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Old 09-23-2010, 04:50 AM
  #34584  
vafactor
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Default diff service

Originally Posted by imjonah
I am interested in moving from 1/10 TC to 1/12 th. I was wondering how reliable and low maintenance the 1/12th differential is in comparison to the typical 1:10 scale 4wd belt driven differentials are. Assuming my goal is not eeking out the last tiny increment of speed but rather maximizing my track time relative to my wrench time.
The slapmaster thrust bearing will allow you to run for a very long time with hardly any need to service the diff. An IRS type of solid cone will yield the most free diff possible. But it's a little hard on the diff's outer bearing. So, while the IRS setup will give you the absolute best possible diff action, it does require a little more attention. I run the solid cone in mine and, for club racing, I go a couple of weeks between cleaning and re-lubing the diff. At big events, I re-do the diff once per race day. As others have said, servicing the diff in a 1/12th scale car is a quick and easy process. If you don't want to change the outer bearing occasionally, I suggest the slapmaster thrust bearing. And if you want the freest diff action possible, then the solid cone is the way to go. As a side bar, it's important to use a diff nut that goes straight onto the threaded stud that's sticking out of the axle. Often the plastic nuts don't thread on straight. So they push harder on one side of the thrust cone (or bearing) than on the other side. A crooked diff nut will make it impossible to obtain a free diff action. The easiest way to overcome this issue is to use an aluminum nut with the nylon locking collar. Those are threaded at the factory so the threads are square with the flat surface that presses on the diff cone. Lot's of guys overlook this simple item. If you use a crooked nylon diff nut with a rigid diff cone, the outer bearing will go bad almost immediately, and your always crunchy diff will drive you crazy. So it's well worth the trouble to find a diff nut that threads on absolutely straight. Just buy a couple of the aluminum locknuts. Problem solved. Happy motoring.
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