[QUOTE]Originally posted by hoof
The reason it's used on the HMMVV is because there's a neat trick that you can do if one wheel loses all traction.

 

I'm not sure if this applies to an S2000 or not, but my Dad destroyed a couple of non-Honda locking differentials by hitting ice with one wheel and dry pavement with the other at high speed. I'm not sure why or if the destruction occured when the truck first hit the ice or when it left the ice with wheels spinning & then hit dry pavement. It was a company vehicle so we didn't spend any effort to figure out how or why. It was an early 80's Chevy van.

 

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I recently got stuck in the street in front of our house (summer tires and packed snow on the street) while moving cars around for snow-blowing. One tire will spin while the other is stationary like an open diff in these conditions. It's essentially the same thing as the wheelspin autocrossers see when cornering hard - the inside wheel loses traction due to body roll and will spin wildly. No harm comes of it if done in small doses - I certainly wouldn't sit there revving the engine for minutes on end trying to get a bite.

DOn't worry about it.

 

I'm into my 4th winter here and the other daily driven S2000's are not far behind. Noone has reported any issues with the diff slip sliding around. You worry too much.

 

jguerdat, next time that happens, use the handbrake to apply brake pressure to the rear tires. The Torsen differential should allow the other tire to push you out of that situation.

Torsen differentials work like open differentials when one tire has no traction. Brakes provide resistance that allows the Torsen to work and send power to the wheel with traction. See the above posts for more info.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by hoof
jguerdat, next time that happens, use the handbrake to apply brake pressure to the rear tires.