How do you know if your AT has an LSD?
 

I've been trying to find info on how to identify if your AT has an LSD. At what point is the LSD an option? Does trim matter? Sport vs GT?

Yes, trim does matter. If that is your car in your avatar pic, it has LSD.

Basically, only the AT base model without the sport suspension does not have LSD, and it has 16" rims. The ones in your pic are the stock 18" rims, meaning you have either something above base model, or a base model with the sport suspension package.

All trims above base model, regardless of transmission, got the sport suspension package. All MTs got it, regardless of trim, and some base ATs got it as an added extra.

Yep, that's my car. She is an 06 GT.
Wanted to confirm that I have an LSD fo' sho'!

I was also reading somewhere the AT's are rocking a 4.10 final drive ratio?
manuals are 4.55 and 09+ manuals are 4.77?

It would seem to me you want the 4.55 in the AT and the 4.10 in the Manual, no(I know that's not how it is, just seems backwards to me)?

I have never heard that the rear diff is different based on transmission.


But...looking around, MazdaUSA spec sheet (http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/pdf/..._specs_RX8.pdf) for the 2010 shows 4.78 (which is rounding, 4.777 actually), for the manual and 4.300 for the automatic.

Here (http://www.vibratesoftware.com/html_..._Mazda_RX8.htm) says 4.300 for manual, 4.444 for automatic for the 2005.

Where are you seeing a 4.1 AT or 4.55 MT?

Whoa, I got my info all kinds of backwards, unfortunately I am not finding the site I read it at anymore. I can't find any info on the auto final drive at this time :-( Only manual trans info.

I believe for AT, LSD only comes with the GT package

It's on touring as well. Only base doesn't get it automatically, but they can if they get a base with the sport suspension package.

How many freakin packages are there??

I thought it was:

Sport
Grand Touring
and then Shinka/R3/whatever else packages Mazda made for marketing.

Not quite. First 2004 and 2005 only had base or shinka, with each of the touring and grand touring as optional packages. 2006 they made these actual trims in addition to the base and shinka.

For all series 1 years, the 'sport suspension' was an optional package. This upgraded the suspension, upgraded the brakes, added an LSD, and provided 18" wheels we refer to as 'stockers'. Touring and Grand Touring packages/trims included the sport suspension automatically. Manual transmission did as well. So only base trim AT didnot have it by default. But it was still an option, so many base ATs got it too.

Combined, nearly every 8 out there has the sport suspension package, making it effectively stock.

So by upgraded brakes, are the rotors and calipers smaller on no sport suspension models? Or the pads a different material from OE?

The rotors and pads are smaller. The 8s without the sport suspension package have 16" wheels, and I think can go down to 15" and still fit them around the calipers. The sport suspension brakes are big enough that 17" is the smallest you can go, 16" doesn't clear the calipers.

This is one of the things faced by those that have winter wheel sets. :)

Excellent insight from RIWWP, as always. But the simplest answer is that your username is OchoShinka and you should therefore know that all Shinkas are GT's with some add'l enhancements, therefore you have a LSD - period.

This statement within itself tells me that NOT all Shinka's are GT cars.

My Dealer did tell me that All Shinka's were GT's, obviously by RIWWP's enlightment, my dealers statement is not accurate. This also renders your statement inaccurate-period.

yes, my handle is OchoShinka, no my car is not a Shinka. Yes a learned this lesson the hard way. I don't care to change my handle b/c I have more important things to worry about. I spend more time reading the boards than posting. If I can't find something, I'll ask. Isn't that the point of a forum? If you don't know, ask? My question was not "does my Shinka have an LSD?" My question was, as it still is, "How to tell if you have an LSD?" RIWWP has enlightened me to more wisdom than I thought I had, hence the reason I continue to ask him more questions. He has been very knowledgeable and helpful to me and has not flamed or commented negatively which leads me to think he does not mind educating me further.
If he felt that my knowledge was inadequate for my car I think he would have spoken up by now. Instead I appeciate his patience and understanding in my thirst for more knowledge of what I drive. Surely, you must have asked questions people thought you should know the answers to. Perhaps you were not as fortunate as I to find someone as kind as RIWWP? Sorry if that was the case. I must say, so far, I have seen very little flaming on this board. It is rather nice.

I believe you misread RIWWP's intentions.

Yes, all Shinka's are GT's with further added enhancements (in the '05 for example Tokico shocks, urethane filled crossmembers and a few other things).

RIWWP did address your LSD question.

"What we have heya is a fail-ya to communicate." -Cool Hand Luke

Huey is one of those patient and reasonable people like me Ocho, don't get offended by what he said :)


You are correct, my statement was not entirely accurate, as I left out additional clarifying references to the Shinka/40th/R3 trims. The line you quoted was not in reference to Shinka, but rather the Touring and Grand Touring sets moving from packages to actual trim levels. Here is a tabled breakdown of the trims:

2004 trims:
Base
- Touring was a package
- Grand Touring was a package

2005 trims:
Base
- Touring was a package
- Grand Touring was a package
Shinka

2006 trims:
Base (begins to be called 'sport')
Touring
Grand Touring
Shinka

2007 trims:
Base
Touring
Grand Touring
40th Anniversary

2008 trims:
Base
Touring
Grand Touring

2009 trims:
Base
Grand Touring
R3
(I do not believe there is a Touring trim any more for the Series 2)

2010 trims:
Base
Grand Touring
R3


The Sport Suspension was available as a package for all Series 1 years. This package was automatically included if the 8 was Manual Transmission, as well as with all Touring and Grand Touring trims and packages.

The Shinka and 40th trims are GTs with additional enhancements.

The R3 has the sport components/upgrades of the Shinka trims, but not the creature comfort components.


I know I stated most of this already, but figured I would re-state it to make sure there isn't anything lost in translation.



Clarity, precision, and correct use of words is something generally lacking from much of the forum. I just try to counter that when possible. :)

Thanks RIWWP,

that break down makes sense to me. I suppose I got some confusion going on the prior presentation. I am blonde, and I can be an air headed at times.


Question for Huey though, although RIWWP, you may know this answer as well :-)

I read a while back that the Shinka's had Bilstein Shocks, not Tokicos. When I went to Autozone's website(this maybe a bad example), the only replacement part for shocks was listed to be Bilstein although my car is not a Shinka.

Can either of you shed some light on that for me? I would appreciate it.

The 2005 Shinka has Tokico (Hitachi parent company) shocks. It indicates so right on them.

The R3 has Bilstein.

I think if you have the LSD, you have the 4.44 ratio. Doesn't matter to me anymore - I upgraded to a 4.77 with a diff built by Mazmart.

Can you even notice a difference with that??? Stock gearing is pretty high as it is, but that's a reallys light increase for gearing.

You notice a difference. Not a huge difference, but it is noticeable.

That's because the OEM R3 Bilstein shocks ARENT the ones found at Autozone... or anywhere besides Mazda. Autozone is probably selling Bilstein HD.
Autozone is just giving you an aftermarket alternative. It just so happens that the R3's shocks are made by the same company.

The regular OEM shocks are Tokico's, but if you were to buy Tokico's from anyone other than Mazda, you'd be getting d-specs (which is pretty much a far superior shock)
Both are made by Tokico, but they aren't the same shock.

Not quite. 04/05 had Base, Sport, Touring & Grand Touring models. Later they dropped the Sport designation and made it a optional package to the base model. All models had a LSD and sport suspention except the Base AT, which also had the 16"wheels.

Base A/T 04
 

If it helps, I have a 2004 Base A/T - no package options. I do not have Limited Slip. I found this thread searching for those A/Ts that may have upgraded. The final ratios will definitely help while I look for the right LSD to upgrade to. For anyone interested not having LSD on the RX-8 is a absolute pain. Slippery conditions of any kind, rain, light snow, ect. = no traction what-so-ever. I even run winter tires (Pirelli Snow sports) I'm sure they help with the traction issue some- but I can't tell. There may some kind of track/drift benefit to a open diff- but for practical purposes mazda should never have sold the car this way.