Wavetrac behavior....

Grand_87_national

I lika... do da cha cha.
Joined
May 1, 2016
So, I've noticed that often under hard acceleration I can feel my rear tires "shift" torque from side to side. Sometimes, not.... sometimes, it will pull good and straight. But, before doing anything to the unit itself, (I've read that you can upgrade the friction plates to modify slippage) I think I'll try a simple oil change, as this differential was in the car when I bought it and I have no idea what oil is in there. According to the webpage, nothing special is needed... just good ol' GL5 80w90. My question is: knowing this is a very popular differential, does anyone have any experience with the Wavetrac "unloading", so to speak under hard acceleration? Maybe a poor choice of oil would cause this? Thanks, all.
 
If you have hard street tires and a lot of power the wheels may take turns spinning. Known as the "g body shuffle"
Fun to see from behind the car. Ask me how I know haha.

I don't think changing the oil will help. Pop the cover and see what's going on in there. It might be worn out.
 
If you have hard street tires and a lot of power the wheels may take turns spinning. Known as the "g body shuffle"
Fun to see from behind the car. Ask me how I know haha.

I don't think changing the oil will help. Pop the cover and see what's going on in there. It might be worn out.[/QUOTET

Thanks for the heads up!
 
I have a WaveTrac and have not experienced what you describe. The oil IS critical for a WaveTrac . Use only a nonsynthetic gear oil as per instructions. I used Lucas oil . Also not much to wear out in a Wave Trac , as it is similar to a Tru Trac , as in no clutch plates . I would drain it and put in the right oil just for starters and go from there.
 
I have a WaveTrac and have not experienced what you describe. The oil IS critical for a WaveTrac . Use only a nonsynthetic gear oil as per instructions. I used Lucas oil . Also not much to wear out in a Wave Trac , as it is similar to a Tru Trac , as in no clutch plates . I would drain it and put in the right oil just for starters and go from there.
Gotcha...... I'll be doing that soon, it certainly doesn't feel normal. Hopefully, that'll take care of it.
 
I have a WaveTrac and have not experienced what you describe. The oil IS critical for a WaveTrac . Use only a nonsynthetic gear oil as per instructions. I used Lucas oil . Also not much to wear out in a Wave Trac , as it is similar to a Tru Trac , as in no clutch plates . I would drain it and put in the right oil just for starters and go from there.
Could you tell me specifically, what oil you use? Lucas has a heavy duty 80w90 that contains "special anti-wear and lubricity agents", is that what you're using?
 
I’m running the true track with the metal gears and haven’t had any issues love it .
 

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Any update?
Immediately after this post, I had a popping issue at wot that had garnered my attention. (I now believe I have an ignition module on it's way out). Met up with a local guy to get some replacement parts, along with use of his caspers module/ coil tester, pulled my plugs and regapped to .020, have the new module and coil ready to throw on. Also, going on a family vacation and been busy replacing my deck. The car will get my full attention soon enough, and I will indeed provide an update.
 
Any update?
After an extremely busy summer (home, work, and my car) it does seem to be ironed out, finally. Valvetrain and ignition appear to be straightened out and after just a couple hard pulls, the Lucas gear oil seems to have made a difference as I no longer feel the shifting from side to side. I will comment with an update if I feel that the issue has returned, but so far... so good. Thanks for all the help, fellas.
 
What rear do you have? I have a Moser Ford 9" with a WaveTrac. I used the oil that Moser recommended. I still don't have my car finished so I couldn't tell you how it drives, but thanks for the info. Hope it's not an issue with WaveTrac.

Why/how could the oil make a difference? And when you say "side to side" Do you mean right side will hook/spin and the left side does nothing and then the left side will hook/spin while the right side does nothing? Almost like it's not a posi rear.
 
What rear do you have? I have a Moser Ford 9" with a WaveTrac. I used the oil that Moser recommended. I still don't have my car finished so I couldn't tell you how it drives, but thanks for the info. Hope it's not an issue with WaveTrac.

Why/how could the oil make a difference? And when you say "side to side" Do you mean right side will hook/spin and the left side does nothing and then the left side will hook/spin while the right side does nothing? Almost like it's not a posi rear.
I use a Moser 12 bolt.

As far as how/ why oil matters... this is off the website:
"If you are racing your vehicle, and wish to upgrade the gear oil to improve performance or durability in racing conditions, choose the oil carefully: be aware that some gear oils have additives that are not recommended for use with your Wavetrac®.

Some have friction modifiers designed for limited slip differentials. These modifiers generally increase slipperiness and are intended to reduce clutch disc chatter in conventional clutch-type LSDs. Some gear oils such as Red Line Oil’s Shockproof® type have microscopic solid particles in immersion in order to “cushion” transmission components, acting as an extreme pressure agent.

The Wavetrac®, and all helical gear differentials in general, operate using friction. The friction generated between its internal gears and its housing are what allow this type of differential to function."

Regarding the last question, it's a very quick and rather violent shift from side to side. At no point is one tire allowed to spin while the other does nothing for any prolonged period, more like it happens for a split second on one side, then shifts energy to that side, then back to the other side. I let off every time it does this, so I can't tell you how long it would go on if I allowed it to. And, it did not do it every time, sometimes it would work perfectly, it was bizarre. I do believe the fluid used by the p.o. was probably limited slip fluid, and this was causing the issue, as stated above, I've hit it a few times (once again yesterday) and so far so good. I wouldn't worry about yours imitating mine, as long as the proper oil is used. This does not seem to be a common issue, and the Wavetrac appears to have a solid reputation from what I have read.
 
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