Wavetrac v plated LSD
06-12-2020, 07:42 AM
#1
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Wavetrac v plated LSD
Like most on here the stock LSD on my 997GT2 wore out after not too many miles, I had MS plates installed and I was quite happy with the way the car drove for my daily street use, I don't track the car.
After various motor upgrades I had been running 900+NM for a while and according to my shop the diff was showing signs of stress so with the engine going in for even more power I decided to put something beefy in there.
Following the RL wisdom I put in the ubiquitous Guard Pro billet 40/60 unit, with fantastic service from Matt at Guard. I immediately noticed that the rear end was locked down much tighter and the traction was better although 920NM and RWD will always give wheelspin but the Guard and the PSM kept things tidy. One thing I noticed straight away was that the car understeered much more, this I didn't really like but I lived with it.
A few years later the Guard broke, not sure exactly what but stuff inside it had scored..... I fitted a Drexler unit which is the same one fitted to various high power 9ff cars and to later Ruf high powered turbo offerings as well as the Williams Singer. The Drexler felt even tighter than the Guard the rear end really dominated the car which of course meant even more obvious understeer. On a straight smooth uncambered road in the dry, the grip was high but on lumpy roads I found that the tight rear end dominated the car way too much for my liking and took away the looseness fun handling aspect which made the car a lot of fun on the road.
After speaking with the Wavetrac distributor in the UK they told of the unit they had in their 997GT3 and that everybody raved about its handling. I could have worked with Drexler who were extremely cooperative and would have adjusted the number of plates and ramps to give me closer to the factory settings 28/40 but I decided, rather than mess around in and out a few times and potentially not getting it right, to give the Wavetrac a go.
So I've put a few miles on it, mostly dry conditions, it feels like the grip is less but when the wheelspin hits the unit seems to work well with the PSM/TC electronics. The rear end no longer dominates the car and the looseness is back which I am really enjoying. One problem I noted was that putting many miles on my Mclaren re-calibrates the meaning of playful looseness and turn in so I thought the GT2 is not how I remembered it but after using it exclusively for a week it feels great again
I know the track guys will probably self combust over this but I thought those who are mainly street may appreciate the heads up on the Wavetrac. Incidentally the Wavetrac importer claims that their 7GT3 is extensive used on trackdays and instructors who have used it all laud its handling......
After various motor upgrades I had been running 900+NM for a while and according to my shop the diff was showing signs of stress so with the engine going in for even more power I decided to put something beefy in there.
Following the RL wisdom I put in the ubiquitous Guard Pro billet 40/60 unit, with fantastic service from Matt at Guard. I immediately noticed that the rear end was locked down much tighter and the traction was better although 920NM and RWD will always give wheelspin but the Guard and the PSM kept things tidy. One thing I noticed straight away was that the car understeered much more, this I didn't really like but I lived with it.
A few years later the Guard broke, not sure exactly what but stuff inside it had scored..... I fitted a Drexler unit which is the same one fitted to various high power 9ff cars and to later Ruf high powered turbo offerings as well as the Williams Singer. The Drexler felt even tighter than the Guard the rear end really dominated the car which of course meant even more obvious understeer. On a straight smooth uncambered road in the dry, the grip was high but on lumpy roads I found that the tight rear end dominated the car way too much for my liking and took away the looseness fun handling aspect which made the car a lot of fun on the road.
After speaking with the Wavetrac distributor in the UK they told of the unit they had in their 997GT3 and that everybody raved about its handling. I could have worked with Drexler who were extremely cooperative and would have adjusted the number of plates and ramps to give me closer to the factory settings 28/40 but I decided, rather than mess around in and out a few times and potentially not getting it right, to give the Wavetrac a go.
So I've put a few miles on it, mostly dry conditions, it feels like the grip is less but when the wheelspin hits the unit seems to work well with the PSM/TC electronics. The rear end no longer dominates the car and the looseness is back which I am really enjoying. One problem I noted was that putting many miles on my Mclaren re-calibrates the meaning of playful looseness and turn in so I thought the GT2 is not how I remembered it but after using it exclusively for a week it feels great again
I know the track guys will probably self combust over this but I thought those who are mainly street may appreciate the heads up on the Wavetrac. Incidentally the Wavetrac importer claims that their 7GT3 is extensive used on trackdays and instructors who have used it all laud its handling......
Last edited by TB993tt; 06-13-2020 at 04:51 AM.
06-12-2020, 12:38 PM
#2
Drifting
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Any idea what retail pricing is on the Wavetrac? Is it a completely separate diff or components to rebuild the stock diff which cuts down on labor?
06-12-2020, 01:49 PM
#3
I have a bit of an "unpopular" view when it comes to LSDs... and interestingly enough you touched upon it by referring to it as under-steer. The stock LSD on the GT3 is perfect in my view for a car that is not meant to post best lap times. I agree that for a dedicated race car you may want higher initial locking but I find the loose break-away torque on the stock unit when not under load to be perfect for good times... Keep in mind that under full load, once those ramps push themselves to the sides they provide plenty of locking. The stability you get with more aggressive LSDs comes at at cost of under-steer... why.. because when you initial break-away torque is high, the car continually resists turning even when you have partial or no throttle. I don't think Porsche under engineered the LSD ... 'cmon... let's get real.. this isn't Hyundai just entering the high-performance market... Porsche knows LSDs and the one in the GT3 for the intent of being a more street vs race car is PERFECT.
06-12-2020, 09:12 PM
#5
Drifting
I have a bit of an "unpopular" view when it comes to LSDs... and interestingly enough you touched upon it by referring to it as under-steer. The stock LSD on the GT3 is perfect in my view for a car that is not meant to post best lap times. I agree that for a dedicated race car you may want higher initial locking but I find the loose break-away torque on the stock unit when not under load to be perfect for good times... Keep in mind that under full load, once those ramps push themselves to the sides they provide plenty of locking. The stability you get with more aggressive LSDs comes at at cost of under-steer... why.. because when you initial break-away torque is high, the car continually resists turning even when you have partial or no throttle. I don't think Porsche under engineered the LSD ... 'cmon... let's get real.. this isn't Hyundai just entering the high-performance market... Porsche knows LSDs and the one in the GT3 for the intent of being a more street vs race car is PERFECT.
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frederickcook87 (11-17-2021)
