| WHERE THE MONEY WENT |
| Item: |
PN: |
Price: |
| Moser 12-bolt housing (base pricing) |
N/A |
$1,804 |
| Moser 3.08:1 gears |
12B308 |
(included) |
| Moser setup kit |
R12B |
(included) |
| Large Ford axle housing ends |
7750 |
(included) |
| Assembly |
N/A |
(included) |
| Multileaf spring pads |
(Included) |
| Wavetrac 35-spline 3-series differential |
5W1235-3 |
$887.50 upgrade |
| Moser Performance cover |
7110 |
$135 upgrade |
| Semigloss black powdercoat |
$250 upgrade |
| Moser 1350 steel pinion yoke |
PY100 |
$40 upgrade |
| TOTAL: |
$3,116.50 |
Catch The Wavetrac
The Wavetrac is brand-new differential made in the United States by Autotech Driveline. It's a gear differential that provides torque biasing, yet it has a couple of advantages over other torque-biasing differentials. When one drive tire has zero or nearly zero traction, most torque-biased differentials have a difficult time sending significant torque to the other tire. This is also true when transitioning from accel to decel. The Wavetrac uses wave-cut mating surfaces (shown in photo) on the side gears to provide torque to both tires in these situations. As the side gears move at different speeds, the wave surfaces climb each other. This pushes the side gears apart, creating internal load. The result is torque biasing in all drive situations and a smooth transition of power during the change from accel to decel. Basically, it's the perfect autocross and road race differential that should also provide extremely good traction on the dragstrip without any driveability issues on the street. The Wavetrac has a few other unique features, one of which is a transferable, limited lifetime warranty that even covers racing. You don't see that on many high-performance components!
We're using a brand-new design...
We're using a brand-new design differential (see "Catch the Wavetrac") in our 12-bolt, but most of the assembly process is the same. You pick up some cool tips when you're in a pro facility like Moser that can crank out 35 complete axle assemblies in a day. Jim Ninde led us through his assembly process, including using a hot plate (rear of photo) to heat the ring gear and bearings to make slipping them on much easier.
From an installation standpoint,...
From an installation standpoint, the only thing unique with the Wavetrac differential is the first shim that sits next to the carrier in the housing. Because Wavetracs are only available in 35-spline, this shim has a larger inside diameter than usual. This is an extremely strong design that lets you use 35-spline axle shafts in your 12-bolt for maximum strength.
We opted for a 3.08:1 gear...
We opted for a 3.08:1 gear ratio and used Moser's ring-and-pinion gear set. We plan on using a three-speed Turbo 400 (no overdrive), so these cogs will let us maintain reasonable fuel efficiency on the highway.
With the pinion bearing installed...
With the pinion bearing installed but not the seal, Ninde checks the preload with an inch-pound torque wrench. With a 12-bolt, he likes to see 20 in-lb. Once he has the preload, pinion depth, and backlash he wants, the pinion is reinstalled with the seal in place.
With the ring gear nice and...
With the ring gear nice and hot from the warming plate, Ninde applies a dab of blue thread lock to each bolthole. He then slips the ring gear in place on the differential and torques the bolts. Moser offers a setup kit for most axles that includes ring-gear bolts, carrier and pinion bearings, seals, and shims.
With the carrier and pinion...
With the carrier and pinion installed in the housing, Ninde checks two things. The first is the ring gear backlash (shown). The second is the contact pattern on the ring-gear teeth. Adjustments are made by changing the shims, and one affects the other. Frankly, that's why we leave gear setup to the pros.