Originally Posted by Kelsey73
This may be a little dumb to ask, but I thought the limited slip made a world of difference in the quarter for the LX cars? Since the Challenger has this, why aren't the numbers looking better than the current cars?
I forgot to mention why the limited slip makes the car quicker off the line as, in theory, assuming there is no torque management limitations on throttle tip in, the open axle non limited slip car (as in the 2007 Dodge Charger for example) uses traction control systems to limit wheel spin when there is potential for slip. These systems slow you down as they pulse the brakes and retard the engine timing to limit slip (and power). By default, you will go slower out of the hole.
The concept is to keep the traction control off (the SRT completely turns off at the flick of the switch as opposed to the R/T which will stay on ~10%) and use the limited slip differential to your advantage upon launch. Both limited slip and traction control can work together in normal driving although I always kept the traction control off on the 95 Z28 I drove. Try getting out of a snow bank with the traction control on. I tried for fun on the Z28 and the car sensed maximum slip and retarted the engine timing so much that the car felt as though it was at minimal power with no ability to do anything. You can't rock the transmission like that. As soon as I turned off the traction control, I regained power and was able to rock the transmission between R and O/D a number of times to get traction. I eventually slid out sideways and back onto dry pavement.
Sometimes in icy situations, a limited slip car will move sideways even when not moving such as waiting for the light to go green on an uphill. Just put the car in neutral (assuming the traction control is off if you have such a system) and wait then put back in drive and tap the throttle a bit to get going (may nudge sideways when doing so). Once I was in a driveway one winter night backing out on snow/ice and there was walls immediately to the left and right of me and the car was going to inch sideways into one of them. The only way around this was to tap the throttle on and off to move the torque peak around that was getting to the ground. Mind you that car was the 95 Z28 rated at 325lbs ft of torque at a mere 2400rpm (near idle).
The trac control on should solve this but may not depending on how quick the processing computer is.