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???? LSD ???? and SE or SEi


intermotor

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Hello guys,

Maybe a silly beginners  ??? question already asked 100 times but...

Could anyone please explain whats the exact diference in handling between an life axle SE and an independent SEi ??

Is the SEi worth its higher price?

And besides that what does the LSD (limited slip differential) exactly?? and do we need that?

Thanks in advance!

Marcel

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and not forgettin' have you joined the WSCC  :D  :devil:  :D  :devil:  :D  ;)  :)

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Basically (and I will prob'ly get corrected). With the Se you can get "axle tramp" where in fast corners on not great surfaces (ie most of our roads!!;) your car can bounce sideways... Thus making it a little "nervous"... and you if you're going some. The sei does not do this.

For the more mechanically gifted the Sei is more adjustable at the rear for personal preferences. Before I get overruled for my mech muppet explanation by some of the newbies(bound to!! :devil: ) I have had both set ups; so feel reasonably qualified.

The presence of an lsd gives better cornering traction (important) and take off (important) but also means you can do "proper Donuts!!!  :devil:  :cool:  (not important but great fun!!!... Also makes up for crap turning circle :devil: )

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From MHE on a good road (or track) IE "reasonably" smooth, you won't notice much (if any) difference between SE and SEi.

The SEi offers more adjustment so you can taylor it to suit you (though that may not be the quickest setup) the SE has little/no adjustment, you just live with it.

The SEi is better over a rougher surface, the SE is a more "challenging" drive on this type of surface.

In terms of outright "handling" (grip, responce and "feel") I feel that there is, ulitmatly, little in it between SE and SEi.

Drive both, see what you think.

HTH

Chaz

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Very little in handling between the 2, especially on excellent Dutch roads. An LSD - Limited Slip Differential - can be fitted to both SE and SEi. It limits the amount of wheel spin - or more specifically limits the difference in spin between the 2 rear wheels. So you can still spin both wheels together, but you can not spin just the inside wheel - eg trying to exit a tight corner.

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The majority of SE's utilise Mk2 Escort live axles, LSD's can be obtained for them either new or S/H.

Early SEi's use an Escort diff too, but in a bespoke casing. More recent models use Sierra diffs. Some models of Sierra have LSD's as standard, or again LSD's can be purchased to fit in the original casing.

HTH Stu.

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An LSD simply ensures that you don't get loss of traction. If you imagine the car parked on a surface where one of the rear wheels is on sheet ice, and the other on dry tarmac, if you didn't have an LSD and were to accellerate quickly from standstill the wheel on the ice would spin, all the power would go to that wheel and you'd virtually stand still.

An LSD wouldn't allow this, as it ensures that both wheels receive power and the wheel on the tarmac wouldn't be allowed to stay still while the othe one was doing all the work!

The only thing I would add to the LSD thing is that if you're not a good driver they can catch you out, in a non LSD car a lot of the energy (power) of your sideways fun is lost through it losing traction by one wheel spinning, as in 'lifting a wheel' on a tight corner. With an LSD this power won't 'dissipate' in the same way, and if you keep your foot down.....well, you'll feel the difference, anyway. Get a quick rack, you'll probably need it!

Minghis

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Probably the best one to buy IMO is a Quaife ATB. You can just fit and forget (relatively speaking...). Various other diffs need careful adjustment to the internals to regulate the amount of 'slip' through the diff. Just buying a S/H one and popping it in can result in your car not wanting to go round corners....

HTH Stu.

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Plate for racing or mainly track use.  Quaife for road or road and track.

Got one fully brutal plate diff in the PPE.  The Snotmobile gets a quiet plate diff that is a little less brutal* dropped back into it this weekend.

*TBH I'm not expecting it to be either that quiet or much less brutal.  We shall see.

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