Losi Smart Diff
04-13-2009, 06:23 PM
#226
Ok, here is my feedback on the smartdiff, I have only tried the center and here is what I have seen. I am a little new to off-road, but have been racing on-road longer than I'd like to admit. I have tried it back to back a number of times in Columbus as well as outdoors this last weekend. While it seems to help increase the low speed steering it seems to lack in transition from High to Low speed, you can really see it at the end of a straight away. Both columbus and akron have 90's at the end of the straight requiring significant braking, with the smart diff I almost always push wide to the wall, with the standard diff this doesn't happen. It's as if the smart diff isn't disengaging fast enough, so I went to the next stiffest spring on the smart diff to get it to disengage quicker, and I get the same result?
After pushing into the tubes at the end of the straight every lap at Akron this weekend, after the race I took it out again and put the center back in, and the car was 100 times better at the end of the straight away. Any low speed steering and forward bite that was lost going back to center diff was undetectable, but the end of the straight was night and day. Both tracks had high bite, maybe this in itself makes the smart diff a bad call? Do you guys think a loose track is better suited? Maybe I need to run the front with it to get to turn with the center installed at the end of a straight?
With everyone talking about cutting and or reducing the number of springs I would think that it would further make the "disengagment" worse?
Thx,
Aaron
After pushing into the tubes at the end of the straight every lap at Akron this weekend, after the race I took it out again and put the center back in, and the car was 100 times better at the end of the straight away. Any low speed steering and forward bite that was lost going back to center diff was undetectable, but the end of the straight was night and day. Both tracks had high bite, maybe this in itself makes the smart diff a bad call? Do you guys think a loose track is better suited? Maybe I need to run the front with it to get to turn with the center installed at the end of a straight?
With everyone talking about cutting and or reducing the number of springs I would think that it would further make the "disengagment" worse?
Thx,
Aaron
EA
04-13-2009, 06:45 PM
#227
Tech Adept
Well i think i am going to sell both mine as they just dont work how i want them too. I put the center in and all i get is the front tires ballooning. A friend of mine was at the NEO this weekend and asked the losi drivers about the problem im having and guess what they said "throw them in the trash as they are C**p".I race in the UK on high grip tracks and i dont know whether thats the problem or not but surely front tyres balloning to the point of them coming off the rims is not what it should be doing.
04-13-2009, 07:07 PM
#228
04-13-2009, 09:21 PM
#229
I am uncertain as to why some smart diffs work and some do not. Mine does nothing as described by you guys. Maybe it's how they are greased on the outdrive shafts as well as the internals. I just run two .15's in my center and has worked flawlessly not giving anything in the corners. Just making it easier to drive.
Some people fail to realize you need a good portion of grease on the outdrive shafts, seals, and behind the sun gear. I use Mobil 1 synthetic and NOT the Losi diff grease on these parts. I ensure every part is amply covered in Losi diff grease on the internals and add a good amount to the center part of the diff on the planetary gears before reassembly. But, my diffs (smart diff or not) work completely different based on whether they are greased well on the outdrive shafts and seals or not.
But, you have to remember that I'm running and E buggy and not a nitro buggy.
I hope this helps....
Ben
Some people fail to realize you need a good portion of grease on the outdrive shafts, seals, and behind the sun gear. I use Mobil 1 synthetic and NOT the Losi diff grease on these parts. I ensure every part is amply covered in Losi diff grease on the internals and add a good amount to the center part of the diff on the planetary gears before reassembly. But, my diffs (smart diff or not) work completely different based on whether they are greased well on the outdrive shafts and seals or not.
But, you have to remember that I'm running and E buggy and not a nitro buggy.
I hope this helps....
Ben
04-14-2009, 05:40 AM
#230
I am trying to figure out exactly where your greasing Warpig. You are talking about the outdrive shafts themselves, which I do on all diffs but do you pack the backside full of grease around the seals and tightly pack the diff? I have one coming in today and was wondering exactly how to get the best results. Also are you using the Mobil 1 bearing grease or the axle grease? I think these things take a careful build, but they should work great.
04-14-2009, 06:34 AM
#231
Ok, here is my feedback on the smartdiff, I have only tried the center and here is what I have seen. I am a little new to off-road, but have been racing on-road longer than I'd like to admit. I have tried it back to back a number of times in Columbus as well as outdoors this last weekend. While it seems to help increase the low speed steering it seems to lack in transition from High to Low speed, you can really see it at the end of a straight away. Both columbus and akron have 90's at the end of the straight requiring significant braking, with the smart diff I almost always push wide to the wall, with the standard diff this doesn't happen. It's as if the smart diff isn't disengaging fast enough, so I went to the next stiffest spring on the smart diff to get it to disengage quicker, and I get the same result?
After pushing into the tubes at the end of the straight every lap at Akron this weekend, after the race I took it out again and put the center back in, and the car was 100 times better at the end of the straight away. Any low speed steering and forward bite that was lost going back to center diff was undetectable, but the end of the straight was night and day. Both tracks had high bite, maybe this in itself makes the smart diff a bad call? Do you guys think a loose track is better suited? Maybe I need to run the front with it to get to turn with the center installed at the end of a straight?
With everyone talking about cutting and or reducing the number of springs I would think that it would further make the "disengagment" worse?
Thx,
Aaron
After pushing into the tubes at the end of the straight every lap at Akron this weekend, after the race I took it out again and put the center back in, and the car was 100 times better at the end of the straight away. Any low speed steering and forward bite that was lost going back to center diff was undetectable, but the end of the straight was night and day. Both tracks had high bite, maybe this in itself makes the smart diff a bad call? Do you guys think a loose track is better suited? Maybe I need to run the front with it to get to turn with the center installed at the end of a straight?
With everyone talking about cutting and or reducing the number of springs I would think that it would further make the "disengagment" worse?
Thx,
Aaron
04-14-2009, 07:00 AM
#232
I am trying to figure out exactly where your greasing Warpig. You are talking about the outdrive shafts themselves, which I do on all diffs but do you pack the backside full of grease around the seals and tightly pack the diff? I have one coming in today and was wondering exactly how to get the best results. Also are you using the Mobil 1 bearing grease or the axle grease? I think these things take a careful build, but they should work great.
I grease the actual outdrive shaft and slide it in the housing to get good coverage and pull it out and put a little more grease on the edge of the tip and ensuring the groove on the shaft is packed full of grease. When I install the shaft again I don't clean the excess off unless there is a ton of it. It helps seal it and keep the clean grease doing it's job. On the inside I grease the o-ring generously as well as the shim. In my case I don't use the shims on my smart diff it didn't come with any installed and that is how I've been running it. So, instead, I put a film of grease on the back of the sun gear.
04-14-2009, 09:52 AM
#233
I'm up and down on the SD myself and have tried a few different setups in my E-8ight 1.0. When I ran the SD in the center it did put more power to the ground, but prevented the rear from swinging in the tight turns. I tried a few different spring setups to get it to disengage quicker, but that just made the rear stick even more. I did not try just (2) .15s, maybe that would have been better. I'm guessing the (2) .15s make it work more like a traditional diff off-power, but still get more power to the ground when accelerating.
After a while I tried running the SD just in the front with (4) .15s. This I liked a lot more than in the center. This gives the front end lots of bite off power and on power, but still allows the rear to swing through the tight turns. I’ve also played around a lot with different sway bars. I either run the mid or stiff in the rear and only the light in the front. I mostly need the light in the front because I run green front springs to offset the additional front weight from the forward battery tray of the Losi e-conversion.
I’ve also noticed the front wheels ballooning a bit more than with the stock diffs, but this is because I can put so much more power through them than with the stock diff. The forward acceleration is awesome and I can clear any jump from the inside of a turn and even turn doubles into triples or triples into quads. Lots of fun with that.
After a while I tried running the SD just in the front with (4) .15s. This I liked a lot more than in the center. This gives the front end lots of bite off power and on power, but still allows the rear to swing through the tight turns. I’ve also played around a lot with different sway bars. I either run the mid or stiff in the rear and only the light in the front. I mostly need the light in the front because I run green front springs to offset the additional front weight from the forward battery tray of the Losi e-conversion.
I’ve also noticed the front wheels ballooning a bit more than with the stock diffs, but this is because I can put so much more power through them than with the stock diff. The forward acceleration is awesome and I can clear any jump from the inside of a turn and even turn doubles into triples or triples into quads. Lots of fun with that.
04-14-2009, 12:42 PM
#237
One thing I've noticed in testing is motors that spin more freely (of power) also corner better. The Castle 2200 truggy motor has way to much drag for a buggy IMO and causes a buggy to push. The Neu 1512 (2050kv) has very little motor drag and corners very well. My Medusa 60x2000 sits between the Castle and the Neu when it comes to drag and cornering.
04-14-2009, 03:35 PM
#239
I don't use drag brake in any of my 4wd vehicles. I feel it adds too much push to the steering, but that's from my 1/10 experience. This weekend I'll play around with a bit of drag in the 1/8, but I doubt I'll like it. The 1/8 stuff already has a lot of drag from the diffs and the direct drive motors.
One thing I've noticed in testing is motors that spin more freely (of power) also corner better. The Castle 2200 truggy motor has way to much drag for a buggy IMO and causes a buggy to push. The Neu 1512 (2050kv) has very little motor drag and corners very well. My Medusa 60x2000 sits between the Castle and the Neu when it comes to drag and cornering.
One thing I've noticed in testing is motors that spin more freely (of power) also corner better. The Castle 2200 truggy motor has way to much drag for a buggy IMO and causes a buggy to push. The Neu 1512 (2050kv) has very little motor drag and corners very well. My Medusa 60x2000 sits between the Castle and the Neu when it comes to drag and cornering.
04-14-2009, 03:37 PM
#240
I bought a front smart diff for my buggy and so far I like it. I am new to racing so it could just be I'm getting better but I feel more connected to the car now. I went for a center but the LHS was out of them and only had fronts. The guy told me everyone around there was using them on the front so I figured I'd try one. If I didn't like it I could just change the gears and use it on the center.