I am at the point that I want to change the gears out of my 8". I have been searching around the forums and the internet but I still have questions. I was looking at a locker or mini spool and feel that I have a basic understanding of what some of the pros & cons are. But most folks I talk to just ask, "Do you want both tires to turn when you do a burnout?" Although, that is a small part of it, I would still like something that is driveable on the street. I hear that some spools are loud and weird in corners, u turns, 3 point turns etc.... What is the advantage/disadvantage of getting the pricier limited slip vs. a mini spool/locker...need help and info, please!
I have a mini-spool in mine and it is tough to drive on the street. You can't take really sharp turns and when it is wet, you have to be careful in the turns. If you want something that is driveable on the street, I would suggest going with a limited slip.
Is the Limited slip okay for weekend romps down the strip as well? I just want to find that happy medium of street/strip drivability
go with the LSD. it is more expensive but more streetable then a spool... not that you can't drive a spooled car on the street as ford guy said.
yea ive also heard alot of bad things about drivind spools on the street. espically in the rain or snow or slippery conditions like that
I drive my spool on the street all the time. With 255 wide tires, it makes just a little noise on sharp turns (sounds like a light rubbing on the outside...riders have asked if my tires are rubbing on the fenders). I have encountered "interesting" situations coming out of turns, or on wet roads. I am not sure that the LSD would make those situations any different, as I have encountered them in my truck periodically with clutch-type LSD. You just don't want to be giving the rear end power in either situation or when the rear locks up the inner tire will apply the power and you could end up in a power slide situation. In other words, if you are not aggressively accelerating through turns or on wet roads, you will have no problems with either setup. If aggressive with either setup, you could end up in trouble. If I had the money to do it again, I would go with an LSD for peace of mind.
I don't notice any excessive wear (except from the burnouts I do). But since the tires are not moving freely through turns, I would bet that over time, I am wearing them more than if it was an open rear. This last weekend, I helped a guy put his jeep on a trailer and when he took a sharp turn, his locker rear started doing the clicking thing lockers do and he said it drives him nuts to hear that. Something else to keep in mind when going LSD. I know the lifespan is not as good on clutch type LSDs, but my dodge truck has one and it is silent, but you can feel when you gun it that it is firmly getting traction at both wheels. But, on wet roads, it will still come around on me if I don't take it easy on the acceleration. Not as bad as the spool on the car, but it still happens.
I have a spool in mine with 4:30 gears and have been driving it on the streets in everything but snow for 4 years. I've never had any problems but I don't get stupid with it either. The only time I really notice anything is when I'm going slow enough in a sharp turn or in a parking lot going real slow. The tires will chirp a bit. Other than that...I like it.
Exactly as ray said...the "stupid" factors in quickly with a spool. I hope to be taking my rear out soon and doing a checkup on the axles and maybe have an expert look at the gear mesh. It has a hum when I let off the gas and decelerate making me think I didn't get something quite right. Some have thought it was the spool making it hum. Any other spool users have that hum? Anyways to not get off topic, I will be checking out my axles for any damage. I scribed a scratch into them from one end to the other so that later I can verify that they are not twisted. Been kinda anxious to pull it apart and see what, if anything, has happened in there.
I Had 4:56 In My Ranchero Ate Up A Set Of Tires Pretty Quick But I Drove It To A Hell Of A Lot Of Meetings
Not sure. Will check it when I pop them out. If figure all metal will twist a little before it snaps.
Thanks for all the info guys! Hey Scooper was it hard installing/rebuilding the rear end? I was thinking about taking on the project soon.
They can definitely twist. I pulled mine out recently to replace the outer seals and my left side was slightly twisted on the end of the splines where it goes into the spool. I've seen several axles twisted at the splines like that before as we use to race local round track years ago. Anyway, I will be replacing both my axles very soon.
