Adjust Differential?

[nalves]

Hi,

One question about the stock gear diff: what can i use to lubrificate the gear stock diff? I've got Kyosho 5.000 gear diff grease. Is 5.000 too much?

Thanks,
Nuno

[nitrojunkie]

I'm using something called Tri Flow.It is is really light weight.I got it when I got into Helis its actually marketed to the bike industry but seems to work well. It actually penetrates metal I lube the balls up and assemble the diff spin it by hand to distribute the oil good and then wipe the excess off with a piece of paper towel. This stuff also contains teflon.

[fraz]

Originally Posted by nalves

20wt shock oil? Well, that's way different from the Kyosho 5.000...so, lighter the better...

Yessir! Standard diff lube is way to heavy to get the correct action out of the diff. Nitro's suggestion of TriFlow is excellent. I would try it in a heartbeat since I have used it before and am familiar with it.

No matter what diff lube you choose, these diffs are not a "build them and forget it" affair. If you want your diff to be good and consistent you should take apart and clean and relube often even on very clean tracks.

BTW, Kyosho 5000 is not totally clear. They make at least 2 5000wt diff lubes that I have seen. A grease (like for ball diffs) and a silicone goo (for nitro gear diffs). I am pretty sure I have seen a 3rd variety too which was a paste in little tins. No matter what... STILL way too heavy

[MrNanoTrax]

i prefer the thicker personally... these diffs aren't sealed which means the oil will eventually seep out. the thinner, the quicker.

[nalves]

Originally Posted by nitrojunkie

I'm using something called Tri Flow.It is is really light weight. This stuff also contains teflon.

I remember using teflon in the 1/8TT. It's dry and that's good for the dnano. I've got a bike store near so i will go there...

Originally Posted by fraz

Yessir! Standard diff lube is way to heavy to get the correct action out of the diff.

BTW, Kyosho 5000 is not totally clear. They make at least 2 5000wt diff lubes that I have seen. A grease (like for ball diffs) and a silicone goo (for nitro gear diffs). No matter what... STILL way too heavy

I've tried diff gear grease (#96503) in the stock diff. Way too heavy...i already forgot the stock diff...

Originally Posted by NanoTrax

i prefer the thicker personally... these diffs aren't sealed which means the oil will eventually seep out. the thinner, the quicker.

Ye, that's right, but probably the best solution is the TriFlow (with Teflon). Lighter and not prone to get dirtier...i will give it a try.

Thanks
nuno

[fraz]

Originally Posted by NanoTrax

i prefer the thicker personally... these diffs aren't sealed which means the oil will eventually seep out. the thinner, the quicker.

The biggie thing to consider here is the entry to corner speed and the general radii of your turns. If you have small tight turns and use heavy diff lube good luck getting your car to rotate well. Yeah you can put softer tires on it but that just masks the fact that the rear isn't following the front all that well. OTOH if you have tight radius turns using lighter diff lube will certainly do wonders for the cornering ability.

[nalves]

And do you think that with Teflon the ball diff will work as good as with 10 or 20wt shock oil? Because teflon won't create any attrition (i'm trying to see what english word i have to use here but really don't know, sorry) in the ball diff. Probably too light and will have the opposite effect of the 10.000 diff oil used by nanotrax.

To clean the ball diff the best is to use denatured alcohol?

Nuno

[fraz]

Originally Posted by nalves

And do you think that with Teflon the ball diff will work as good as with 10 or 20wt shock oil?

Yeah TriFlow is slick (and low friction) and just a little syrup-like for consistency. It is amazing how little you actually need on these diffs. I have used TriFlow on my bikes for years though haven't tried on diff yet but will. For reference, remember that 10wt shock oil is almost like water it is super light.

FYI, the Japanese weight system is a little different too. For example in one of my cars right now I am running Mugen 400wt. which is like a 40wt US oil with the exception of Associated which tends to run about 10wt heavier than what it is labeled as if trying to "match" oils from various brands. So in this example I would say Mugen 400 is somewhat close to Associated 30.

Try not to get too overwhelmed, I could darn near write a book on shock oils I have tried over the years in various scales so it is not an easy topic Find a good diff lube and stick with it.


Heh, saw your edit. Yes, I use denatured alcohol for EVERYTHING. As a nitro guy I love the stuff and couldn't live without it. Motor sprays are ok too but expensive compared to a $1 spray bottle and a gallon of denatured.

[nalves]

Great! I'm using 20wt AE but will try TriFlow on the other ball diff. And buy denatured alcohol....

Thanks Fraz!
nuno