So I know i'm considered a newb on the forums, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been reading up on all the MCS stuff while I wait for mine. The question I have is.....
It seems that most of you consider the LSD a "must have." Well, I didn't order it on mine. So am I screwed? I mean could I still track the car without it and do well or is it a must for the track? Sorry, I am just feeling kind of stupid for not ordering it installed.

 

I ordered it on mine. If you really want it you might contact your MA about adding it to your order, that is if your car has not been built yet. If you don't mind waiting a little longer you could always order all over again. I'm no expert on the track so I can't help you there.

 

Ok so does anyone know if when the MCS is still "On Order" in the owner's lounge, could I add the LSD to it?

 

If you're going to AUTO X or track the car you want a LSD it's a huge difference.

 

The Owner's Lounge is behind by at least a few days, but that doesn't mean you're screwed yet. It may be in production already, or it may not. You really need to talk to your MA ASAP.

 

What if you aren't going to take the car to the track at all... will it help performance under (legal) street driving conditions?

 

Yes.

 

It probably wouldn't make a huge difference in normal street driving, even "spirited" driving.

The big advantage of LSD is that when one of your wheels starts to spin, it keeps the torque from being diverted from the "good" wheel to the "slipping" wheel. With a conventional differential, once one wheel starts to spin, most of the engine's torque gets transferred to the slipping wheel, since that's the easiest wheel to turn. So, unless you're in a situation where one of the wheels has begun to slip, LSD won't do much for you.

The MINI has Automatic Stability Control (ASC) as a standard feature, and ASC is specifically designed to work in cases where one tire has better grip than the other. ASC works partly by cutting power from the engine when the system detects wheelspin, so it's not helpful as LSD from a pure performance standpoint, but in a case where you're pulling away from a light a little too quickly, and one tire is sitting in water or on a patch of ice, ASC will at least allow you to start moving without one tire spinning away ineffectually. Also, LSD may help prevent the ASC from kicking in at all, since the LSD should reduce the instances of wheelspin in the first place.

 

It does make a huge difference on the street. I have driven my car both with and without. In sprited driving, with the LSD, I experience much less wheel spin, much less torque steer, and as a result, a much more enjoyable driving experience.

If you plan on tracking the car, there is no question that you need the LSD. The retrofit is pretty expensive, so I hope you are able to get the order changed.

 

I love that anytime this question comes up, half the people say LSD decreases torque steer, and the other half say it increases torque steer. Cracks me up.

Anyway, I test drove an MCS without the LSD, and I thought that the torque steer was managable enough, so I saved myself $500 and skipped the LSD on my order. I have no intention of racing my car, and certainly do not believe these guys that say it makes that much difference on the street.

 

I think part of the confusion regarding the interaction between torque steer and LSD comes from the fact that there aren't a lot of cars where it comes into play. Torque steer is strictly a front-wheel drive phenomenon, and there simply aren't that many cars out there that have both front-wheel drive AND a limited-slip differential. MINI is far from the only manufacturer to offer it, but compared to the vast number of cars out there, it's still a pretty small cross-section.

 

Torque steer really isn't an issue except under heavy acceleration. I'm finding a lot of people just don't use full throttle on an MCS very much. Especially with the JCW package, my car was a real handful under full throttle before the LSD was installed. Now the car behaves itself in a full throttle launch.

 

I've found that when I really put my foot in it there is a fair amount of torque steer with LSD. It seems to shift direction as it accelerates. I'm assuming that the LSD is shifting power back and forth.

 

Yes, and if you think you might want one get it. Its $500 from the dealer or $1100 for a good after market one plus install.

 

Your observation is similar to mine regarding the shifting back and forth. Without LSD, mine would always pull me a foot or two to the left. With the LSD it seems to shift back and forth just a few inches depending on which tire is grabbing the traction. Still much more manageable with than without.

 

If I had an extra $500 lying around, I would have ordered LSD also. But my logic was if Michael Schumacher driving one without LSD will beat me driving one with LSD, it will be me who cannot drive the MCS to its full potential and not the other way around. But if I could afford one with LSD, I would order it.

 

by that logic, why did you buy a MCS?

 

if your not going to track, and leave your DSC on, there's little/no reason for an LSD

if you turn your DSC off, and power though a turn where the inside wheel is spinning like mad, the LSD will help, I ordered one, but I will be doing auto-x where the inside wheel issue is important

 

Because I could afford a MCS . You don't sound happy that I bought a MCS without LSD.

 

nothing to do with happy/sad

just confirming the second half of your argument holds no water, Michael can beat you with a yogo I'm sure, and me too, but I'm not gonna go buy one, and you did not buy a MC either

the LSD is really a track/auto-x, agressive driver option, all the sport compacts have them as an option, or come with them

 

I managed to add LSD to mine when it was still "On Order" I talked to my dealer and asked him to see if he could get it added. I had to phone back a few hours later to see what he managed to do and he had managed to get it added. This was only 4 days after I placed the order though.

So don't waste any time, and Good Luck.

 

The going rate for labor is $800 from Waylan, Helix et. al.

Randy Webb did some laps with and without and found the time dif to be very small.... If you are in events that small increments mean a dif finishing place, and that is important to you, it is important... For daily driving not so much...

As a hobbyist, I like knowing that I am the limiting factor, not the equipment.... so I will install one this summer

Additionally, As the whp and tq go up... the free wheel spins much more often and much easier.... getting tyhe power to the gound is the issue.... if you are shooting for over 200 whp this may be important to you.... the new engine so far has not been cracked to get big gains so who knows but with 200 ft lb spinning wheels are going to happen..

my $.02 for $500 it is a deal.... (if you feel you need one)

 

It's added!! Thank heavens that I got it on there before it was too late. I am wanting to get into some auto-x, so it's a must not to mention a steal from the factory. Thanks for the input.

 

Congrats! I'm glad it worked out.

 

Just one think I would like to point out is that the LSD isn't a switch, and it doesn't wait for wheel spin to happen to active itself. An LSD monitors resistance at each wheel. More resistance means that a wheel has more available traction. The LSD will then transfer more engine power to the wheel with most resistance. The LSD also does this contiounsly, as in 100% of the time. Even when taking a slow turn the LSD is still active, except that it's very hard to tell.