Cure for Torque Bind? Magic in a Bottle!

[mikeamondo]

I've got a 90 Legacy (for sale, by the way) which has a major problem in super sharp turns, which I assume to be torque bind. When turning very sharply, the shifter will shake violently and there will be a horrific noise. If you ease up on the turn it stops....

 

Anyway... our local GM dealer (a good customer of mine) said he had fix and proceeded to sell me a bottle of GM Limited Slip Axel Lubricant Additive. It made a HUGE difference. It still does it a little, but he also told me it might need two or three doses.

 

The bottle is only 4 ounces, and does not have a list of ingredients.... just says it's a 'specially compounded formulation'. Is this really a good solution to TB, or am I just putting off.... or even making worse..... a looming problem?

 

M

[OB99W]

The topic has certainly come up before, with members expressing support and otherwise. Search the forum for "limited slip additive" if you'd like to read the previous pros and cons.

 

In general, the consensus seemed to be that a full ATF replacement (flush) should be tried first, with the additive a last-ditch approach. The problem is that the change in the fluid's frictional characteristics due to the additive doesn't affect just the clutch pack.

[Rooster2]

Not to insult you or your car, but a car that is 18 years old is nearing the end of its life. It just does not make sense to put much of a dollar investment into an old car. Pouring in a magic bottle of additive to address torque bind is a wise move in my opinion. That is what I would have done. Glad to hear that it helped.

[ericem]

Not to insult you or your car, but a car that is 18 years old is nearing the end of its life. It just does not make sense to put much of a dollar investment into an old car. Pouring in a magic bottle of additive to address torque bind is a wise move in my opinion. That is what I would have done. Glad to hear that it helped.

 

???!! If it's low mileage like under 200,000miles why not? It can have as many miles as it has doesn't matter if it shifts it works.

 

Still using the limited slip additive won't be the best long term fix. The best long term fix to replace the transmission fluid a few times.

[subaru360]

What the GM limited slip additive does is make the clutches in a clutch type posi slip more so it doesn't bind on turns. When I was big into drag racing I used to leave out the limited slip additive and run straight gear oil in a posi rear to make the the posi lock harder. After a long highway drive when the rear got hot it would really bind up in turns without the additive.

 

The only problem with putting it in an automatic transmission is that it will cause the clutches to slip. That's why it helps the TB. But along with letting the transfer clutches slip more, you are also letting the rest of the trans slip more.

 

I can see putting it in an older car that's not worth a lot as a last resort. But I don't know if I would put it in something that I really cared about. Replacing the transfer clutches and the solenoid is a lot less expensive than overhauling a whole trans that you killed by making it slip.