) for daily.

lol

wut?

[Odysseus]

Daily driving a welded isnt even bad. U turns are a bit rougher but its bearable and its alot alot alot better than open diff. Best 40 bucks Ive spent on my car.

[aa87]

lol

wut?

http://zilvia.net/f/s-chassis/200226-shimming-r200-j30-vlsd.html

[!Zar!]

Interesting.

[Grindmind]

thanx for the input
cant wait on my diff to get welded
XD