[sum_weirdo]

My 83 Tbird was a Death Sled in winter, no Anti-lock brakes to keep it from spinning on stops, no computerized traction control, and the Non-locking differential meant it constantly kicked to one side with or without winter tires. Now by comparison the 06 Mustang is an improvement but never in my wildest nightmares did I expect it to use EXACTLY the same damm rear end as my Thunderbird! These are thoughts I have on mornings such as these when a freak snow fall has me battling for my life on the way to work. This summer I plan to have a Traction Lok installed but it still begs the question WHY does ford still make these bloody things?? Where's the advantage? And don't say cost because that's bull, they spend a fortune on high tech airbags, crumple zones, advanced braking systems, how much could they lose by adding a $1 of metal to the differential? Someone besides me has to have realized that flaw is probably the single biggest safety concern in these cars and yet nothing is done. Gah! *end rant*

[stlwagon]

Good question... It makes no sense since an open differential really has no advantages that I can think of.

[mysticalsnake]

the only thing i could possibly think of would be the fact that the open diff compared to the trac-lock would technically have less drivetrain loss meaning a bit better gas mileage...but as it is the V6 stangs are the greatest gas getters ever either. On a road trip my G/F would get about 27mpg in her 6 and i was getting 24-25 in my cobra...

[fishingjts]

you can probably thank the bean counters...

i do have another comments... doesn't a LSD usually kick to the side on icy roads... where as an open diff won't kick to the side since only one wheel will be spinning????

[sum_weirdo]

Kicking to the side is exactly what the open differential does on slippery roads. Climbing hills is like pulling teeth.

[fishingjts]

Originally Posted by sum_weirdo

Kicking to the side is exactly what the open differential does on slippery roads. Climbing hills is like pulling teeth.

but to kick sideways that means you need to lose traction on both wheels and spin them... that's exactly NOT what an open differential does... on an open diff. as soon as one wheel loses traction the other wheel loses power and just sits there... holding the car in place... so it'd doesn't kick sideways..

[sum_weirdo]

Either you're talking about an effect different from the one I'm picturing or there's a flaw in your logic. On days when the roads are slippery my cars rear kicks to one side or the other every time I tap the gas from a stop and often when I'm cruising. Maybe it happens more to me here since the city is too cheap to plow the roads.

[Bnuts]

Originally Posted by sum_weirdo

Either you're talking about an effect different from the one I'm picturing or there's a flaw in your logic. On days when the roads are slippery my cars rear kicks to one side or the other every time I tap the gas from a stop and often when I'm cruising. Maybe it happens more to me here since the city is too cheap to plow the roads.

X2

Its like being in a row boat with 1 paddel rowing. Lossing traction isn't a problem when you don't have it to start with hahaha.

[mustangtk]

Thats why all Mustangs now come with traction control standard. The cost of adding a trac-loc diff would be around 500 bucks, and bean counters are bean counters not Mustang ethusiest. I put a trac-loc in my old 94 V6 Mustang and got rid of the awful Goodyear GA tires. Never got stuck driving in winter snows (hell I used to pass 4X4 all the time in snow). As for the mileage difference bewteen a open diff and one with trac-loc on the highway, there is none. Trac-loc only works when there is tire slippage.

[SOHCman]

The rear end will still kick out on you with a T-LOK if you loose traction. You just loose it in the other direction.

The keys are GOOD TIRES and WEIGHT in the rear.

I ran WINTERFORCE snows this winter and loved 'em. Even great in rain. Good for 112MPH too. I don't want to take them off and put the stock BFGs back on!

2x50# bags of sand too.

On ice nothing helps...

[Bnuts]

Originally Posted by SOHCman

I ran WINTERFORCE snows this winter and loved 'em.

I am pritty sure thats what I have on my rear's. They are wicked tires for snow.