What is a front one-way? A front one-way replaces the standard
front differential that comes with the TC4 Team Kit. The one-way
assembly contains two heavy-duty one-way bearings which house the
outdrives on each side. The one-way bearings make the front drive engage
immediately on power and are not affected by front wheel spin. The
result is that equal power is distributed to each front wheel. With a
stock diff, the front inside wheel sometimes slips on the surface and
the car loses front drive out of corners. With the front one-way, there
is more traction out of corners on acceleration.
With the one-way, the opposite effect also occurs off-throttle
(deceleration). The front wheels disengage, which results in two things:
(1) only the rear wheels apply braking force, and (2) the front tires
can provide more grip for steering since there are no braking forces
required.
Should you use a one-way? One-ways are typically used in rubber
tire racing on large flowing tracks (carpet or asphalt) where the loss
in braking force is not much of a disadvantage. You will gain the
advantage by having more steering through the corner, as well as better
acceleration on corner exit. Most stock-class racers on rubber tires opt
to use the one-way because braking is not as much of an issue. For foam
tires on carpet, a one-way is NOT recommended.
WARNING: Since the one-way does not slip, this places much more stress
on driveline parts, and damage to multiple components (gears, drivecups,
CVDs) is much more likely upon any impact.