i tried doing search via google to find my answer, but came up w/ nothin'. so, for all those who have knowledge please help. which is a better system: Traction (aka stability) Control Systems or a Limited Slip Diff? this is in regards to both daily driving and racing. i have always been of the opinion that TCS is a cheaper alternative to LSD. but i notice that a lot of high end makes don't use LSD's, rather some form of TCS. :confused:

Generally car makers use TCS as a cheap alternative to LSD. You add a couple of items to an ABS system and presto, traction control. From my knowledge most traction control is for the lay person that has no idea how to drive a car in other than dry conditions. YAW control, the Skylines ATTS and other similar control mechanism are a different beast altogether. They are coupled with differentials to make a better car. If I had to choose, I'll take a diff. over TCS any day.

They are totaly different things.
TCS use's the abs sensors to detect wheelspin, then through some kind of electronic means it either applys the brakes or cuts engine power to restore traction. This is a very basic description. It's a lot more complicated than that.

I, for one, like the TCS setup that BMW is using lately.

In a new M5, you just rev it up to 2,500rpm and let the clutch go.

The car just *leaves*. No muss, no fuss. No Camaro SS in the lane next to you any longer, as well.

ON the other hand...without TCS, I'm sure I'd have wrapped the M5 around a telephone pole very quickly.

TCS is basically to keep the drive wheels from spinning. An LSD just keeps one drive wheel from spinning too much compared to the other. So..... say you have a FWD car with traction control and no LSD. You're exiting a corner, try to put power down.... inside wheel spins. So the TCS either applys brakes, reduces power, etc. to keep the wheel from spinning. Same car with a LSD, more power gets transfered to the outside wheel so you can power out better; that is until you put down so much power that you spin the outside wheel too, then you end up just sliding in a straignt line :) A combination of both would be good assuming the traction control logic is setup correctly for driving fast.

Khiem