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I think my 95 Xj may have a Limited slip.

camarors8992

NAXJA Forum User
Normally my jeep only spins the passenger side tire in 2wd. However, today while going up my neighbors steep driveway in 2wd I had to kind of rock it back and forth to get up it, but I felt the other tire kick in and I really didn't think I had a limited slip. I had my friend watch the tire and see if it was spinning and when I rock it, it usually spins every other time. My jeep has 214k miles on it so i'm sure it's not like it should be. What can I do to maybe work like new again ? I don't know if I want to rebuild it, but would changing the diff. fluids and adding a limited slip additive help ?
 
If both wheels are on the ground you could try pressing the brake.....while pressing the accelerator pedal....that will equalize traction (in the mind of the differential, anyway) and it will apply torque to both wheels. Something to try next time you're stuck!

FYI - that's similar to what traction control systems do on newer vehicles. Except they only apply one brake, not all.....they only apply brake to the wheel that isn't getting traction.
 
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Jack up the rear of the vehicle at the pumpkin bringing both rear tires off the ground. Only need to be just off the ground, no need to go inches into the air.
Spin the rear tires, By Hand... If both tires spin in the same direction you have a limited slip differential. If the tires spin in opposite directions it is an open carrier.
 
DaffyXJ said:
Jack up the rear of the vehicle at the pumpkin bringing both rear tires off the ground. Only need to be just off the ground, no need to go inches into the air.
Spin the rear tires, By Hand... If both tires spin in the same direction you have a limited slip differential. If the tires spin in opposite directions it is an open carrier.

I thought mine had a LSD when I got it because I took it out on snowy roads and both wheels were spinning. However after it was on a lift I spinned the back tires and no LSD. I thought I got a lucky one from the factory that wasn't labeled on my build sheet, but no.
 
DaffyXJ said:
Jack up the rear of the vehicle at the pumpkin bringing both rear tires off the ground. Only need to be just off the ground, no need to go inches into the air.
Spin the rear tires, By Hand... If both tires spin in the same direction you have a limited slip differential. If the tires spin in opposite directions it is an open carrier.

Would it matter if he was in gear or not?
 
Blaine B. said:
Would it matter if he was in gear or not?

Nope, though it's a lot easier to do this with the vehicle in Park or Neutral. Since it's the differential that's controlling the slip, the transmission doesn't really come into play.
 
There may be another possibility. My d 35 is slightly bent, in fact you can only tell if you hold a straight edge up to it(I know, I know a D44 is going to replace it when I have the money to build it up right). The only reason I even know is the guy at the local stealership showed me when I had them drill out my broken rear shock bolts.
Apparenttly(according to him) if the axle tube is bent just right for the shaft to put the right amount of leverage on the spider gears, then they won't want to turn correctly unless more power is given. Thus a limited slip-like effect. He noticed this while driving it around the parking lot in the rain. Also he said to expect the axle to fail soon unless I had a feather like foot. That axle is still alive almost a year later and my foot is just as heavy as it always was, so I am not sure he knew what he was talking about. Just thought I would throw it out there since no one else had.
 
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