The Series chanp of the college drift league tests many diffs with Drift tengoku and finds:
Nismo diff - has an initial torque of 8kgf-m before lock Ratings: 0 to 5 4 on Initiation 2 on switch back (feint) 5 on ease of angle adjustment with gas petal 5 on sound Notes, Clutch kick has momentary delay before drift
Welded Diff - has infinate lock Ratings: 0 to 5 5 on Initiation 3 on switch back (feint) 2 on ease of angle adjustment with gas petal 2 on sound Notes, Switchbacks are quick, clutch kick = instantly sideways, but trying to control angle with gas petal produces spinouts.
****Secret diff mod: Instead of welding they put thrust washers in a VLSD to force it to lock up hard. Initial torque is a very high 19kgf-m meaning it acts like a welded diff but noone has done this yet so thay don't know how long it will last. Ratings: 0 to 5 5 on Initiation 3 on switch back (feint) 3 on ease of angle adjustment with gas petal 2 on sound
The Great Drifter Tanaka says "No LSd, No Drift Life!" Pages 26-53 (big article)
Back in the day Tanaka had no LSD in his Laurel for 2 years. But, he was driving good and his friends would ask what LSD do you have? He would say none, and his friends couldn't believe it. When he got an LSD he improved his skills so much he eventually went pro.
"LSD helps more than anything you can, don't believe any shop that tells you differently." "Jack our car to one side to get as much oil as you can inside the diff. It's like a bathtub, the more water the longer it takes to heat up."
Oil Ratings from Drift Tengoku.
#1 Wakos oil #RG6140
#2 Omega oil #690
#3 Redline oil #75w-140ns Good for drift but it is the loudest!
Have you ever seen the cars lifted off the ground before they run with the wheels spinning? It's to warm up the Diff. oil not the motor because every oil has an optimum operating temperature.
If you weld your diff and the welds break, This WILL ruin your Pinion gear.!! If the diff is welded or has too much initial tourque, it has what they call "push under" where the rear pushes too much causing abnormal front tire wear.
well, i went to autobacs and yellow hat. neither place had wakos. so i got cusco oil from autobacs. i figure since i have a cusco LSD... cant hurt. forgot to get some RTV to seal up the fill/drain plugs, so i'll change it in a couple days. last thing to do before Ebisu drift matsuri!!!
We are now offering a gusset reinforced weld locked zero slip differential service with 100% unbreakable guarantee up to 350PS. (If you have the money for 400 horses you need to go but a 2 way diff)
Here are the options: $75 on your clean open diff internals $150 on your drained open diff pumpkin which will include tear down, solvent cleaning, welding and steel, and assembly with loctite, RTV, and proper torque specs.
Return shipping must be paid in addition to our service for out of town customers who send us they're open diff by UPS. At 16 lbs for the internal gears and 75 lbs dry for a pumpkin you should seriously consider the economies of just sending the internal assembly with pumpkin and ring gear removed. There is a lot of info online regarding diff removal and installation so please search.
There is also a lot of online information and opinions on both sides of the fence regarding weather or not you should get a welded diff so educate yourself. Never get a welded diff if you dont know exactly what you are getting into because it can be dangerous to yourself and others on the street if you dont know the characteristics well. You have been warned, if you have the money go buy a 2 way. If you are a responsible individual with a desire to drift despite your lack of funds we would love to assist.
Here are pictures of the open diff assembly taken apart, a photo of the internal assembly you need to bring/send, the gusset, and one of the multiple welding stages. Note the penetration and quality of the welds - This can only be done with proper technique and machinery!