? about awd power distribution

[G_S_X]

I did some searches but I was unclear how the vicious coupling really worked.... I was wondering if someone could briefly explain it to me more..
Also... if My car doesn't have the LSD option, that means I dont have front or rear LSD, but do i have the coupling?

 

[Defiant]

Here we go.

Hopefully, to staunch the flow of hooey before it starts again, it's 50/50 on DSMs until something slips. It's one of the few (the only?) built this way. Subarus, Audis, Jensens, and on and on have goofy splits from front to rear.

Please read the scanned factory brochure before losing the argument:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86527&highlight=torque

And yes, you do have a viscous coupling to split front-to-rear.

 

[Defiant]

Oh, and as to how the coupling works: it's a sealed drum full of an odd silicone oil. One end of the drive is connected to the shell, the other end is connected to a shaft going to the inside. On the shaft, and on the shell are plates. They're interleaved, half attached to the shaft and half to the shell. They're close together. So long as the speed between the input and the output stays close to the same, they just swish back and forth relative to each other. However, once the speed increases, the silicone oil heats up and expands very quickly and makes the coupling go just about solid. Playing with one is a bizarre experience, because it doesn't take much to lock them up, and to lock them up very solidly in terms of human strength.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential9.htm

http://www.ukcar.com/features/tech/traction/viscous.htm

I _think_ VW came up with them to start with, but that's not my final answer.