CEDAR RIDGE "WAVE" DIFF

TANTO

TANTO

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I have had T-Daves parts on my car for decades now so i'm a fan. Has anyone used Cedar Ridge's latest "WAVE" diff on a mostly street/occasional track car? (3.2 NA build)/6 spd/4.23) I do not want to compromise streetabily at all. I realize the "bank for the buck" factor may be weak, but need to go thru this thought exercise as i will have a tranny apart. Thanks!
 
TANTO said:
I have had T-Daves parts on my car for decades now so i'm a fan. Has anyone used Cedar Ridge's latest "WAVE" diff on a mostly street/occasional track car? (3.2 NA build)/6 spd/4.23) I do not want to compromise streetabily at all. I realize the "bank for the buck" factor may be weak, but need to go thru this thought exercise as i will have a tranny apart. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Are you talking about the Wavetrac? If so, yes. I was the first one (or one of) to run it for Dave. I have it in my 6spd 4.23. I have tried several LSDs in the NSX such as the OEM with the Type R shim stack, OS Giken, etc. For a track car the OS Giken is superior but for a street/track car I'm quite happy with my Wavetrac. It's basically like a slightly better Torsen in behavior.

If you have specific questions, ask away.
 
RYU said:
Are you talking about the Wavetrac? If so, yes. I was the first one (or one of) to run it for Dave. I have it in my 6spd 4.23. I have tried several LSDs in the NSX such as the OEM with the Type R shim stack, OS Giken, etc. For a track car the OS Giken is superior but for a street/track car I'm quite happy with my Wavetrac. It's basically like a slightly better Torsen in behavior.

If you have specific questions, ask away.
Click to expand...
Hi Ryu, how do you like the Wavetrac diff? I'm debating if it's worth the $3000 upgrade to the OEM 6 speed diff with type r plates.
 
Absolutely not. You already have the "torque reactive" diff or whatever Honda calls the 95+ non-R diff. The "Type R" differential is just a 91-94 diff with more preload on the clutch pack and is in no way worth $3000.

The "Type R" upgrade is only worth it if you've already got the trans taken apart and can do the swap for the cost of the parts which is less than $200.
 
I believe we have spoken about this on DM.

In my experience, there's virtually no noticeable difference between the performance of a standard diff and a type r diff. I suspect this is due to today's modern tires being much stickier than what the NSX was originally designed for. If you're happy with the original diff then don't waste your money (IMO) on the Type R diff "upgrade" unless you're already inside the tranny doing other stuff. It's certainly not worth opening up the diff just to do the Type R upgrade.

Understanding why a wavetrac may be better or worse for you requires some knowledge on how a helical type diff works and specifically the wavetrac adaptation to the design. This is one of those things were I know enough and I care enough not to just blindly recommend a diff for you. However, if you want my opinion then for a mostly street driven NSX where you want to prioritize good street manners yet still have a positive feeling and noticeable diff then the Wavetrac is what I'm happy with.

Ultimately from a performance standpoint I LOVE the performance of a OS Giken or a ATS clutch type diff but I can't stand the clanking and thunks and overall lack of street composure from the OSG. I haven't tried a ATS yet. Apparently it's quieter, but I doubt it's that much smoother. It's just the compromise with clutch type diffs.

Good luck!
 
The 6 speed transmissions (except for the Type R) all came with a 4.06 ratio "torque reactive" differential. The main difference with the torque reactive diff is it has helical cut gears in the center rather than the straight cut gears used in the earlier diff design, so requires a ring gear with helical inner teeth.

This special helical ring gear was only available in 4.06 flavor (41233-PR8-F00), and cannot be used with a wavetrac differential, which only fits in the earlier straight cut ring gears. So installing a Wavetrac diff in a 6 speed requires buying a new 4.06 ring gear (41233-PR8-000).

On top of that, if you want to change to the 4.23 final drive, you need to buy a Type R countershaft (23220-PR8-T00) as well, along with the Type R ring gear (41233-PR8-J00).

IIRC the issue with the 4.23 on 1997+ cars is it causes the power steering system to freak out? This thread has a lot of discussion about it.
 
Last edited:
Honcho said:
IIRC doesn't a 1/16" thick washer solve the problem? I seem to remember that the 4.23 ring gear hits the secondary speed sensor pickup and the washer lifts it away to provide clearance.
Click to expand...
wow, is the fix that easy? I haven't been able to recommend to others who have a 6spd NA2 and want the 4.23 due to this "problem".

I truly think that for most folks in most places the 6spd with a 4.23 final is the best of both worlds. In my case, it's been a non-issue in my heavily modified 91'
 


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