joel-cs

[preface: fun day with 5 Caymans at the track yesterday!]

This week I had Farnbacher Loles install their clutch-type “proper” LSD (made by Stasis) in my Cayman. Yesterday was my first day on the track with it. All I can say is….WOW! What a difference. Make no mistake – LSD turns the Cayman into a completely different car. Same great balance, but I had to re-learn how to drive it (in a good way )

For those that don’t know it, Lime Rock is a 1.5 mile very technical track with a wide variety of right hand turns (decreasing double apex, uphill, medium speed sweeper, fast downhill) and one left hander. Oh, yeah, and lots of bumps thrown in for good measure…

I wasn’t so much focused on lap times, as I was feeling my way around the new car. Every part of the experience was different. There is no doubt that it will be significantly faster when I get my suspension sorted and get used to the changes from LSD. I also now know what it is capable of, as Spencer (F/L pro coach) drove the car (read: the car is significantly more capable than I am…).

Now, for my observations:

- The most obvious difference is in throttle application. The hookup of the rear wheels is instantaneous and quite surprising. It bites right away and bites hard. Rather than the feel of mild grip I was getting before when exiting a turn, I now get every ounce of power the engine is putting out into pushing me forward (and a little sideways! ). You can get on the throttle at points I wouldn't have dreamed of before.

- Throttle steer – it does it! If you don’t have LSD and you think you are throttle steering, think again… The car is now extremely sensitive to throttle application in a turn. A little bit goes a long way.

- Braking – rock solid. (Remember clutch LSD locks up under deceleration – I think this version is 60%) A big problem I had before was the “wiggle and shake” in the tail end under braking. Especially at Lime Rock, where there are big bumps right in the braking zone. Now – the rear end is firmly planted in a straight line (ask Morefun, who was trailing me, the difference in how it looked). Amazing. When I get used to it, I have no doubt I can extend my braking zone by 50-100 ft.

- Oversteer – Yes, the car is now more prone to oversteer. However, it is MUCH more predictable and very easy to catch. I had the tail much further out than I ever had before and I felt completely comfortable with it. Small dose of throttle, a little opposite lock and I was on my way.

- Tire pressures – The car is now much more sensitive to rear tire pressures. I could feel when I went over pressure. The car would get progressively loose. Amazing amount of feedback.

- Spring rates – The car can now take (and wants) much stiffer spring rates. I was running Mooty’s setup - 500 lb front and 600 lb rear with Motons (not soft). The car was very neutral, but the LSD wants it to be flatter through the turn. I will get uprated springs and report back.

The bottom line is that the Cayman should absolutely have been sold with LSD as an option. This is how the car was supposed to be setup for the track and I will never go back! I highly recommend this version of LSD for those that do more track than street driving with their Cayman. It is an amazing upgrade.

smlporsche

Congrats on finally getting your CS the way it should have been from the factory.

I put a Gaurds unit (50/80) in my 944 S2 track car and like you said it completely transformes the car's dynamics. I'll never have a track car without one.

One of these days the CS will be my track car.!!!

Dave DE

Great info Joel. Thanks for posting, and have fun with the 'new' car!

Dave

Michael S.

How much do the guys at Farnbacher Loles get for the LSD? How about the install?

QShip

I was quoted 2995 for the LSD and 475.99 for the install.

joel-cs

Yes, $3,200 total. About double what they get for the Quaife TBD, but I do mostly track driving. Lockup on deceleration was a must-have. It also puts down the power immediately, as opposed to increasing lockup with torque. Well worth the money. Had I known then what I know now, I would have done it a long time ago...

User 41221

As another point of reference, I am pretty sure Imagine Auto just put a LSD in Ken Smiley's Cayman last week in prep for the DE at Heartland Park this weekend. I'll see if I can get Karl or Stephen to comment on it.

Regards,

joel-cs

They did, but it is a Torque Biasing Differential (TBD), not Limited Slip Differential (LSD). Unit made by Quaife. Lots of threads at caymanclub.net on the subject. If you are using the car on the street much, you would want to go with TBD. Lots of track...LSD.

Ray S

I'm suprised you found more oversteer. LSD's often bring out understeer.

FTS

Joel, its great that you went with the LSD over TBD, do you know if they have a viscuous verion of it?

Can you mention about grinding noises on track and street, if any? And if you happen to perform an oil analysis after your next trans oil change, we'd love to hear about that too

We're not demanding at all, are we???

Have fun

joel-cs

The car is very well balanced and has just a touch of understeer at the beginning, but now powers right through it into oversteer.

joel-cs

They don't have a viscous version (yet). These are a small run just for F/L, so I don't know how many versions they will be making.

I did not hear any grinding noises at all on track or street (really only drove it on track though). I will also ask about oil analysis next time. Not demanding at all. That's what this is all about, right?!

Having a blast, thanks!

tkarwin

Good to hear what a difference the LSD made. I was under the impression that Guard made the differentials for stasis (to stasis's specs). What is the acc/dec lockup on the F/L unit and was it made for them by Guard, or did they order it through stasis, who probably had guard make it?

DCLee

Guard sells Guard stuff, that's about it as far as I know, though they don't make their own gear sets. Their Cayman GT-spec LSD is at least 4 months away, probably more, due to the press of other business. Wish it was sooner, but there it is... I will probably have to go to a German source for a track diff.

Lee in D.C.
'06 Cayman RS project

pcar964

Maybe if you get enough letters sent to PCNA, they will start offering it as an option.