Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Duratec Performance Torsen diff available...

OK, I'll chime in here, I guess I've been away too long.

Quaife makes valid points regarding the steel vs. iron housing, as well as the increase in pinion gears. Regarding the housing issue, generally speaking, parallel axis gear differentials have an unbalanced load on their planet (pinion) gears, and this causes them to "tip" into the housing. This puts a vary high (and unequally distributed) load on the housing bores that the gears are located in. Because of this, these units generally need the properties of a steel housing to have durability over life.

A Torsen Type-2 differential uses a planet gear design that has much better load balancing (which is something we've patented), so as a result, the load on the housing is less, and thus the normal need for steel is gone. As a result, we can design and build units used in high performance applications and still maintain good durability.

Regarding the number of pinions, well, the balanced gear design also doubles the tooth transfer area on the pinions compared to typical designs, which is often the failure mode in this type of applications. It does not, however, increase contact with the side gears, so he's got me there.

Again, I can make a point of having increased torque bias ability, which is why FRPP choose our product over "the competition's" after testing both. So, yes, at this point, it is a matter of both companies believing they have the better product. Which is better? It may, in the end, not make a great deal of difference, its what the customer prefers. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, as was said above...

Oh, I don't know about what machining is required for the Quaife, if any (as was asked above), but I can say that the Torsen has the same mounting dimensions as the stock differential, so it is drop in.

The Quaife was designed for the Focus version of the MTX-75. Housing is the only real difference between the two. Thus the need for a little extra TLC installing into some CDW27 MTX-75.

Rick, has Torsen fitted their unit into our particular version of the MTX-75, or just into Focus?

The transaxle we had here was one of the FR200 units, so I guess that makes it Focus. My understanding from the people at FRPP was that this aspect of the transaxle was the same... IIRC, there are 2 different types of speedo pick up for the MTX, a gear driven one and a magnetic sensor type. Is that the difference?

I believe there's more to it than that. The only Contiques with the gear driven speedo are the 95's.

I think the best differential to buy is whichever one you are most comfortable with. The statements about the Quaife needing to be machined are somewhat misleading, the need to be machined has nothing too do with the differential. Ford built the transmission with two different size carrier bearings (17.5mm & 19mm). If your transmission was built with the narrow bearing and you buy the Torsen you will have to machine it as well. I would also tell you that increased torque bias isn't going to change the fact if your car is capable of spining both front tires it will do so with either the Torsen or Quaife. My opinion is whichever you buy will be a big improvement over stock. Personally I have the quaife, I drove from Texas to Michigan to have Terry Haines do the install(no machining)and I am very happy with it.

I can only speak about the quaife install, but with it you need to use the z-tech speedometer drive gear. That is the only thing different about Z-tec and V-6 applications. The later cars may not have a speedometer cable but they still have a gear in the transmission.

So what's the purpose of the speedo drive gear if the the speedo is electronic?

The sensor has to be driven as in a conventional speedo drive,just a wire from the sensor and not a cable,the diffs both have a gear and pinion..ps...when are sending the trans Brad?.

That's a good point - if you've got enough torque to overcome your tyres in a straight-line launch, you're going to spin them both regardless. Where the increase in bias comes into play is accelerating out of a corner - when weight transfer will unload the inside tyre. Then, torque bias differences can mean smoking a tyre or hooking up...

Interestingly though, FRPP found that with the Quaife, when they did drag starts (in the FR200), they had enough torque they could still overcome the torque bias, and it would alternate spinning one side and then the other. The increase in torque bias from the Torsen was enough to eliminate that problem...

So Rick,when is the Torsen going 'open' market Vs Ford Motortsport only ?,dealers kill you with the price of the Torsen 'Because its Ford Motorsport...how long are you guys 'locked' in with Ford on this?