New Torsen for the MK3?

super.secret.supra.club

Supramania Contributor
Mar 22, 2007
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Jeff Lange;1316230 said:
Retail is about $2500, I'd think you could get one from your local Lexus dealership within a few weeks.

It seems it probably fit a few other cars as well (perhaps IS250 and GS300). I'll need to check into those.

Not cheap new from Lexus though, that's for sure.

Jeff

i can get these pretty easily but, has anyone confirmed whether or not these will fit into the MA chassis?

my buddy just crashed his is250 and ill be pulling parts off before it goes to the junk yard
 

Zach

ECUMaster USA
Apr 6, 2005
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I think it's so funny that Mk4 guys all ditch the Torsen for a clutch type diff. and Mk3 owners flock to the idea of having a Torsen. I've driven waaaaay too many higher horsepower Torsen cars to ever want one in a vehicle I own. Give me a good (i.e. properly set) clutch type diff. any day of the week over a Torsen. Having a 600whp+ vehicle's ass end trying to squirm its way from behind you is a scary thing on public roads. Everybody who thinks they want a Torsen should set up their factory diff first before jumping ship, I think you'd all be thoroughly surprised.

As far as a Torsen being better for road racing, I'd have to disagree. Find me a serious race car that uses one and I'll eat my words :) A plate style diff. is a far better choice, you've then got tunability.
 

supradjza80

Mr. Formula SAE
Apr 24, 2007
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Zumtizzle;1455025 said:
Toyotas after 93 equipped with LSD are Torsen. ;)

Another issue is it came as an Option. :(

Yeah, so Poodles question is how do we tell its a torsen when we pull it out from the junkyard? Is there any way to tell that the car has the LSD other than giving Jeff the VIN?
 

supradjza80

Mr. Formula SAE
Apr 24, 2007
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Zach;1455037 said:
I think it's so funny that Mk4 guys all ditch the Torsen for a clutch type diff. and Mk3 owners flock to the idea of having a Torsen. I've driven waaaaay too many higher horsepower Torsen cars to ever want one in a vehicle I own. Give me a good (i.e. properly set) clutch type diff. any day of the week over a Torsen. Having a 600whp+ vehicle's ass end trying to squirm its way from behind you is a scary thing on public roads. Everybody who thinks they want a Torsen should set up their factory diff first before jumping ship, I think you'd all be thoroughly surprised.

As far as a Torsen being better for road racing, I'd have to disagree. Find me a serious race car that uses one and I'll eat my words :) A plate style diff. is a far better choice, you've then got tunability.

Hmm, I think there are many people in the MK4 world very happy with the torsen. The people moving away from it are doing it for drag racing or because it says TRD on it. I want a torsen because I don't want to tear the diff apart all the time and I wore my factory diff out way to fast. The torsen will just consistently work unless it blows up, which the T2's should not.

With regard to a proper road race diff being clutch type, I totally agree with you. But since most of us just have street cars it is fine with me. Another reason I am staying away from clutch types is there seems to be no good 1.5 way options for our cars, just drifter 2 ways.
 

Jeff Lange

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Mar 29, 2005
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There are quite a few Toyotas that used clutch-pack LSD's to this day, as well as Torsens.

As for the newer 06+ IS, I don't believe any of them came with an LSD (I know the 2010 IS-F has a Torsen diff, but I haven't confirmed the size, it is probably too large).

I will check more at work tomorrow as I will have more information there.

(As far as Ring & Pinion go, I don't know if you can use the IS R&P in the MA diff case or not, it's possible, as the pinion bearings are the same as is the crush sleeve, but with them having different part numbers for the same ratios, I couldn't really say one way or the other.)

Jeff
 

Poodles

I play with fire
Jul 22, 2006
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My friend raced his 400+HP 4th gen camaro in SCCA racing and installed a torsen. Most of the miata guys seem to like the factory torsens as well, unelss they're drag racing and then they use the RX7 clutch style.
 

gofastgeorge

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Jan 24, 2008
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Zach;1455037 said:
As far as a Torsen being better for road racing, I'd have to disagree. Find me a serious race car that uses one and I'll eat my words :) A plate style diff. is a far better choice, you've then got tunability.

LoL!
All IRL cars, All CART cars (fact, I have seen the insides of these transaxles),
Most cars that run the 24 Hrs of LeMans, and Daytona,
Most European Touring cars,
Most Trans-Am cars all use a Helical.
All S15 spec-R Silvias, JDM JZA70 & JZA80 Supras, Chasers, Soarers, AE92,101, and 111 Corollas, JDM RX-7 twin turbo, and the JDM WRX have as an option to come equipped with Helical.
All of the former Atlantic light cars (and most likely the newer Mazda powered version too), and all SAE challenge cars run a Helical.
All JDM Integra-Rs, and Civic-Rs come with a Helical.

And you have tunability on helicals, even if you don't have a mega-buck IRL program, where you can afford to have different internal gear sets.
Just spend some time on the Torsen site, and you will find how to change their torque biasing.
 

Zach

ECUMaster USA
Apr 6, 2005
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gofastgeorge;1455425 said:
LoL!
All IRL cars, All CART cars (fact, I have seen the insides of these transaxles),
Most cars that run the 24 Hrs of LeMans, and Daytona,
Most European Touring cars,
Most Trans-Am cars all use a Helical.
All S15 spec-R Silvias, JDM JZA70 & JZA80 Supras, Chasers, Soarers, AE92,101, and 111 Corollas, JDM RX-7 twin turbo, and the JDM WRX have as an option to come equipped with Helical.
All of the former Atlantic light cars (and most likely the newer Mazda powered version too), and all SAE challenge cars run a Helical.
All JDM Integra-Rs, and Civic-Rs come with a Helical.

And you have tunability on helicals, even if you don't have a mega-buck IRL program, where you can afford to have different internal gear sets.
Just spend some time on the Torsen site, and you will find how to change their torque biasing.


Consider my words eaten :)

I still don't want one in my car, though. Fine for lower power applications, but every one I've driven in a powerful car with sticky tires was NOT up to the task of distributing power safely or evenly. A T2-R I'm sure is a different story, but it's much easier to find a good plate style diff.
 

Zach

ECUMaster USA
Apr 6, 2005
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Poodles;1455074 said:
My friend raced his 400+HP 4th gen camaro in SCCA racing and installed a torsen. Most of the miata guys seem to like the factory torsens as well, unelss they're drag racing and then they use the RX7 clutch style.

A torsen makes sense for autocross, plus it's a relatively low power car, so good application. Miatas- also a low power application, works great. 600whp+ Supra = spooky as hell, and not okay in my book.
 

supradjza80

Mr. Formula SAE
Apr 24, 2007
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Jeff Lange;1455065 said:
(As far as Ring & Pinion go, I don't know if you can use the IS R&P in the MA diff case or not, it's possible, as the pinion bearings are the same as is the crush sleeve, but with them having different part numbers for the same ratios, I couldn't really say one way or the other.)

Jeff

I will be taking both the ma70 pumpkin and the is300 pumpkin apart in the next couple weeks and will take some measurements of both the pinion and ring gears. It would be nice if they were the same as I would keep them as spares.
 
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supradjza80

Mr. Formula SAE
Apr 24, 2007
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supradjza80;1524215 said:
I will be taking both the ma70 pumpkin and the is300 pumpkin apart in the next couple weeks and will take some measurements of both the pinion and ring gears. It would be nice if they were the same as I would keep them as spares.

Lexus T2 torsen installed today and boy do I like it :). Few notes, it appears that the ring and pinions are EXACTLY the same between the two pumpkins (is300 and mk3), and I could not find a single difference. I still used the MK3 ring and pinion since I knew that it did not make any odd noises. Reshimmed the diff and used a Marlin Crawler Crush sleeve replacement on the Pinion. Drove the car for about an hour with the new diff and I am IMPRESSED. No one wheel wonder, kicks out nicely under power and I no longer have any of noise of the clutch packs at low speed in tight corners. The diff locks up very well and its nice knowing that it will always work the same and not wear out like the stock LSD. I will update this thread as I used the diff more but I would really recommend this swap. In total I spent less than 300$ on the diff and new parts from Toyota.
 

Guyana00

Droppin that JZ in soon!
Apr 18, 2007
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I'm glad there have been people who tried this and it worked out. Can't wait to find a good torsen for my vehicle. I could keep my 4.30:1 ratio as well. For now.
If you're looking for one at the yard and want to know if it's a torsen, unless for some reason it was replaced with a non-torsen, it will have "LD" on the option plate.