about the snapping axels crap......... umm maybe when you have 400hp and are clutch kicking 265, tread wear 200 in the rear in the middle of 3rd to break the tires loose. Enjuku sponsored driver, matt back vass, blew the splines on his 3rd gear in one of the formula d quailifyings, his car is very simalar to the one i expressed above. I have never ever heard of anyone snapping an axel from a curb or something of that sort.
Welded diffs are as strong as the welder....... the r200 diff that comes in the 240's shatters with around 420whp launching at the track with slicks for 6 months. My dad has welded too many foward differentials on awd talons making 550awhp drag cars and no one has ever had a problem, their cryotreated gears have broken before their front welded differential did. Ive only been welding about 6 months and if i welded a diff it probably wouldnt last 550 awhp as to someone who has been welding almost 22 years. Please, i dont want to hear any more of this bull**** about welded diffs breaking, PERIOD. Just find a reliable source to have your diff welded if that floats your boat.
there are advantages of an open diff and a vlsd over a welded diff. The same way there are different charictoristics of a 2 way vs a 1.5 way. Ride in the cars see what it feels like.
my experiance, if you drift on and off, wait about 10 months before you get a lsd..... figure out how to be better with the handicap of a open diff. If i rushed to get a lsd after my first event there is no way in hell i would be at the skill level i am now. open diff teaches you refinded steering techniques and when you can lay into the throttle. do what you want but i advise suspension as the first mod, then a lsd after you have at least 6 months of practise.
you can drift with an open diff!
and rwdrift..... after 8 months of solid beating on my car and breaking my automatic transmission, i inspected the whole rear end, hubs, cv joints, ring gear, pinion gears, out put shafts. Everything was with in tolerance according the nissan fsm. If the diff has the proper amount of fluid in it, i really dont see how it could go bad after the life time of any of us drifting. But hey maybe i baby my car compared do the rest of everyone, or maybe dont have as many miles (100k, 20k slide miles in a year).