Cusco R180 Diff???

[texasz]

Anyone got any information about the Cusco LSD for the R180 diff? There's one on eBay and I'm just wondering about them as I've never heard of it.

Here's a link to the auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7918914816&fromMakeTrack=true

Any help on this would be great!!

[Ed]

Looks used.

[texasz]

Looks used.

I'm assuming so since he says that one bearing needs replaced.

[2ManyZs]

I had never heard of them until now, and it seems like they are mostly geared towards FWD differentials.

http://www.cusco.co.jp/english/e_lsd.html

It's just a clutch type LSD, so it really is nothing special, at least compared to a Quaiffe and the prices seem to be a the high side for a clutch type as well. You might have a hard time getting parts for it, not only because they all have to be imported, but also because RWD isn't their main target market.

[HS30-H]

I'm surprised at what seems to be evidence of CUSCO being little known in the USA ( ? ).

CUSCO diff parts have a very good name and reputation in Japan, along with their suspension components and other parts. I have just fitted a full set of their coilover suspension to my R32 GT-R. Its good quality stuff.

RWD diff LSD units have been in their inventory from when they started making LSD units, and they are still stocked today. I have just sourced one of their 2 Way units ( which comes complete with new bearings and even a rear cover gasket ) for a friend here in the UK with a 180SX. Its a really nice, high quality piece of engineering.

Replacement parts are not going to be a problem for this ebay-listed R180 unit, as the plates and shims inside it are shared by other CUSCO LSD units and will be readily available.

I see that half of one bearing is still left on this ebay unit, and will need to be removed ( as will the other, which seems to have its outer section missing? ) but any buyer would be well advised to put new bearings on it anyway. The seller has some interesting ideas about how to describe it, but don't let that put you off. As long as the price stays within reasonable levels then any good condition CUSCO LSD will be worth having.

Last thing to remember is that putting an LSD unit into an R180 requires proper resetting of the ring gear to pinion relationship, and is usually better left to a pro with the right tools, parts and know-how. The R200 is much easier.

Here's a pic of the unit I imported last week for my friend:

[Ed]

Someone took advantage of the "buy it now" and she's gone.

[2ManyZs]

Possibly one reason they are not well known in the US (at least related to the early Z's) is because up until the "great multitudes of ricers" wanting them for their Honda's, Acura's etc no one ever took the time to explore the option of importing them?

Or, perhaps the cost of importing them placed them at the high end of the price line and there was little interest.

I looked at the prices on a couple of the web-sites after I did a search for them and found some of them to be about the same prices as a Quaiffe for some of their FWD applications. One site priced one of the 350Z units at near 800 dollars, and the other was just over 1K, which for that price, you can buy a Quaiffe for an R180.

Of course, now that the Nismo units are becoming so scarce, these look like a good alternative (if you can find more for the R-180's and R-200's) since the prices of most of the LSD's are spiralling upward for a lot of older RWD cars. It wasn't all that long ago the prices of the Nismo units was in the 500 dollar range.