Limited Slip Differential

[Citizen1]

I know there has been a discussion on this topic before but I recall people saying that the LS did not have limited slip. Now, by no means am I a car expert or mechanic but I purchased the LS workshop manual and it states as follows:

When it is necessary for one wheel and halfshaft to rotate faster than the other, the faster turning differential side gear causes the differential pinion gears to roll on the slower turning differential side gear. This allows differential action between the two halfshafts.
2000 Lincoln LS, 10/1999 Sec. 205-02-4

Does anyone have a different opinion on this subect? Is it or is it not Limited Slip???

[This message has been edited by Citizen1 (edited April 17, 2000).]

[blk mk8]

dont over anilize it. the LS rear end is a ford 8.8 wich is very common you can get a ford motorsport rear case completer with 3.73 gears and trac lock diff for 550 dollars. this is the route i took in my 97 mark VIII i did have posi and i wanted new gears so i killed two birds with one stone.

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my mark VIII has 3.73 gears posi, Pro-m 77mm, 2 1/2 mandrel ment exaust with an x-pipe, steeda timing adjuster, 100 shot of Nos, 17x9 with 275/40 in back and 17x7 with 235/45 in front cobra R's and at end of the month a paxton novi 2000 supercharger.

[351CJ]

blk mk8: Where did you find out the LS rear end is the same (similar?) to the MK-VIII? I was led to believe that the LS rear end was shared with the S-Type and is different than the MK-VIII. Could reality lie somewhere inbetween, same gears, different case?

[blk mk8]

as we all know Ford owns jag and the mark VIII and thunderbird where the first cars has been using the irs for. they know use them in the cobra's. ford's save alot of money by using the same part for all of the cars. if you want go to a lincoln dealer and ask what size is the diff. if it he says 8.8 then i am correct. jag use's the ford scanner for the computors now to. i will find out for sure next week but do remember reding that it was an 8.8 rear houseing and since ford already used it in the marks it is not like they spent 3000000 million dollars desing a new one.

[351CJ]

blk mk8: you may be right, my first guess was MK-VIII, Cobra, LS would be the same but was let to believe otherwise. I can crawl under the LS and get the #'s on the rear end tag it they mean anything besides identifying the ratio.

[blk mk8]

if i saw it i would know . if you go to the corral web forum you can see pic of the ford 8.8 irs pumkin set if you go to the modulars mustang section and search for them hard enufe. i may just go to the dealer on monday and find out. i have the day off it is my day to do all my car part ordering and foolling around. but if you have a ls in you possesion you can tell buy two bolt holes in the front of the case one on each side as well as two holes on the rear cover of the housing.

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my mark VIII has 3.73 gears posi, Pro-m 77mm, 2 1/2 mandrel ment exaust with an x-pipe, steeda timing adjuster, 100 shot of Nos, 17x9 with 275/40 in back and 17x7 with 235/45 in front cobra R's and at end of the month a paxton novi 2000 supercharger.

[Avu3]

The IRS in the Mustang is significanlty different than the Tbird/Viii. It also doesn't work very well. It is heavier and slower than the live axle in the GT. The reports are that the geometry is off slightly. I know guys who have blown out the 1/2 shafts with agreessive starts at stop lights (not even drag racing.) There have also been reports of vibrations in the driveline. The centersection, however, is the same.



[This message has been edited by Avu3 (edited May 08, 2000).]

[blk mk8]

all of the cobra with the irs are all most identical to the one in the mark VIII. execpt may be the the casting year. 1) 3.27 gears are all the same no matter what as long as it is a ford 8.8 2) most of the mark VIII have the same trac lock limited slip as all ford including the mustang.3) many mustang have been useing the thunderbird and mark carrier houseing from junk yards set up with steeper gears for the track.4) the funny thing is there is a shop in illinoise that makes new half for cars custone rated to 1000 hp for only 500 dollars that is one problem fix. and if any one wines that it cost to much money tell them that the blower they put on there cobra cost 4000 grand and they should shut up and pay out.

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my mark VIII has 3.73 gears posi, Pro-m 77mm, 2 1/2 mandrel ment exaust with an x-pipe, steeda timing adjuster, 100 shot of Nos, 17x9 with 275/40 in back and 17x7 with 235/45 in front cobra R's and at end of the month a paxton novi 2000 supercharger.

[lincolnls8]

Hi All,
I have a new LS and Dad has the S Type. The rear independent differential is the same. It is of the Jaguar legacy. Independent rear with half shafts. I also have two Jaguar XJ-S coupes and they are the same as the LS. This rear end is of the limited slip type on the LS. But most people do not know that the Jaguar independent rear is not limited slip. It had to be specially ordered or a Euro car. I have been under the rear ends of all three cars and they all look just alike.
Thanks

[351CJ]

lincolns8: On the Edmunds Town Hall LS site a transmission engineer for Lincoln has posted that the LS differential is NOT limited slip.

How similar are the rear ends on the Jag S, XJ and LS? Are the suspension arms the same or just the differential housing and half shafts. I was under the impression that the LS and S-Type have different upper control arms and links from older Jag rear suspensions.

[lincolnls8]

Hi,
I will inspect the rears again this weekend and let you know. I will be visiting my father and that will give me a chance to really look over the S Type. It mostly looked like the differntial that was used around 94-5 on the XJ-6. But who is to say this is not Ford's. Which in all truth is.