Vehicle & Technical > Range Rover

Diff locks - old and new types - which is best?

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Dr Strangeglove:
The older classic Rangies have a lever to engage diff lock with the later classics doing it automatically.  What is the difference?  Is one better than the other and do they have any faults??

Skibum346:
The later RRC's use a borg warner transfer box that has a viscous coupling. The coupling locks up if one axle turns faster than the other (not a very accurate description but you ge the jist). One issue with this is that as it ages, the viscous coupling can deterirate and sieze meaning your driving around with difflock in on the old black stuff... causing untold damage to tyres and causing transmission wind up.

The older versions do exactly tha same job but the job of the viscous coupling is done by the MkI driver and the transfer lever. As the MkI driver ages it deterirates and often forgets to engage or disengage the difflock... causing untold hilarity to all those in the area!  :lol:

As to which is best... depends how old the driver is!  :(biglaugh):

Range Rover Blues:
When it works the viscous coupling is a great thing, given the market place of the Range Rover when new.  Because it's there all the time you get better stability on greasy roundabouts where the older cars used to understeer, if any thing you get a tiny amount of oversteer as the back end will step out as far as the front but no further, so it's safer to drive on a day like today.

As mentioned when the units get old the thermo-vicous fluid goes hard and can lock the unit up solid.  CVs suffer and soon fail.

THe old LT230 is an open diff transfer box, it's either in or out, no limited slip at all.  Where is does score is that when it's in, it's in.  The B-W has to have a relative movement to heat the thermo-vicous fluid and so lock the diff, so when you park up on a slippery surface the front wheels will slowly turn, this has caused me problems in the past, had the B-W got a mechanical lock as well it would be the dogs bits, but it doesn't.  For this reason I'm considering sacrificing on-road handling for off-road ability.

Henry Webster:

--- Quote from: "Range Rover Blues" ---Because it's there all the time you get better stability on greasy roundabouts where the older cars used to understeer, if any thing you get a tiny amount of oversteer as the back end will step out as far as the front but no further, so it's safer to drive on a day like today.

--- End quote ---


I hadn't driven my 'road' Discovery (LT230) in slippery conditions for a while until this morning.  I'd forgotten how marked the difference was. Understeer city - with or without the diff in!   :shock:

With a limited slip diff in the rear as well as the BW the racer is emminently chuckable.  Oversteer is its favourite guise, but not too much! :wink:

Suffice to say I was thinking about putting one in the 'road' discovery, only I don't spose I'll get around to it! :roll:

barnhill4x4:
I have today driven both the Disco on Machos and the P38 on road tyres.
  THe disco is understeer mad, I was left foot braking to control it better. THe P38, oversteer heaven!
   The p38 is alot easier to drive on snow than the disco, a different story off road though

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