Ron Biggs

Any suggestions on how I can get more power to the road for my 2005 C55?

Gramma_Benz

The best solution would be:

http://www.quaifelsd.com/

A less expensive alternative, but still not too cheap:

http://www.phantomgrip.com/

Viper98912

If by traction, it's simple.

LSD (as previously mentioned) and 265 wide tires in the back on some lightweight wheels, with 100 treadwear rating.

Newzchspy

One word: Quaife, just be sure to get the correct one since they are vastly different for the C32 and the C55!!

TemjinX2

quaife and some michelin ps2's.

hooleyboy

SUPERCHARGER! Trust me it eventually gets to the road

Ron Biggs

Thanks for the info but I thought my 2005 C55 had Lsd?

Gramma_Benz

It's an open differential that uses electronics to TRY and mimic a LSD. When ESP is turned "off", the system will still activate to mimic a mechanical LSD if one of the drive wheels starts spinning by applying some brake pressure to the spinning wheel (so that the open differential will shift power to the wheel with more traction). Note that engine power is NOT cut in this setting.

Ron Biggs

So a true LSD will get me up and moving much faster. no more spinning like a mad man.

Gramma_Benz

Well, let's say not as MUCH spinning...lol.

blackbenzz

Drag radials or quaife LSD or both

Gramma_Benz

This is what a proper burnout should look like with a LSD....

Look at 1:49 and 2:40 into the vid....

http://www.youtube.com/user/ThateMotorsport#p/u/0/uY-4juWJ6Co

AnimC32

That car is amazing. I wonder how much does it cost to go widebody like that.

PC Valkyrie

A LSD will help only if one drive wheel has significantly less grip than the other drive wheel. If both drive wheels have comparable grip, then a LSD will not help at all with putting power down. You will either spin both wheels or launch forward if your tires have grip.

I know many people on the board think a LSD is very worthwhile mod, but I must admit that I haven't found the car to be very deficient in any significant way without one with relatively stock levels of engine power.

Now, I haven't done the the drag strip thing, so maybe I don't see the benefits as much as the guys who are regularly performing straight line launches from a standing start, where every 10th of a second counts. When I launch on the streets, I guess I've just learned to modulate the throttle at the beginning to make sure I balance traction with maximum acceleration.

And hooleyboy's supercharged C55 doesn't have a LSD too, correct?

I have tracked my car many times, and I found that the electronic "pseudo LSD" system does a decent job when I put power down when exiting corners (when the inner wheel is unloaded and at risk of spinning). Again, maybe I've simply learned to modulate the throttle to balance the available traction with maximum acceleration.

I just don't find the car's performance to be lacking in any significant way because of the absence of a mechanical LSD or locking differential. Am I the only one who thinks this way?......or am I must missing something here completely?

I can't speak for the C32, as it doesn't have the same electronic "pseudo LSD" system, so maybe C32 owners may find it more of a problem without a LSD.

Gramma_Benz

So was there something wrong with this guys electronic LSD?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAKv53ZXxl8

And most definitely a larger help to the C32's, our differential spins one wheel only, so much that it almost seems OK to by one drag radial, LOL.

PC Valkyrie

Maybe there was something wrong with that widebody C55....and maybe there was quite a difference in grip between the left and right tires. Don't know how much the modifications to the tire width and rubber has affected the ability of the "electronic LSD" to compensate.

Here is another more stock looking C55 doing a burnout.....2 clear black lines were laid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbT61qoIoi4

I'll be honest....I have never done a full burnout, where I step on the brakes and mash the throttle at the same time. The "launches" I have done involve simply stabbing the throttle as fast as possible with ESP "off", and I've always put down 2 very short black lines down before the car gets traction and takes off.

I'm not disputing that a mechanical LSD has its benefits, and I don't claim that the "electronic LSD" is as good as a mechanical one, but I wonder how much of a performance gain one gets with one installed in a C55. Will it result in a significant decrease in laptimes on a road course? How much can the quarter mile time decrease consistently at the drag strip?

And I guess I don't count getting a perfect burnout as part of the performance gains from the mechanical LSD....

RLx02

without a mechanical LSD, you're still going to put more power down to one wheel. Both of those burn outs were in dyno mode; with the ESP completely turned off. I believe the one with the widebody has 20" wheels which are heavier to turn compared to the oem 18"s which would be easier to spin, thus laying down 2 stripes rather than not turning at all.