[elise77]

From Lotus web page:


ALS1F6004F
LSD (s1/s2 fitment) use ALS1F6006S Diff Bearingx2


This torque sensing LSD will enable you to obtain the maximum amount of grip when exiting a corner to achieve extra speed on the straight, essential for minimising laptimes.

 

[tonykomo]

This is going to be a good thread.... I for one noticed a big difference once I had the Quaiffe ATB fitted to my car. Then again, I'm on semi slicks and drive the car ragged everyday.

 

[Surferjer]

I wonder if us early owners can affordable go back and add this?

 

[tonykomo]

Mine was easy. Lift the car, take apart the gearbox and swap them over.

 

[smoseley]

How much is the option?

 

[Stan]

Well if you look on the www.quaifeamerica.com site you can see that the Toyota quaifes run about $1200. They do have an Elise listing in the same price range but it's not clear for which transaxle this is for.... Toyota box or the earlier gearboxes. The bearings that Lotus mentioned are needed since they get pressed onto the diff and you cannot reuse the old ones as they would be damaged if you try to remove them from the existing open diff for reuse. Those can likely be sourced from Toyota or if you have the bearing PNs, from any good bearing house. Often you can find a higher rated bearing meeting the factory spec. Toyota does not make the bearings.

I need to wait and see exactly what Lotus does for a USA limited slip. It has to be factory installed and available in the 2005 model year in order to be SCCA legal on 2005 Loti. I hope they don't install clutch LSDs into the Elise and stick with a smooth gear type unit.

The latter (gears) are nice because they don't promote corner entry understeer, they lock up as required upon power down out of a turn and they have few side effects and are so smooth. The inside rear has to have *some* traction in order for them to work though. I noticed that Lotus races using gear type LSDs with some preload to provide a mild clutch type action at first. Not enough to hurt corner entry but enough to help maintain drive if a tire lifts. The Elise can partially lift an inside rear during corner exit.

If you don't need to worry about things like that you can get going right now. There are several limited slip options that can go into our boxes.

 

[eliseowner2b]

Did someone say Elisetalkers are going to get a huge discount? Oh wait, the dollar is falling...

 

[Surferjer]

I smell another project on the horizon! What the hell. If it's available and will really help us (and comes out before the end of the model year, I'll bite.

 

[theob]

How much is the option?

Lotus quoted me with a price of GBP 650...

 

[theob]

btw, the correct part number Lotus Motorsport gave me lately for the 111R is:

LSD, ALS3X0010F, £763,75 (VAT 17.5% incl.)


Lotus Motorsport told me that they don't recommend it for road use, but rather only for race purposes.

How does this sound to you? Doesn't the LSD help the car under any circumstances? They say it'll be slower in normal road...

 

[tonykomo]

The LSD is very very heavy. That might be why they say it'll be slower in normal road conditions.

 

[OneFastLotus]

The LSD is very very heavy.

Heavy enough to slow you down? A little ol' LSD?

hehe, I imagine they meant its characteristics aren't as desirable on the street, which I hope isnt the case. If they used a torsen type it would be nice.

 

[Racer X]

Since it is described as a TORque SENsing differential, i assued it was a TORSEN type differential. maybe I read too much into it, as I suppose, other types of differentials, except a locker or a spool, might be described as torque sensing.

I need to see a good picture to see if it has helical gears or clutches.

Greg

 

[Randy Chase]

I have some video from this last Sunday showing my Elise being driven around the corner... with smoke pouring off the inside rear tire. I will try to upload it and link it later.

 

[Ancient Wedgie]

Stan wrote:

The Elise can partially lift an inside rear during corner exit.

At the Coronado Historic races two weeks ago, MW noticed that the sole 914 tended to lift its inside front wheel on exit from a turn -- maybe 3". Why do you suppose there's this difference between the two mid-engined cars?

I tried taking a picture of it, but the only picture I captured at the precise moment of lift (damn delays in digital camera shutter release I haven't figured out how to beat yet) happened to have a Michael Moore sized professional photographer blocking my line of sight -- grrrr. (I'll post the funny-sad [email protected]' picture if anybody's curious, when I'm back at my home computer)

Gil

 

[thegit]

It is possible that the slippy diff (helical gear/torque sensing type) will be slower in the wet( no traction to both driven wheels) as pertaining to corner exit (getting the power down).
The car has to be driven differently in the wet with a Quaife type, compared to none.
You cannot be as heavy on the throttle at corner exit on a wet track.
The should be a little easier to catch though as it is more progressive in breakaway behaviour.
The Elise will have more weight bias to the rear, so the finer characteristics will be a little different, to a se7en with one occupant.

It WILL be Faster in the dry by a noticeable margin.
My experiences were derived from a se7en that I installed a quaife slippy diff into. and used for track.
Clutch packs have a different behaviour and it depends on the ramp angles.
m

 

[chrisngrod]

I had a JDM clutch type LSD and it weighed 13.5 lb.! I could barely lift it.