Limited Slip question

[rx900]

Ok. I have a question regarding the Limited Slip Differential in the 2wd models. Im pretty sure this has been discussed here before, so sorry if this is a repeat and sorry if i sound so ignorant, but how does the limited slip exactly work?

The brochure said something about when a driving wheel (rear wheels) is spinning freely, the lsd transfers torque to the wheel with traction by... so and so...

When they mean transfer the torque to a wheel with traction, does that mean if the front wheels have traction then the lsd will transfer torque to the front wheels? Does that make it like a simple "mini" 4wd then?


How does it work? Sorry if I sound ridiculous to ask this hehe

 

[Thai]

Will816 is right. Your front tires NEVER sees any power going to it. You have no center differential nor a transfer case to accomplish this.

"Auto-LSD" is a bogus term that Toyota uses for marketing. It is simply computer-controlled traction control. I assume that it is a bit more aggressive than your ordinary traction control on other cars. There is no actual limited slip inside the differential pumpkin. Auto-LSD is simply traction control on the rear axle.

Hope this helps.

 

[SubSonic]

The above 2 posts are correct - without 4Wd equipment (primarily, a transfer case, front differential and splined drive axles) the front tires never see any power - ever. In fact, a 2 WD's front wheels don't even have axles - they're mounted to spindles.

I will also add, that without a rear locking differential, that most 2WDs are more often than not, a 1 wheel drive. Limited slip differentials have been around forever - I've owned a few of them myself, and when you bury the right rear (drive wheel), more often than not, you're stuck - period. It may be different with today's "traction control", but I doubt it.

I traded a 4x4 Z71 Chevy Colorado 4dr in on my T4R. It had a locking rear differential but no true traction control. I purposely got it stuck in 2Wd once to try out the locking diff. The left rear wheel did turn and tried its best to get me out - just as it should have. Of course, I threw her down into 4 hi and pulled right out of the situation. I've never had occastion to try and stick a non-locking 2Wd with traction control to see "how much" power the off-side wheel got.

 

[luke87gt]

Good summary guys.

This confirms my suspicions that the 2WD models are actually 1WD, as I've thought.