I have been told the current version of the OS Giken LSD is a 1.5way unit. I don't believe they sell the 1.1way unless you go with a custom build. I could be wrong, but this is what I've found through the various threads on this forum.

Is 1.5way this streetable or is it too aggressive? My Cooper S won't be a track car, but I'd like to get a proper clutch based LSD if its tolerable on the street.

I do want this a LSD the twisties and better overall handling. I've always had clutch based LSDs in rear wheel drive BMWs and I've always been super happy with the performance from those.

 

Guess it depends who is dirivng. I have one and an Os twin disc lol. Gluten for punishent? maybe

 

Well yes, I guess I am asking a subjective thing. To one person a loud exhaust, no interior, a full race clutch, and no AC is perfectly fine in traffic on a hot summer day. To another person a totally stock car is too loud.

 

I don't have experience with the os giken, but I have a quaife in my R53 and it's fantastic. It's great on track, and for street use. It's quiet and unnoticeable on street, until you get on the gas in a turn when it pulls like a tractor out of the turn. It's also maintenance free compared to the clutch based LSD's

 

For street driving, the Quaife is going to be a much better choice, if for maintenance reasons over anything else. Also, I have heard the OSG diffs can be noisey and clunky unless you use their special oils.

 

I have 40k on my Quaife, which transformed the car. I've a bit more than 250whp, and autocross, so the change was obvious.

It cost me $1,200 to put it in - including a fresh clutch, bearing, and ought else exposed by this radical surgery that obviously should be refreshed.

I have complete confidence that the LSD will not requires further investment, which is not the case with clutch-type differentials.

Consequently I recommend this alternative, despite your positive experience with the Giken in RWD applications.

Mind you maintaining the diff when it is part of the transaxle is rather different than dropping the lump under the boot in a RWD BMW for the same reason.

Kind regards,

Charlie

 

I bought the factory GKN LSD (Jan2005 build), and seriously considered both OS Giken and Quaife with my last round of upgrades. I came to the conclusion that there was one use-case for choosing the Giken over the Quaife on a street car, and that's if my track days involved seriously chasing a points championship. That's because the Giken will continue to power you smoothly forward even if your inside tire is skittering across the tops of the track's apex curbs, and catching-air as you attempt to straighten turns by going outside the white lines (technically off-track). The Quaife won't do that.
If you are a talented & aggressive driver, that can be worth two seconds reduction in lap time at Road Atlanta (for example).

I enjoy the occasional track day "play", but I'm not that driver, so I chose the Quaife, and it is a significant improvement over the factory GKN on both street & track, without ever needing adjustment or tuning as clutch units sometimes do.

Just my 2¢
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This is great feedback. I've never used a Quaife, but I am not at the racetrack every summer like I was years ago. Even then it was mostly school type events and never time trial or competition. For day to day use, a lot of folks really seem to enjoy Quaife in the Mini world and I've not heard of anyone really wishing they had purchased something else. Ideally I'd like to get rid of the torque steer under heavy acceleration and the tendency of the nasty push of the open diff on back roads. Maybe I would attend another track school, but time and commitment to build a reliable track car isn't cheap so likely 99% of my driving won't require anything overly aggressive.