Quaife Installed; Best Mod IMHO

[Vipera Russelli]

I picked up my Viper on Friday with my newly-installed Quaife differential and I couldn’t be more impressed with the improved control. It’s night and day, really. Previously, it was too easy to toss the rear end waaaay out on tighter corners in a mere fraction of a second if anything more than very moderate throttle was applied, due to the fact that the inside wheel would spin when cornering tight, leaving only one rolling wheel to provide traction. Now, with the Quaife installed, both wheels roll through the corner, no mater how tight, providing traction under acceleration several times the maximum acceleration that could be applied with the stock setup. Plus, if I accelerate hard enough and the rear end does finally come out, it does so much more gradually than before (in terms of both how far and how fast it comes out), and once out, the rear end feels like it wants to straighten back out, allowing me to confidently continue to accelerate the car while correcting the slide with only small steering inputs -- the car just snaps back on line and continues to rocket forward. In short, the Quaife adds A LOT of cornering traction under acceleration and actually makes sliding the rear end a much more controllable exercise. I now think the stock set up is simply awful and extremely dangerous, comparatively. I don’t think I’ll ever make a better single improvement to the car. I can't wait to get back on the track. Is it February yet?

Thank you JonB, Archer Racing, Taylor Racing and Jeff Sherwin, and all of you that have previously provided input on this modification!

 

[wormdoggy]

Interesting and I agree with your assessment on the confidence level increase. I don't know why they just don;t make this system stock..........Also how difficult was it to get the system since I notice Viper is not a stock item.

Enjoy
Patrick

 

[SnakeEye]

Sounds awesome; seems nothing but good things are being said about the Quaife differential.

 

[Noredline]

Awesome feedback, my Quaife should be going in later this week with the Fidanza flywheel, should be a good mod combo. I am really happy to hear your feedback on the handling and track acceleration improvements. Looking forward to Willow Springs to really test it

 

[Kai SRT10]

Yes. The Quaife is a terrific mod. I have no idea why they don't put the Quaife on the stock Viper. It is worlds ahead of the stock dif in terms of control, and stronger too.

 

[viperbilliam]

Thanks a lot for the review; this is valuable knowledge for what works before spending the money. Did you mind giving us a ballpark for the cost? Who performed the install?

 

[wormdoggy]

Thanks a lot for the review; this is valuable knowledge for what works before spending the money. Did you mind giving us a ballpark for the cost? Who performed the install?

I would also like to know the ball park cost and what are , if any, warranty concerns?

Patrick

 

[Noredline]

vperbilliam and wormdoggy, sent you pm's

Dave

 

[Viper X]

Yep, couldn't agree more. When I changed to the Quaife last year, I was tired of breaking diffs. The extra traction it affords, the way you can power out of corners, the increased predictability of the car and the way it tends to want to straighten out on it's own are all neat side benefits that I didn't expect. This is why this diff is outlawed in several racing classes, it just plain works better than anything else currently available.

For those of you who haven't done this yet, you should really make it a priority. Unitrax is doing them now as well, so you can change ratios or have another diff unit built for you.

DC, are you listening? Get rid of the jeep diff in our Vipers please. Replace it with a Quaife! I'm told that the SRT-4 has a Quaife, so they know where to get them.

Dan

 

[ILLSMOQ]

so how much is this diff?

 

[Sleeper]

Vipera,
Thanks for posting. I also am in the process of getting a Quaife, for the same reasons you discussed.
Others have described these benefits, including the Quaife's seeming ability to straighten the car out when accelerating out of a corner. I think the need for this dif. is more apparent in higher power cars, because you can break the tires free at a much greater range of speed and engine rpm. Can't wait to get mine.

Best mod? I hope you're right. For seriously tracked cars, I think Motons (properly set-up) are also important.

TD

 

[Kelly06]

I am seriously interested in this rear end. Would you give us an approx cost? What ratio do you now have? Is this a straight install or do they have to mod some of the viper during the install ie could you just pop the stock rear end back in without problems? Great post

 

[Kai SRT10]

The way I did it was as follows:

I had a local shop pull the "pumpkin" housing, drain the oil from it and ship it to Taylor Race Engineering

http://www.taylor-race.com/

Taylor installed the new dif, and sent it back to my local shop, who re-installed it. Time was a bit over a month. Cost was a bit over $3000. That was a while ago. Prices and lead times may have changed.

 

[ILLSMOQ]

I'm looking for the price of the carrier alone..any ideas?

 

[Sleeper]

ILLSMOQ , "carrier"? Glad to help, what are you asking?

 

[ILLSMOQ]

the quaife unit itself...I can install it on my own.

thanks

 

[Sleeper]

the quaife unit itself...I can install it on my own.

For most Quaife applications, no problem, go ahead and install it yourself. Unfortunately, for the Viper, you will send your differential housing to Taylor Race Engineering in Texas. They will complete custom machining of your housing and proprietary fitment of the new differential. So, understand that it is not just a parts-swap for your Viper, like it is for most other Quaife applications. In return, you get an unconditional warranty in regard to engine output (ie., hp/tq) or track use. Let me know if you have any other questions.

TD

 

[Vipera Russelli]

I am seriously interested in this rear end. Would you give us an approx cost? What ratio do you now have? Is this a straight install or do they have to mod some of the viper during the install ie could you just pop the stock rear end back in without problems? Great post

Sleeper is correct. This is NOT a simple bolt-on or DIY modification. The differential housing must be bored out or milled to fit the Quaife and the tolerances are very tight. And while I'm sure there are a few shops here and there that will claim they can do it, Taylor does it all the time since it has an exclusive (from Quaife USA) on Quaifes for Vipers. I ordered my Quaife (actually, my wife ordered it as a gift for me) through JonB at PartsRack. Jon involved Archer Racing in the process, which provided a core SRT differential to Taylor on my behalf, who then milled it out and installed the Quaife and put in the .354 gears. Taylor shipped the core with the installed Quaife to my Viper tech, Jeff Sherwin, who then swapped out the stock core (with stock diff) for the new core (with Quaife), which took only a few hours of labor and the ordering of some new support straps. Jeff then shipped my stock core and differential to Archer for the next SRT-Quaife customer, and I drove my Viper home two days after dropping it off with Jeff... and I haven't stopped smiling yet.
And I thought I was having fun driving the Viper BEFORE the Quaife!

 

[Volltage]

THANK YOU!!!!Thats all fine but WHAT WAS THE COST???????????????

 

[ILLSMOQ]

Unfortunately, for the Viper, you will send your differential housing to Taylor Race Engineering in Texas. They will complete custom machining of your housing and proprietary fitment of the new differential.

Oh I see....well that kinda ***** but the unconditional warranty sounds cool...how long of a warranty do they give you?

While we are on the subject, are there any aftermarket ( stiffer ) bushings available for the differential houseing?

thanks for the info by the way

THANK YOU!!!!Thats all fine but WHAT WAS THE COST???????????????

parts rack has it listed on their site. parts rack

 

[Volltage]

ILLSMOQ thanks.

 

[Kelly06]

Vipera
Thanks for the info.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Any problems with whole shots!
I had ViperSpeed install a quaife dif and GKN halfshafts in my GTS a few hours after I bought my car and It won’t do a whole shot without the shifter going crazy, slapping left and right like something broke. Doughnuts are no problem, but once you turn the wheel straight and evenly load the back tires again, it fell like the transmission is about to rip out. I’ve always felt it was the quaife, but many Viper techs have gone over the car, replacing parts as they go along, with no avail.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Sounds like wheel hop. Not a Quaife related issue at all.

 

[Noredline]

Funny, now that I have the Quaife, I now have wheel hop. Not from the Quaife though, I think there is more power to the wheels, and the run-flats cant handle it. The car is much more responsive with the diff, and the Fidanza flywheel. Now, on spirited acceleration, I lose traction midway and through the top of second. I am having Pirelli Corsa's put on this Saturday. They are very sticky and shouldnt spin, nor hop, I hope. Thanks again for the input on this diff. I am very happy with it!!!

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Sounds like wheel hop. Not a Quaife related issue at all.
________________________________________________

It happens even in the pouring rain. I’m having Bobby and John Archer drive it a Viper Days Sebring and see what they say. Tom Session had it for two months and The Quaife or Halfshafts are what’s left not replaced.
I've even sent Taylor racing a video of it.

 

[BLKSNAKE]

What size tires are you putting on?

Rich

 

[RichieSRT10]

Great timing on this link. I have the base Paxton supercharger and next week my car goes into the shop for a bunch more horsepower. I ordered the Qauife today after reading this thread. I am having DLM add this to my car while its there getting some more upgrades.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

My wheels and tyres are all stock grade.

 

[Noredline]

BLKSNAKE-Well, I was gonna go with the stock size all around, then found that they dont make the Pirelli Corsa in the stock front size only the back Then I talked to Courtney and found that I would end up in the Unlimited class for Viper Days if I switched to non Michelin street tires. I'd be over the 20 points with my current mods and different tires. So, since I would get my @ss handed to me by the unlimited guys (comp coups) I have since ordered another set of the run-flats so I can stay in the green group, I've only tracked this car twice before. After the three west coast Viper Days ending in April I will need new tires again and will get the Corsas on the back, and Nitto NT01's on the front for summer. Should be super sticky all around with those tires.

RichieSRT10, what are you having done?