Torsen Differential

[Madlock]

I own several S197 Mustang variants that include GT, BOSS and GT500s.

One of the best, most recent improvements Ford has made to the S197 live axle is incorporating a Torsen differential for its retail consumer products.

All but one of my vehicles have them as factory equipment. My GT being deliberately configured to contrast my other cars' aggressive setups as their antithesis for daily driving, including an Automatic transmission, that doesn't mean I don't want it, and won't make it, go like hell too.

Because I chose an Automatic, the key trade-off was the lack of an equivalent track pack option. The 302 cooling system is easy enough to incorporate, but the lack of a Torsen leaves an appreciable, and undesirable, handling difference I'd rather overcome - at the same time I intend to shorten-up the final drive ratio to 3.31 for quicker launches.

The standard 302 Torsen is an easy-enough order and drop-in from Ford Racing. But, at the same time, Ford Racing ALSO offers a service replacement T2-R for the FR500S which also has a higher bias ratio of torque transfer - AND a much cheaper price.

Can anybody offer any insight into which unit they'd chose and reasons why? I'd appreciate it.

 

[pufferfish]

T2R is basically just tighter, so it's more like a spool. It's not recommended for street duty. It will scrub one of the rear wheels to death when turning.

I just had a T2 installed when changing from 3.73:1 to 3.55:1 in my GT. when ordering, ford listed a boss specific T2, a standard T2 and the T2R. The boss T2 is nearly 2x the cost of the standard T2. There doesn't appear to be any appreciable difference I could find other than it says "boss", so I put in the standard T2.

I have yet to see how it effects my track performance ( I imagine zero advantage, but longer diff life), but there is no noticeable difference on the street (good or bad). But it was a no brainer add on when changing the gears.

 

[Tob]

T2R is basically just tighter, so it's more like a spool. It's not recommended for street duty. It will scrub one of the rear wheels to death when turning.

I've seen none of that with the T2R I installed in my '90 coupe.

 

[captdistraction]

I'm curious about which to pick as well. I had thought I was going with the T2R, I don't plan on drag racing, and what else I had seen seemed like the T2R could handle street duty and occasional light hooning. Trackdays it seemed like the best value of the Torsen/Ford offerings.