The cheap pelequin kit is no good for corners.. it's a straight line bonus you get. I've had no problems with the ATB - just crown and pinion gears!
If you have an 02J g'box, then Autotechnik in S'hampton have an exchange thing goign with Peloquin ATB diff built up and ready to go.. 02380 666200 if you were interested bill
The rings always crack anyway, even on standard kit. I don't think I've ever stripped a box and found both rings intact.....
The springs aren't upgraded or replaced in a Peloquin Shim Kit. The VW conical bronze rings and the springs are there to reduce noise. Pre-83 020 boxes had noise from the slop in the axle shaft that engages into the diff carrier...VW "located the axle shafts free of play" and added those bronze rings and the springs behind the flanges. This is also the time the green seal sleeve was introduced, and the flange seals modified, along with the flanges. The VW parts resulted in a very slight amount of preload being introduced into the diff, and people termed it a mini-slip. I think it is about 84 in-lb of force needed to "break" it free. For some reason, this is termed a 2% preload by Peloquin, and their shim kits offer a 40%, and 80% preloads. The 40% kit is nothing more than a 2mm thick washer placed under the flange spring seat, and on top of the bronze conical ring. The spring is now compressed 2mm more per side, and the preload has increased. For trans with 90mm flanges, this is about the only option you have, the 80% kits don't work well in 90mm flanges. The 80% kit is a 40% kit with an additional piece....the puck seal that presses into the center of the flange is replaced with a steel disc that has an 0-ring around the side, and this seals the center of the flange. The disc has a hole in the center, and a bolt is used (M10x1.50) to thread into the diff axle shaft. Tightening this bolt pulls the disc and the flange into the trans more. Just like compressing the flange, and then leaving it. 90mm flanges using this additional center disc sometimes will experience the CV joint actually contacting the bolt head, and backing the bolt head out, so it not only removes the preload you wanted, it also lets the center disc leak, the CV washes out and runs unprotected, and the trans is running low on fluid. When Velocity was selling these kits, they didn't mention that to 90mm people, and some people had problems. The 2mm shim combined with the pulling force of the bolt raises preload to 80%, but the VW thrust washer under the circlip for the flange must not be used with the 80% kit, it'll make things too tight. As TSC mentioned, those bronze conical rings break all the time, and as long as the pieces are all there and they fit back together, the broken rings can be used, once the flanges are on, they can't really go anywhere Broke
You can make your own shim kit. But it will not offer any benefit to cornering. And it will certainly not come close to a full ATB.
but it will make any diference to the car!? i'm not (yet) thinking of making my mark2 in a track car, so, in my daily driving, night fun, will it make anything worth doing the shimm kit!? and how easy is it to make and install?
it will add more pre-load to the diff bearings would it not? that in itself woudl worry me having consumed many a diff bearing in me old Jetta on its 020 box
No, the peloquin shims can't add preload to the diff bearings, the increased force will be found between the spider gears that attach to the splined axles and the inside of the diff carrier, so the one-piece plastic thrust washer inside will see an increased force, as will the circlip securing the flange to the splined shaft, and the circlip securing the spider gear to the splined shaft. Broke
well... I have to disagree.. my 020 failed on a number of occasions because to excess preload during its build.. ATB diff gets hot in use and expanded... collapsed the bearings.. More static pre-load on build, but what about when it all expands?
The loading isn't going near the bearing bill. Its going against the diff housing yes, but the other end is against the inner edge of the drive cup. I know what your thinking with the heat it'll expand and push the diff housing out towards the bearing, and consequently the shim against the drive cup, but all that'll happen is that any slack in the dished washer will be taken up, and even then the tapered brass ring will take up some of the expansion. For the bearing pre-load to go beyond what it should be you'll need to get them real hot. A bearing warmer is only set to around 120 degrees and takes the bearing up about 3-4 thou(small bearings expand less). Any hotter and you run the risk of killing the bearing anyway, least alone adding excessive pre-load from expansion.
Hmmm. ok.. but thats what the diagnosis was after the umpteenth rebuild of it.. with less pre-load.. and it was fine ever after.. thankfully
Too much preload on the carrier bearings absolutely will ruin the gearbox, but the carrier bearings are preloaded by the case smashing the bearings together....the Peloquin shims load the flanges....the flanges don't touch the case. The flanges, springs, conical rings, and the entire diff 'float' within the case. The 'floating' is regulated by the bearing preload. If you increased the spring pressure to the point the flanges pop off from the force, the preload of the carrier bearings won't change...the spring can't shove against the case, so preload can't increase. I recently pulled a trans apart that had an 80% kit installed wrong. When the 80% kit is used, the VW thrust washer directly under the circlip is deleted. I had a trans that used both the VW thrust washer, and all the parts from the Peloquin kit, and the force was too much, and it warped the Peloquin 2mm shims, but the carrier bearings were fine. Hmmm...actually, that one is still up on the bench, I have to finish that I set the bearing preload using the VW formula for measuring end float of the carrier, then shimming to achieve the correct preload, then as a final test, I use a turning torque adapter. The adapter locks the diff closed, and you can spin the entire diff carrier in its bearings, and you use an in-lb torque wrench to turn it, the carrier should require 11-31 in-lbs of force before it starts to spin. Same procedure for the pinion shaft bearings. Broke
