Face palm...lol. Guess I have 180sx diff on the brain.

Thanks for the ebay suggestion too.

 

I will agree with everyone about the 2 way clunking, but after driving my car for like a week. It seemed to have just gone away, although after driving the other cars for a few days (open diff car and j30 car) it was a little on the retarded side.

I want to take my diff out and put a 4.36 gear on it, when the sr is done and in the car.

If/when I pick up another s-chassis for a daily, I plan on a hicas/s14 vlsd. No point in a 4.36 on a stock ka car, but thats just IMO.

 

I think if you have 17" wheels with atleast a 225-40 a 4.36 is a huge benefit to make up for lack of power. I really wish I had never got rid of mine.

 

please. explain more.

 

quick question for you. how was cruising speeds in 5th gear? say around 65-80mph? i.e. how high your rpm's are and stuff.

 

3-400r.p.m higher than with the stock gear. Its weird but you get used to it. It also doesnt really seem to use that much more gas.

 

weird, i honestly cant think of a better upgrade for a stock ka car.

 

These are the impressions i'm getting so far from all your posts:

As I figure it, @ the very least adding a limitedslip or locking diff, no matter what the gear ratio, is a step toward improving the overall performance of the car. Its sort of another piece to the performance puzzle.

The torque of a KA isnt terrible by any means so why not a diff that "locks" inorder to better use the strength of the motor. Also that by putting in a gear like a 4.36 you can take advantage of that snap off the line or powering out of corner. And with a j30 same thing, only in the other direction, because it more than likely will leave you wanting to do a power adder so you can appreciate it all the more, it still has it place in this puzzle too.

Each of us have their own idea of how to improve there cars. Some choose to power up first others put thier cash in the turn and stop areas of suspension, and then there are those that only look to make things look good and sound better.

This tread is turning out better that I thought it would thanks fellas!!

 

I mean as far as a completely stock KA car, one I would be DD'ing and not "spirited driving" at all.

If I was getting another car to do slight upgrades to start, then I would most def put a 4.36 on a ka car with a few bolt ons. My first hatch had a 4.36 with a ka, normal I/H/E stuff and it was a huge improvement over stock.

 

A stock KA doesnt make that much TQ. A stock RWD NA SR makes the same power and TQ. Its definately not anything mind blowing. The only up side to the displacement of the ka is when the motor is turbocharged. More displacement means larger volume of air means faster spool up.

A differential helps the car rotate in a corner. If you're in a long sweeper where you have to stay on power to keep momentum the diff helps rotate the car and apply the power. Also you can start to use the throttle more to get the car to rotate more quickly where as an open will just spin the inside wheel. But it also depends on the limited slip you have. clutch type diffs tend to premote understeer/oversteer on longer corners where you have to keep on throttle. They're very snappish and not very easy to learn to drive with quickly. VLSD/HLSD are much more forgiving. Since they're more seemless and they allow the driver to be more aggressive with the throttle with out any backlash.

Also depending on the diff engine braking is better since on decel the diff is applying traction to both wheels not one so it makes the car more stable when slowing down.

Basically there are no down sides to limited slips over opens. You just need to figure out which type you want since there are quite a few to choose from, and many ways to tune the one you have to suit your specific goals.