Originally Posted by
Evoracer
Noticed the discussion about gear ratios , spur gears and what type of diff balls people like to use. Brought up a question though. I've seen many people quoting that they lock the diff and simply learn to modulate throttle. This all but makes the diff useless. So, just how "locked" should the diff be ? Is it even worth thinking about how many or what type diff ball to use ?? Assuming a totally locked diff, what is the suggested method of doing this?
A perfect diff is locked, and very smooth
To check, hold both wheels, and try to rotate the spur gear, it should be difficult to turn
If the diff is really good, rotating a wheel will not turn the motor over
It does not mean that both wheels are locked as in a solid connection between the two
It does mean that the inside wheel, or wheel with less load will diff, or spin, allowing for a tighter turning radius
If the diff is not locked, generally the car will not go straight under power, and the life of the diff will be much shorter as the diff balls will grind into the diff plates under load
this is of course just my opinion
and there are many opinions on a msg board such as this