# Base Model ?s - Lack of TCS or LSD?



## pgtr (Mar 29, 2004)

It seems a base Z can be had w/o TCS or LSD (limited slip diffy). Is that correct? It's just an open axle differential in a base model?

If so any idea how much it would cost to buy an LSD? Maybe 2nd hand out of a totalled Z in the next year or so.

Anything else notable mechanical/performance wise missing in a base model?


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## JAMESZ (Mar 12, 2004)

Yeah the base does not have a LSD. You could by the Nismo LSD or wait for a 350Z of a higher model to wreck and then do a swap. The Nismo one is nicer though but its going to cost $1,041.39.


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## pgtr (Mar 29, 2004)

Hi James, thanks for the verification. I'm considering an absolute spartan base base 350Z but LSD would be one thing I'd not want to forego. 

I too was thinking a wrecked 350Z unit and was guessing to offer about $300ish to maybe $500ish. I can be patient for something like this anyway...

Thanks for the heads up on the Nismo unit - not familiar w/ it but at a grand I might give a wrecker a shot first...  

thanks,


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## Smoked (Feb 4, 2004)

pgtr said:


> Hi James, thanks for the verification. I'm considering an absolute spartan base base 350Z but LSD would be one thing I'd not want to forego.
> 
> I too was thinking a wrecked 350Z unit and was guessing to offer about $300ish to maybe $500ish. I can be patient for something like this anyway...
> 
> ...


Shrug why not go full upgrade to a Quaffe LSD?


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## TruBluZ (Feb 29, 2004)

Smoked said:


> Shrug why not go full upgrade to a Quaffe LSD?


Why not get the Enthusiast model that has LSD and TCS? Not much more in price.


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## koreanlax16 (Apr 14, 2004)

*LSD good or bad*

the base Z does not have an LSD, so does that mean both the rear wheels are driving? would it be better to have both wheels driving the car instead of just one wheel drive until the LSD kick in because of slippage? sounds to me as though having both wheels driving is better than one performance wise. Insight on this would be helpful and greatly appreciated.


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## JAMESZ (Mar 12, 2004)

With an open diff one wheel will spin faster in turns and one wheel will over power the other in the straight under hard accel. The LSD keeps both wheels at the same speed when one begins to slip it keeps it at the same speed as the other wheel.


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## JAMESZ (Mar 12, 2004)

So in other words the LSD is better for performance since power is equally sent to both wheels!


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## koreanlax16 (Apr 14, 2004)

JAMESZ said:


> So in other words the LSD is better for performance since power is equally sent to both wheels!


 but the wheels are suppose to spin at different speed if they didn't it would be near impossible to turn b/c the car would want to keep goin straight. but if the LSD kicks in wouldn't it draw power away from the driving wheel to turn the other wheel? but under hard acceleration and keeping the wheels from spining only one wheel is driving right? since the base model only has a diff, does both wheels drive the car instead of one. from what i know of the LSD i wouldn't want one, and just get the base model and build up from there, and if i decide i want one i'll get an aftermarket LSD. please give the plus and negative sides of the LSD, i want to hear that side of it so i can make more4 informed decision on it. try to persuade me into getting one. Thanks guys fro the help.


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## JAMESZ (Mar 12, 2004)

What are you trying to say? Do you know nothing about cars? You reall need the LSD and in handling it is best to have the LSD. With an LSD BOTH wheels drive the car at all times. The LSD only comes into affect when one tire begins to slip and it just equals out the power. Trust me you do not want an open diff! There are really no negatives in having the LSD but there are loads of negatives in the open diff. The open diff can be very dangerous in RWD! I have a 1986 300ZX Turbo and I had to put an LSD in from a later model so I could drive the car safely daily and on the track! Oh and it is much better to have both wheels spinning then just one! In a turn the car does not want to continue going straight because both wheels are driving (where are you getting this?). Traction is greatly inproved since now you have less of a tendancy for the tires to loose grip. In acceleration you also will really want the LSD unless you want one wheel putting the power down which will turn your car sideways so that will end up putting you around a pole or a tree!


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## koreanlax16 (Apr 14, 2004)

JAMESZ said:


> What are you trying to say? Do you know nothing about cars? You reall need the LSD and in handling it is best to have the LSD. With an LSD BOTH wheels drive the car at all times. The LSD only comes into affect when one tire begins to slip and it just equals out the power. Trust me you do not want an open diff! There are really no negatives in having the LSD but there are loads of negatives in the open diff. The open diff can be very dangerous in RWD! I have a 1986 300ZX Turbo and I had to put an LSD in from a later model so I could drive the car safely daily and on the track! Oh and it is much better to have both wheels spinning then just one! In a turn the car does not want to continue going straight because both wheels are driving (where are you getting this?). Traction is greatly inproved since now you have less of a tendancy for the tires to loose grip. In acceleration you also will really want the LSD unless you want one wheel putting the power down which will turn your car sideways so that will end up putting you around a pole or a tree!


 please bear with me, my knowledge on LSD's is limited. what i mean going straight is, that while taking a turn both the wheels spin differently, the inside spins slower cause of less distance, while the outside wheel spins faster cause it has to travel a longer distance, without a diff the wheels will spin at a uniform speed making it very hard to turn the car not to mention hard on the driveshaft, axle, tires, etc. i understand you saying the LSD equals out the tire spin if one starts to slip under a hard turn i understand that concept, and it seems to me thats good. now, my main thought is (sorry if i wasn't clear enough) is that newer cars nowadays, one wheel drives the whole car, but if it starts to slip power is reduced from the spinning wheel and transfered to the other wheel which then helps drive the car(such as my mom's car works this way). i just wanted to know, say that your driving down the road normally, and the car has an LSD. is one wheel driving the whole car on the 350Z or are both wheels driving the car? i understand how the LSD works in turns, so is it mainly just to counter-affect the wheel spin in turns. Cause of what little i know of standard viscous LSD's is that when one wheel spins faster than the other the plates thicken the viscous gel and the power is transfered to the other wheel reducing the slip. So, since LSD's solve the problem on wheel spin in a turn which i greatly like, but my main thing is that do both wheels drive in a straight, beacause i don't want one wheel driving the car, especially when im messing around with my friends. Cause both wheels driving in a drag is better than one. Thanks again guys. please bear with me, knowledge is little on LSD's.


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

You are confusing traction control and LSD... I think... I can't read your post very clearly... need paragraphs...


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## JAMESZ (Mar 12, 2004)

:wtf:


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## koreanlax16 (Apr 14, 2004)

James said:


> You are confusing traction control and LSD... I think... I can't read your post very clearly... need paragraphs...


sorry guys if i wasnt' clear. im just gonna skip all the bull

i know how the LSD works in taking corners. My question is, do both wheels drive the car under normal condidtions, and when you stomp on it while going straight.

reason i ask this is that newer cars such as my mom's, only one wheel drives the whole car unstil it slips then power is added to the non driving tire which then starts to drive.

i don't know that much about LSD's so if yall could help me out that would be fantastic, because i can't find anything on the net about them. Thanks Guys.


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

Ok, both the driving wheels will drive the car when going straight, if only one wheel moved you'd turn in a circle!  

In my I35 it has traction control, so when one of the two wheels are slipping it will apply brakes to the other wheel. This is really bad for open differential because well, when you lose traction... you basically don't go until you slow it down!


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## BurningInH20 (Jan 28, 2004)

I know that if you have the stock LSD, the nismo and others will swap right in. But is there any additional hardware required when adding one to a base model?


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## BurningInH20 (Jan 28, 2004)

Oh yeah, and lee auto has the nismo LSD for $850


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## James (Apr 29, 2002)

There shouldn't be if you're swapping in the entire differential... (sorry, I'll get out of the z world now!)


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## TRC (May 27, 2004)

Open differential sucks. 350zonlinestore.com or performancenissanparts.com (I think those are right) have the Nismo one for 900, or at least one of them does.


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## OnlyOneDR (Dec 20, 2003)

koreanlax16 said:


> reason i ask this is that newer cars such as my mom's, only one wheel drives the whole car unstil it slips then power is added to the non driving tire which then starts to drive.


Just how many people out there actually think like this? I have had to clarify how cars and differentials work to so many people that I believe it should be part of every 8th grader's education now! Both wheels drive the car unless you have a one-wheel drive go-kart, a motorcycle, or ... a spool, tight lsd, or locker and one wheel already off the ground (like when 4-wheelin!).

Go to www.howstuffworks.com and look up differentials. They have lots of pictures and moving diagrams to explain it all:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm

And please, don't take my comments the wrong way, I just find it hard to fathom why things so basic to me are so magical to others...


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