My name is Brian and I am the powertrain captain for Drexel Racing. After a disappointing season, the team is considering a complete redesign for Drexel's next car. One of the decisions on the table is the differential. We currently run an ICP Variloc Salisbury-style differential. We had purchased a Taylor Race MK2 which features a Quaife ATB for our hybrid/electric team recently, but only two senior design teams worked on it and only did theoretical work. Consequently, we now have the option to use either diff, but I am not sure which one suites our needs better.
Since the Variloc is adjustable, it gives us many more options for chassis setup. However, we have not touched the diff since I joined the team three years ago and not much is known about it between all of the team members (including myself). I have no idea when the last time the clutch plates were replaced or the preload was checked. From our records we are running 80/80 ramps, so it is essentially set up as an open diff. We also do not have wheel speed readings (working on that) so the only way we can tune it is through driver feedback. Unfortunately, we currently don't have any experienced drivers that are capable of this.
This leads me to the Taylor Race MK2. For starters, it weighs 4 lbs. less than the Variloc. However, to my knowledge, it is not adjustable. This would require us to set up the suspension to work with the Quaife ATB, which I feel we are much more capable of doing. It also requires much less maintenance, which should save us time and money in the long run.
With these arguments, I feel the Taylor Race MK2 is the better choice. However, I am not sure if giving up the adjustability is worth it. Does my argument for the Taylor Race MK2 sound valid? Any feedback from teams running a Quaife ATB diff would be greatly appreciated as well.
Brian