Testing a Quaife Diff

[zracer22]

Before installing the 020 tranny I just acquired, I'd like to test it and make sure the quaife is in good condition. Is there a way to test the percentage of lock up while the tranny is out of the car?

My initial thought is to slip on an old clutch disk and use a pair of well place vice grips to keep the imput shaft from turning and then bolt a homemade handle to one output flange and then bolt a piece of metal across the other with a square cut out to fit my torque wrentch.

Will this work, or is there another way?

Thanks

[JamesB]

Or give autotech a call and ask them the best way to really test it if there is one. Your suggestion really doesnt sound like it will have anything conclusive come out of it.

[zracer22]

I called autotech.....they were clueless....

[JamesB]

Hrm. Well if the owners of Quaife America don't have any idea how to test if the diff is good I am not sure others will have a good way to test it.

[Conover]

You really can't, put it in the car and try it out. You'd need a transmission Dyno to test it, better yet a transaxle dyno, something set up to monitor both out-puts. It is a planetary gear torsen differential. It needs to be driven and loaded up on both sides to work. the easiest way to do that is to put it in the car.

[zracer22]

Thanks everyone.....I'll just have to install it and go play.

[Sandro]

Considering that the Quaifes are virtually indestructible by design. I would just put it in and test drive it.

[Bildon]

>> is there a way to test the percentage of lock up while the tranny is out of the car?

No becuase Quaife's dont "lock". I know of no way to bench test the Quaife, but it is pretty fool proof, and IF a unit "breaks", then it will 99% of the time turn into a spool, and you'll know right away as you head into the next turn with a FWD car.

One of the strong point of the Quaife is that they rarely brake and they can't wear out. It's just a box full of gears. Nothing to wear really. And unless you trash a gearbox and run metal through the Quaife, it will outlast your race car.

[dave parker]

Guys
Two years ago, my tranny in my scirocco self destructed. Well not really, but when the tranny was built by a well known VW race shop down south they used five of the special bolts and nuts to hold the ring gear to the Quaife and one "normal" bolt and nut. The "normal" bolt and nut backed off and fell out taking a nice trip through the ring gear and the rest of the tranny during qualifying. When I came back into the pits I drained the gear oil and it was like watching Terminator 2 (can you say liquid metal?)run out of the drain hole. I had a spare tranny that I ran to finish the weekend and the following week tore down the offending tranny. I spoke with the owner of Quaife America (Roy) and sent the Quaife to them for "cleaning and inspection". They returned it to me throughly cleaned with no problems found. Roy told me on the phone that only two things will damage a Quaife diff, running over 650hp through it or running with no gear oil at all. That same Quaife is still in my car to this day.

I still prefer to run a welded spider gear diff, but my current car was set up with softer suspension for the Quaife so that is what I have.

cheers
dave parker
WDCR HP#97