# Autotech Wavetrac User Review



## wide_load (Dec 6, 2005)

After having the Wavetrac Differential installed on my car for almost a year now I thought I would take a look at what others had experienced in regards to the performance aspect of this differential and to my surprise I could not find much that had been written on the vortex, but rather just a bunch of people asking for opinions on how it actually performs. So, for the benefit of those interested I thought I would do a little write-up on my experience so far.
For those that are not familiar with the differential, a link to the Autotech Website:
http://www.autotech.com/prod_d...s.htm
And a little blurb from Autotech on what makes this differential difference from the others out there on the market.

_Quote, originally posted by *Autotech Website* »_The Wavetrac® differential uses a patent pending design to improve grip in low traction conditions. Precisely engineered, converging / diverging wave profiles are placed on one side gear and its mating preload hub. As the two side gears rotate relative to each other, each wave surface climbs the other, causing them to move apart. This imparts an increased normal force through the side gears, increasing the bias ratio as a function of load. This increase occurs automatically only when conditions find it necessary, and it 'reverts' back to its nominal bias ratio quickly and seamlessly, maintaining optimal drivability and performance at all times. It's like having two differentials in one: you get the benefit of a higher bias ratio when needed without detriment to the car's handling.

With my VR being my daily during the summers I wanted to ensure that when taking the car for a serious rip, whether on the track or out on some back roads, that I could help ensure that toasting a tranny would be the last thing in my mind. For those that know me, they know that I probably beat the crap out of the car way more than I should so it was only common sense that a built tranny would be a smart starting point. For those that don't know me here is a pic of the car.









*Build Quality* 
To start off, right out of the package you could tell this thing is built like a tank. It becomes obvious that there was a lot of attention to detail and a lot of care in building the differential from the overall look, right down to the way it is packaged and delivered. As there are no actual pics on the Autotech site I thought I would post a couple.
























Although I did not install the diff personally I did not hear of any issues from the place that built my tranny. It always nice to see a quality part and right from this point I had high expectations of how it would perform.
Now to the important stuff...

*Dry Weather Performance *
I absolutely love how this thing feels under hard acceleration. When accelerating in a straight line you can actually feel the power being switched back and forth between the wheels as it transfers power to the wheel with the most grip. Launches are as expected significantly quicker with a dramatic reduction in wheel spin as you no longer have to worry about one tire breaking loose and thus having to let off the accelerator pedal in order to regain control of wheel spin. It’s a great feeling finally being able to predict how the car will react when launching the car off the line.
Around corners I have noticed a dramatic increase of predictability and control as well as you can now power through a corner and the car will actually pull you through due to the traction achieved through the diff transferring power to the wheel with the most traction. The added predictability and handling make the car even more enjoyable while ripping around corners and I could only imagine the car would be a blast to rip around an autocross course with.

*Wet Weather Performance *
Funny enough this is when the diff is really fun to play with. I love the feeling of being able to pull away from others while they are left spinning their one tire whenever they touch the accelerator. Again you can feel the diff transferring power from one wheel to the other and as a result the behaviour becomes predicable and thus controlling the throttle to limit both tires breaking loose can finally be achieved. I now know why people say installing a differential in a car used in winter is a great investment and totally changes the predictability and performance of a car.

*At the Track*
Although I do not have a lot of experience at a track and am still learning quite a bit I think the biggest improvement I've noticed from this differential besides what is stated above is the predictability and confidence it has given me off the line. It is a great feeling being able to drive the car as hard as you want without having to worry about a weak stock diff blowing up on you. In addition the easy predictability of how the Wavetrac diff performs lets you control the launch with ease. It's also a great feeling of being able to pull on almost anything right off the line







... 60' times have both dropped and become more consistent and I can't wait to toss on some dr or slicks now that I don't have to worry about blowing up the stock diff.
I would love to hear some comments from people tracking vrt's with the wavetrac and some times as well. Hopefully more people can chime in with comments on their experiences in this thread. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 

*Overall Impressions *
I am 100% satisfied and impressed with this differential from the customer service Autotech gave while ordering the differential right through to the end performance. Now that I have felt the difference in performance in all conditions and situations, a Wavetrac Differential will definitely be one of the first mods on my list for any new car I pick up. Over 20,000miles of beating the crap out of this diff and still going strong. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Hopefully this will help others debating whether to jump the gun on a Wavetrac differential. Feel free to send me an IM with any questions you have otherwise. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Mooz! (Dec 30, 2001)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (wide_load)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
sign me up... do they make this for the 6spd?


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## wide_load (Dec 6, 2005)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Mooz!)*

I think they might... check out the website and give them a call.


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## Ryan @ Autotech (May 12, 2005)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Mooz!)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Mooz!* »_ http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
sign me up... do they make this for the 6spd?

Sure do! We have them in stock and ready to ship for the 02M and 02Q 6 speed 2wd applications. Below are the related part numbers for the Wavetrac diffs and the ARP bolt kit you can use to replace the factory rivets as a higher quality yet cheaper alternative to the factory VW bolt kit. 
10.309.190WK 02M (Mk4 6 speed) Wavetrac differential $995.00
10.309.175WK 02Q (Mk5 6 speed) Wavetrac differential $995.00
10.498.02M ARP 02M or 02Q differential bolt kit $119.95
If you would like to order or view more information about these diffs, take a look here: http://www.wavetrac.net/application.htm
Feel free to also give us a call at our toll-free number below in my signature if you have any particular questions or wish to order over the phone. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
To the original poster, thank you for the kind words and great review!








--Ryan


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## wide_load (Dec 6, 2005)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Ryan @ Autotech)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Ryan @ Autotech* »_
To the original poster, thank you for the kind words and great review!








--Ryan


No problem... easy to compliment a good product. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## vwscream (Jan 27, 2008)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (wide_load)*

Just this past Saturday I slipped the ring gear on to the lsd and torqued the arp bolts. Soon all the other transmission parts will be in and I can get it bolted up. Waiting on the lash adjustment shims for the diff, pinion and input. To bad I wont be driving the car to much during the winter snow. Will have my opinion on it soon enough. From experience with my old quattro its fun to pull away from people in 6 in snow.


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## austin neuschafer (Apr 26, 2002)

lsd's will quickly wear out outer cv's if they are not in good shape, wore a few out myself, and they weren't bad before I wore them out.


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## maximizese (Jun 8, 2004)

I currently have an 02J Peloquin in the garage and now I'm curious about the advantages and possible disadvantages with the Wavetrac.


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## [email protected] (Jun 23, 2006)

*Re: (maximizese)*


_Quote, originally posted by *maximizese* »_I currently have an 02J Peloquin in the garage and now I'm curious about the advantages and possible disadvantages with the Wavetrac. 

Other standard torque biasing diffs are solid and work great but this technology has been unchanged for over 20 years and they have yet to tackle the downsides of their designs. 
We at Autotech have designed a unit that will more effectively and more responsively bias the power to both wheels without having to wait for the unit to receive a given amount of torque to finally function like other units. 
Also the 'Wave' design center hub preloads the gears to bias power correctly in the event of a wheel lift, throttle lift, or wet patch where as others act like a stock open diff in this no-load scenario, making the transitionary process for the diff hard to adapt to.


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## vwscream (Jan 27, 2008)

*Re: ([email protected])*


_Quote, originally posted by *[email protected]* »_

Also the 'Wave' design center hub preloads the gears to bias power correctly in the event of a wheel lift, throttle lift, or wet patch where as others act like a stock open diff in this no-load scenario, making the transitionary process for the diff hard to adapt to. 

One of the reasons I chose to go with Wavetrac


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## [email protected] (Jun 23, 2006)

*Re: (vwscream)*

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Also we just revamped our tech section of the Wavetrac page, check it out, alot more FAQ's answered here:
http://www.wavetrac.net/technical.htm


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## ON3WHLS (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (wide_load)*

Has anyone else experienced this quality / installation problem?
When you press the arp supplied bolt in the diff the retention splines peel off the bolt and get trapped between the bolt head and diff. The metal shards measure about .040" thick. This keeps the head of the bolt off the diff and you would torque the bolt down on debris instead of the bolt head. The debris builds up on one side and would try to bend the bolt head if tightened. The debris "mushrooms" and extends almost to the end of the bolt head. I pressed a Peloquin bolt in 1/2 way. It peeled off the retention splines too. If assembled the bolts will likely break because of the uneven seating or just come come loose when the debris moves or shifts.

(8:51 AM 9-10-2009) ON3WHLS: After measuring everything the hole size is correct (or close) on the wavetrac. The issue is a stock diff is cast-or super soft. So the retention splines dig into the diff. When removed you can see the grooves put in the stock diff by the splines. There is maybe a 0.001" lost in diameter on a stock bolt set up once pulled out and measured. Your arp bolt lost about .010" in diameter. Its now actually smaller than the hole it was pressed into. I assume it won't even stop it from rotating if I did try to "suck" it in with a nut. The wavetrac diff is so hard that the bolts don't dig into it, they just peel a part. Once I pulled the bolt back out of the wavetrac you could see it didn't even scratch the surface of the diff.
So here it is-the tranny would have been done yesterday if not for the wavetrac issue. I had everything set out for assembly. Dealing with autotech, measuring everything, and trying to figure out what was wrong with a customer supplied has easily put us past the amount of time it would take to build this unit. Needless to say at my risk I ruined a peloquin bolt kit (okay it now isn't complete or I have lots of spare pieces) in hopes to expedite this build. I really don't like to start and stop a build several times. I have to deal with setting everything up then putting it away then taking it out again. At best we are in for a week or better of delays. Not really figured into a basic labor rate on a simple diff install.


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## Ryan @ Autotech (May 12, 2005)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (ON3WHLS)*

Email replied to ON3WHLS, it appears you are having trouble with incorrectly sized set of 020 diff bolts. We are working to get you a corrected replacement set to you as soon as possible. Feel free to call or email me if you have any additional questions, just let us know where you need the corrected 020 bolt set sent to, we will notify you as soon as they are ready.


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## ON3WHLS (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Ryan @ Autotech)*

Thanks. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## ON3WHLS (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (ON3WHLS)*

Information from other installers would indicate the same problem. The problem to me appears to be twofold: the material of the wavetrac is actually too hard and the holes may be slightly too small.
Is ARP specifically making a different size 020 bolt for your differential?


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## weeblebiker (Apr 3, 2003)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (ON3WHLS)*

what's the deal with this issue????
I'm getting ready to buy an 020 wavetrac. do standard diff bolts fit or are the arp bolts offered wavetrac specific?
I would like to reuse my peloquin bolts as long as I do not ruin them.
will heating the diff to 250 and freezing the bolts ensure proper intallation?


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## Ryan @ Autotech (May 12, 2005)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (weeblebiker)*

Any standard VW bolt kit whether it be from the VW dealer, an ARP bolt kit or even a Peloquin bolt kit you have should work with your 020 Wavetrac diff, although the bolts we have always used with the 020 Quaifes and Wavetracs we have sold have been the ARP bolt kit. 
If you wanted to minimize the chance of the bolts being 'too' tight of a fit then what you mention should be sufficient; if the bolts are kept in a freezer for a few hours and the diff was exposed to heat via an oven, heat gun at 250F preceding the bolts getting pressed in, then it would allow for a slightly easier install. 
When both the Wavetrac diff and ARP bolt kit reach normal room temperature after the bolts are pressed into the diff (the diff would contract slightly, the bolts would expand slightly) it should ensure a snug fit before the Wavetrac is able to be installed in the transmission.


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## ON3WHLS (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Ryan @ Autotech)*

This process really shouldn't be necessary if the differential was designed with the proper hole diameters, given the material hardness. The hole diameter you're using may be OK for a softer material. My installer reamed out the holes on the wavetrac and we got it to work.


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## Broke (Aug 13, 2001)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (weeblebiker)*


_Quote, originally posted by *weeblebiker* »_do standard diff bolts fit or are the arp bolts offered wavetrac specific?

Standard VW bolts from the German kits and the ARP bolts sold with the LSD both do the same thing, and are being shaved on install. I didn't try a bolt from Peloquin, but others have, and it shaves those down as well.
The splines pull off the bolt, collect under the head of the bolt, and prevent it from being pressed in fully, which risks getting pieces of steel spline into the trans.
Last I was told by Autotech was that ARP was making a set of undersized bolts for it, but that was 6 months ago, and nobody from ARP or Autotech ever contacted me about the change. ARP was headed to Autotech to discuss, among other things, the bolts in the new LSD.
I sent pics to Autotech and ARP and was told any other info I could give would help but then I never heard anything more after that, so I don't know what happened with any of it.
I sent the LSD back and Autotech pressed the bolts in a 2nd time, but when the LSD was shipped back to me, I didn't see any sign of a smaller bolt having been used. I found debris under the heads of the bolts, just as I had when I pressed them in the 1st time.
I removed the bolts that they had installed, cleaned the debris out, and put them back in. They did hold enough to tighten the nuts up, but I spent hours and hours of time on the problem.








Pics to show the problem and what I did to fix it...
Shaved spline debris under head:








To remedy the problem, I just pressed all the bolts back out, than sat with a razor blade, picking the debris out of the splines and off the bolt head until it was cleaned up, then installed it back into the LSD, making sure it sat flat under the head. They were all still tight enough to not want to spin when I tightened the nuts up on them http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Before and After pics of the cleaning:
















So far, I haven't received any email from the owner of the trans... and that is always a _good_ thing!


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## ON3WHLS (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Broke)*

So, as you can see there are multiple ways around the design flaw. Just plan on spending more time on it (and $ if you're using an installer)
IMO, I really think Autotech should own the problem, and agree to correct the hole size for anyone that has purchased it.


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## skateboy918 (Apr 26, 2008)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (ON3WHLS)*

any issues with the 02Q LSD? i'm about to pick one up w/ the apr bolt kit


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## Caged_Bora_R1.8T (Oct 2, 2006)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (skateboy918)*

Put my 02M wavetrac in with no such bolt issue, pressed in nice and flat. Wavetrac http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
Also hope the 02J issue gets resolved, it suckz it had to happen like that.


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## Salsa GTI (Aug 29, 2000)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (wide_load)*

I've had the Wave Trac diff in my 02A for a year and 3 months.........
It did not have the spline issue...or any other install issues..I love the build quality of the unit.
It works flawlesly and seamlesly...like it was ment to be there.
It has not changed preformance at all its just like new..allways providing exelent power to the wheels no matter what the conditions.....
where as before the diff install...as soon as i would get into the 18psi plus range ..the car would try to drive itself...usually towards the neerest ditch..TQ steer was crazy and dangerious.....now its all go and no drama..thanks to the Wavetrac....I never spin the inside tire while cornering...even when trying....the power transfer is amazing. I cnat say enough good things about this diff.
It will be in Eurotuner JAN 2010 issue..on sale DEC 15th..now to replace my turbo and go beyond 350whp


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## ON3WHLS (Jul 11, 2009)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Salsa GTI)*

Nice bay, job well done, I know how much time and effort that takes.
Seems the wavetrac issue might be isolated to the 020's, which is kind of weird.


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## Salsa GTI (Aug 29, 2000)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (ON3WHLS)*

Must have been...I installed my 02A..I also did an 02J and O2M 6 speed..with no issues...all are alive and working like new


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## Kenguy (Jul 3, 2009)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Salsa GTI)*

any issues installing a wavetrac in the O2J?? complete bolt on? very interested in purchasing one


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## BiH (Nov 27, 2000)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (Kenguy)*

yeah whats the deal? Im looking at lsd in my o2m and dont need any issues


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## my02VR6 (Jan 6, 2005)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (BiH)*

I'm getting one put in my O2M right now, sounds like they got the bolt kit issues resolved. A couple of friends have it in their MK3 VR6s and they have had no issues. I can't wait to get it back.


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## BiH (Nov 27, 2000)

*Re: Autotech Wavetrac User Review (my02VR6)*

sorry I have a O2A VR6 trans, I dunno why I posted O2M, thats in my MK4.


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## dewndsurf (Jun 30, 2008)

*peloquin vs wavetrac vs quaife*

So, it sounds like the wavetrac will outperform the peloquin and quaife in snow and ice conditions? i do not plan on taking my car to the trac but do want improved daily street performance. 

also, has the shearing problem of the mounting bolt splines to the ring gear been solved? I've read more stories and have seen pictures from a transmission rebuilder documenting the shearing when the bolts have been pressed in not only by him, but also pressed in over at Autotech and sent back to him for installation. 

with the wavetrac having friction plates, how long will they last before having to replace them? 

thanks much.


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## dub_slug (May 12, 2008)

Salsa GTI said:


>





wide_load said:


> > Beautiful cars :thumbup: I saw that green gti in eurotuner
> > I just wanted to say that i love my wavetrac! Traction is better than i ever imagined! I live in colorado and even under full boost around the turns it still grips like crazy...Very satisfied with every dollar spent. I will be buying another Wavetrac for my mkiv daily driver if the funds are right.
> > I dont have much time driving with the diff, only about 3k miles but i can honestly say its a night and day difference and i would highly recommend it to anyone


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