Ecotec auto still getting wheel spin with 20's... LSD Perhaps?

[azza77]

As the title states, i just put a set of 20's on yesterday on my stock ecotec VX auto. I was hoping once i put the 20's on the wheel spin would stop all together. After chuckin the wheels on yesterday i took it for a test drive up the highway. When i was in the merging lane waiting for a truck to come through (sitting on about 20kmh) i put the foot down an there it goes, wheel spin for about 30-35 meters. Believe it or not i was actually pretty pissed off that it said 120 on the clock an i was missing out. all the specs of the car and the new wheels are here if anyone is interested. Just wanted to know if there was any other way of getting good traction without having to resort to a limited slip diff just yet? Or without having to not put my foot down for all you funny f*krs.

[Surfwagon]

Unless you are running sticky race tyres it always easy to wheel spin a single spinner diff, look out for a good 2nd hand LSD.

[azza77]

surfwagon, any heads up on where to get one? thinking about going to the wreckers on the weekend. What kind of (decent) price range am i looking at second hand for a reference?

[Philthy]

Big fat 17"s with sticky tyres.
What logic were you using when you thought skinny low-profile tyres would give you more grip in a straight line?

EDIT: I assume the 20"s have 225 tyres, most seem to

[azza77]

philthy,

i know there skinny, but as the diameter of 20's is obviously larger, there is more surface area for the wheels to 'grab' the road as it has a much longer stretch (guessing around an extra 30cm of length on the surface), because of that i was under the assumption that it would improve wheel spin. Now ive got second thoughts, but my logic still makes sense.

[stocky]

^^ thats not how it works. you have to take into consideration the sidewall height. low profile tyres suck if youre trying to get traction. go with 17s instead, and learn how to control the throttle

[227shanno]

you call that a problem! my ecotec has a distinct lack of wheelspin no matter what you do to it

[don0xer]

ever since ive put a LSD in ive had no problems, but prior if i booted it the right wheel would just spin its ass off once it hit a paint line/slippery spot lol

[kego]

245 or 255 good rubber should stop it lol

[Tom_1569]

This is the first thread Ive ever seen where an Ecotech + auto is getting wheelspin, let alone having traction problems.

[227shanno]

This is the first thread Ive ever seen where an Ecotech + auto is getting wheelspin, let alone having traction problems.

see what i mean

[shiftySLE]

Throttle control, the ecotech isn't exactly a powerhouse, the 20's as other have said are also the opposite of what you are trying to acheive.

[VN_Luke]

^^ spot on. If you don't want wheelspin, run good quality tyres and be smooth with your right foot.

I can't see much reasoning as to why smaller profile tyres make for worse traction? - they're roughly the same circumference (+/- a few percent), same width...

the only thing Ic an see having an impact is the crinkle of the sidewalll effect - however with a steel belted radial, that's going to be very minimal if anything.

I think people just go from a mid-high range 15" tyre, to a cheap, dirty, plastic 20" tyre, and whinge that 20's gave them less grip.

[acarmody]

Philthy and stocky are right, large rim size, low profile tyres actually have less grip on the road. CHeck out the last Top gear episode, they show how the VE goes around the lap quicker with 20s instead of the 22s. The actual rubber to bitumen contact area may be greater with larger tyres but the rubber doesn't have a cahnce to grip the road, ahhhh, this is hard to explain. Watch top-fuel dragsters in slow motion when they take off, see how the massive tyre wall slicks seem to fold on themselves, thats what you want a tyre to do (though to a MUCH less degree) on any car to get grip. You want one area to have as much time gripping the bitumen as possible, this is by the tyre 'giving/stretching' a little bit, with low profile tyres the tyres are built very rigid and don't have that 'give'.

Like I said it is really hard to explain and I'm no expert either, but thats the best I can do.

[Philthy]

This is the first thread Ive ever seen where an Ecotech + auto is getting wheelspin, let alone having traction problems.

I thought the same thing when I read it, but at least its a step in the right direction

[azza77]

learn alot on these forum, interesting about top gear though with the VE, know what episode it was? Changes a few thoughts... Whats wrong with wheel spin on the ecotec auto? Its not like hardcore smoking or anything just a light say, 'girly spin', but i do tend to get a few meters up. Throttle control in a auto! f*cking kidding me arnt you? As soon as you let the foot off, boom next gear, 5500rpm down to 2500rpm and it goes like a bloody kia. Punch it or crunch it in an auto (manual select).

[Philthy]

Punch it or crunch it in an auto (manual select).

That could well be where your problem lies as well. Learn a bit of moderation with the throttle. It isn't hard to get even a POS 4-speed slushbox to do what you want it to

[azza77]

That could well be where your problem lies as well. Learn a bit of moderation with the throttle. It isn't hard to get even a POS 4-speed slushbox to do what you want it to

hmm, even if i do sometimes (rarely) use the manual select, it takes anywhere up to 4 seconds for the bloody thing to change. ill learn... in time.

[MR_VX]

surfwagon, any heads up on where to get one? thinking about going to the wreckers on the weekend. What kind of (decent) price range am i looking at second hand for a reference?

i got a vy ss lsd off ebay with 40,000kms on it for $250 so something around there id say mate

[azza77]

i got a vy ss lsd off ebay with 40,000kms on it for $250 so something around there id say mate

sh*t, i was thinkin double that, thanks for the answer man.

[acarmody]

I got a VX SS diff with 3.45 gears in it for $400+postage, so there are good bargains to be had on Ebay.

[BlackVT5.7]

lol at thread, I often wonder does anyone own a v8 on this forum....

[azza77]

no, i think 70% or so of the forum are p platers. Including me. Probably a safe way to go but blackVT, im not calling myself a great driver, but f*ck theres some bad ones/d*ck heads out there...

[alexlove]

Or without having to not put my foot down for all you funny f*krs.

haha funnny kent

[alexlove]

keep the arguments coming, i like