Differential question

Jan 20, 2004 19 Replies

Maybe this is a question for you baja guys. Last weekend I was testing a friend's standard bug we just fixed the whole electrical system (thanks to Speedy Jim's website). We decided to take a drive in the woods, and on a steep dirt hill It got stuck, one of the wheels spining freely while the one with traction did nothing. we just let it roll back down and turned around.



The question is, is there a differential available for the bug that distributes the power better for off road applications? For asphalt the way it is seems ok, but the mud is not friendly to this bug.



Karls Vladimir Peña


Thanks Dave, where can I get info on all of them? Gene Berg has discontinued the Super Diffs, according to his website.

I thought super-diffs are still an open design, but with 4 spider gears over 2 in the stock design for more strength.

patient: where am I? nurse: you're in the hospital. patient: what happened? nurse: apparently your car swerved sideways for no apparent reason and smashed into a tree.

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ZF used to make a limited slip cluth-type diff for the VW. I think new spare parts are hard to find for them these days. Try searching Samba for used ones for sale.

Or a neighbor's F150 :-(. Did that about 9 years ago in my 65'.

The list doesn't end there, for the do-it-yourselfer there's always Welding, which results in 100% lock and the previously mentioned warnings apply. NO a 100% lock will NOT suddenly cause your car to swerve and hit a tree, but it makes turning tight corners more difficult.

Then there's the short lifespan "split diff" trick, where you split the axle "cup" in two and assemble as is... the torque and momentum will force the split halves further apart and they will "grab" the surrounding metal and act as limited slip diff. Overheating and shavings will follow, but the budget dirt racers here say it works. For a while :)

I can't explain it without drawing and since this is a trick that isn't really useful to anyone bu those guys, I'll just skip it..

Jan

The Quaife Diff sounds great, but it costs much more than all the others. So, can you tell me exactly how a super diff can make my nightmares go away?

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Find one of those, used.

Isn't the ZF a clutch type diff?

Did you try applying a little parking brake while in the mud ? You could put some turning brakes on it and use them to to stop the free wheel.

Mark Detro Englewood, FL

Thanks for the info, I do have an IRS SB and a Swing axle STD. I would like to have the solution on both. How can I do It?

I can't help you with the IRS diff. Someone here might have some tips?????? Dave.

Yes, if they're worn. I don't know the availability of spares. ZF no longer makes the unit and you can't buy them new anymore.

Ask this guy: snipped-for-privacy@canada.com

Someone gave me his email a ways back. He's known to rebuild them for resale.

What did Bruce say? Are parts available? What's your local VW tranny place have to say?

I've never even seen a ZF around here. and being a discontinued product, it's unlikely to find them.

So, I'll >

Don't be too quick to discard it, they were very popular on modified bugs in the 70s.

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