Diff lock vs viscous diff?

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its pure lack of skill/knowlegde if you drive offroad with difflock not engaged even worse when you do not use your gears to be in full control of a vehicle. i guess trialling since a youngster has helped me read terrail too. Plenty of times we get on here, I never use low range i never need difflock. But you know instantly either the terrain isn't that bad or the driver is a numpty 9 times outter 10 its a combination of the two!
 
i think we only differ slightly on whats a grippy surface i say anything thats not tarmac (mainly for noobies) if you not engaging difflock at all then your unlikly to have the skill of reading terrain, sideslopes with % weight on wheels cross axles etc. Then my advice stands if your not asking the Q's then should do as we all do and read the terrain and do whats apropriate
 
jai_landrover said:
its pure lack of skill/knowlegde if you drive offroad with difflock not engaged even worse when you do not use your gears to be in full control of a vehicle. i guess trialling since a youngster has helped me read terrail too. Plenty of times we get on here, I never use low range i never need difflock. But you know instantly either the terrain isn't that bad or the driver is a numpty 9 times outter 10 its a combination of the two!
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jai_landrover said:
Bromsgrove has exactly the right attitude lock it unlock it when not needeed
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I cant disagree wiv any of that :D :D :D
 
vc definately better streched chains rare ,viscous not like freelander which ran front wheels faster than rear usually last a good 10-15 years ive had mine for 10 years and was second hand when i fitted it to my disco, borgwarner outputshaft was weakest point but only £60 for new easy fix ,you dont have to worry about putting lock in, in all the time great in mixed grip conditions
 
yea drive flanges and output shafyt spline wear is common i try and keep a good s/h BW kicking about they are always handy and fetch ok ish money used
 
i prefer manual just cos i know its doing its thing.I learnt off roading techniques in a disco, then practiced em alot in a 110(after me s3).Then bought and offroaded a rrc. All had surpriseing amounts of grip but preferred the manual.Probbaly a placebo effect.
 
must point out that asking about this is not a stupid q many people go unaware for many years better to ask and find out than be clueless and say how great your car is with difflock low rang not engaged. Everyone need to learn and we were all there once and we're all learning new things everyday no dissing for genuine people that want to learn i have plenty of time for genuine people
 
Bromsgrove Defender said:
...I never engage Diff Lock unless I suspect that traction will be lost and then disengage it at the earliest opportunity.
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OK, that's the bit I was getting at, and that is based in what it says in the LR owners manual! Only use diff lock when needed, and immediately disengage once the obstacle/surface is cleared.

Diff lock is just not required for 90% of the 'light' offroading I am talking about. OK, if you're going along 'black' routes round some of the pay and play courses of course you'll want it locked, but that's taking it to extremes!

Both of ours are standard vehicles running road-biased A/T tyres, so you're bound to get a bit of wheel slip off-road - as long as you don't go mad, burning round the place spinning your wheels everywhere I can't see it doing any lasting damage - and I would say running round with diff lock engaged just going down a grassy lane or gravel track is A) overkill and B) going to lead to far more wear!
 
Beast o Bodmin said:
kinell mike

you want me to take you for a drive in the 90.ill show you how to drift in difflock at 60mph if ya like..

last guy i did it to near **** imself and never got back in my rover again...
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used to get chased by BIG dumpers at work in me 110 hardtop off road. Used to kick the back out quite nicely, especially when there were npo weight in the back.Scared the ****e outta some digger drivers in our time.
 
goonarmy said:
used to get chased by BIG dumpers at work in me 110 hardtop off road. Used to kick the back out quite nicely, especially when there were npo weight in the back.Scared the ****e outta some digger drivers in our time.
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good man.:D:D

i had to clear a shoot fence line.the guy cutting with me were not happy when i tucked into 4th gear sideways on a shoot lane....:D:D

diff lock engaged of course i was off road.
 
imke put difflock in as soon as you leave tarmac you will be doing more harm than good when offroad if you don't People are paranoid about this wear and wind up simple fact is your tyres WILL SLIP before you put bugger all strain on anything. if your not on tarmac and wheels have the slightest chance to slip put it in your doing your transferbox no favours.
 
Beast o Bodmin said:
kinell mike

you want me to take you for a drive in the 90.ill show you how to drift in difflock at 60mph if ya like..

last guy i did it to near **** imself and never got back in my rover again...
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Sounds like a deal, but only if you then come on the back of my motorbike for a spin and some wheelie/kneedown action! ;-) Then we'll see who's shaking most!! :D

I've only got the RR sideways in the snow to be fair, and it did drift well - perhaps that was the VC at work? My previous 'daily driver' was a Honda S2000 which, by all accounts, was terrifying in anything but dry conditions! 240bhp, RWD with a limited slip diff and no traction control meant sideways was just a means of getting about, rather than fun or showing off! :D:D Shame I never got to take that car on track, I reckon it would've been brilliant fun!

jai_landrover said:
imke put difflock in as soon as you leave tarmac you will be doing more harm than good when offroad if you don't People are paranoid about this wear and wind up simple fact is your tyres WILL SLIP before you put bugger all strain on anything. if your not on tarmac and wheels have the slightest chance to slip put it in your doing your transferbox no favours.
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Why do Land Rover suggest not to then? I'm not being argumentative, but they suggest only use it when required through losing traction - the rest of the time, even on loose surfaces, there is just no need by the sounds of it! I don't see what harm not locking the diff does in general driving, even offroad?
 
Beast o Bodmin said:
happy to do bike mike.not shy of a gsxr thanks.....

ill arange a time to strap you in.....
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Sounds good. It's a GSX-R750 K6, the perfect sportsbike in my (humble) opinion! :) Will need to put a seat and footrests on the back, mind...

ALX_9932.jpg
 
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What we differ on is the point in which you need to engage it. Tarmac no no high grip surface no no anywhere likley to cause a wheel to slip Wet grass is one of THE slippery surfaces known to man. When I pull onto a P&P difflock is engaged when i pull out of a P&P the difflock is disengaged (unless i'm messing about practicing for comps) In the snow last year we had icy patches and snowy patches and tarmac I drove to and from work at 55Mph in difflock because the conditions called for it.

If you drive slowly up a grassy bank if you spin any one wheel you will be stuck. Maybe you get enough momentum but this can easily damage a centre diff with it open. if you decend any hills banks with a rut or 2 in it you need only lift 1 wheel to lose all engine braking and conrtol. It comes down to keeping the vehicle under full control I've seen a new defender written off because his mate told him to leave difflock in the open position when trialling he did surprisingly well up until the axle twister decent he lifted first wheel no engine braking sent him down like a rocket then he braked (lack of experience and fear) he rolled his ned defender and that was his day ruined he didn't want an experienced passenger to show him he knew better. Luckily it was not out local club but another larger group. Sad about the car but when asked he'd been driving offroad for a long time mainly P&P but he was clueless and because of his arrogance he went home with a bent motor. Next time he will listen and have a passenger to show him the basics
 
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