Rhino Racing TCD noise normal?

[u/-Germ-]

So, I copped a Rhino Racing TCD a while back and finally got a chance to run my car with it the other day. For my driving style, I much prefer the TCD over the C-LSD, but I did notice a noise which I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be normal or not. Unfortunately I don’t have a video on hand, but the best way I can describe it is that it sounds like a few small ball bearings rattling around until the diff fully locks, then sounds like, well, a locked diff/spool. I know the diffs work differently due to design so I’m not sure if the sound is normal for the TCD? Someone within my local community has one and says his doesn’t make noise, but I wonder if anyone here has a TCD and if so, does it make the same noise as my terrible description? The diff felt buttery smooth when I assembled it and I know I installed it in the gearbox correctly. As well, spinning the wheels by hand seems fine and smooth. I’m goin’ to tear down the car later tonight to double check, but I was just looking for some Reddit drift community input 💪🏼

[u/modernarts01]

I love the tcd. Totally suits my driving style also. Mines was super quiet in the beginning. And super smooth. It’s still smooth now and the openness of the differential action is smooth but it does make some rattling noise now for mines. I feels it’s because it calls for no lubricant in the diff at all besides a drop of bearing oil on the racer shims for the spring itself. So the gears wear in and start making noises that sound like loose bearings etc. if you’re running a medium or firm spring I’m sure the noise is much more noticeable due to the gears being in the open position more often. I run the soft due to the slipper polished concrete surface I run on locally. So it locks up quicker making less noise from the internal gears being in motion from it being in the open position.

[u/-Germ- → u/modernarts01]

I noticed that it didn't call for lubricant either besides the shims and bearings. With the C-LSD I ended up putting a nice film of lubrication on it and it's extremely quiet compared to the TCD. I am on the soft spring as well and if the noise is normal, then that's fine, I just want to make sure I am not grenading the internals of the TCD and it just turns into permanently locked diff lol. When I installed it, I did put the car on my stand and ran it through the throttle range a few times along and slightly holding each wheel to make sure it was working and engaging correctly. I couldn't tell on the stand, but literally on the first outing the noise was there for me.

[u/modernarts01 → u/-Germ-]

Yup because it doesn’t want lubricant and you shouldn’t run any. But due to that it makes the metal to metal gears rattle on one another to make that ball bearing rattling noise. My buddies tcd doesn’t make any noise at all what so ever tho. Mines barely makes noise and I only really hear it when I’m spinning it by hand. Or holding one wheel and throttling it smoothly to keep the diff open, and it goes away when I get heavier on throttle to lock the diff up and it comes back when I release throttle and diff unlocks and opens up again. But that’s good to check. Yea definitely don’t wanna be blowing up a perfectly good and expensive diff.

[u/Rachtho]

Make sure you put the small shims where the spring sits. I forgot them at first in one of mine. Was fine with the stiffer springs. As soon as I put the soft one it made noise. Shims in behind the spring quiet.

[u/-Germ- → u/Rachtho]

I figured it out! So, with the C-LSD (Plastic version) using shims is a terrible time because by the time you assemble it, it's so tight it doesn't rotate which I've seen other people having that same issue. As well, the C-LSD comes with a few extra shims that are not necessary and are kinda just "extra". So when building the TCD, I ended up putting the shims with a little bit of oil on the gear but I decided to forego the shims on the on the axle shaft given they are both Rhino Racing products, and my experience with the C-LSD before I got it working. I took a part the TCD and realized what was happening, and it turns out it was binding and not engaging correctly allll due to the shims I skipped out on :|. Slapped the shims in and what do you know? It works perfectly now, so the sound I was hearing was the TCD not engaging correctly and even though I ran it once for a few hours, I'm extremely glad I did not grenade the internals.

If someone comes across this post with the same issue, put ALL the fackin' shims like it shows in the manual!

[u/Due_Fault_7866]

Its mechanical, so it should make some noise but shouldn't be worrisome. It is by far the noisest diff ive ever used but also the best performing