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I have a JDM IS F, 2009 model with the open diff. I know the facelift model has a Torsen LSD, but those are very hard to find (not to mention expensive), so I'm thinking about adding a Cusco type 1 or 1.5 insert. Anybody have experience with them?
PFA
Last edited by interalian; Feb 1, 2026 at 08:55 PM.
I should add the reason is for track use. I had the F on the track last year and the handling suffered due to 'one wheel peel'.
That's weird. Mine (2008) only had one wheel peel when I did the pedal dance, even with the open diff. There is an eLSD managed by the skid control ECU that works just fine at the track, or at least it worked just fine in my car before I got the OS Giken TCD LSD.
I can't speak to the Cusco - I know it's significantly cheaper than the Giken, but the Giken is so good at what it does and it lasts forever compared to other clutch type LSDs.
That's weird. Mine (2008) only had one wheel peel when I did the pedal dance, even with the open diff. There is an eLSD managed by the skid control ECU that works just fine at the track, or at least it worked just fine in my car before I got the OS Giken TCD LSD.
I can't speak to the Cusco - I know it's significantly cheaper than the Giken, but the Giken is so good at what it does and it lasts forever compared to other clutch type LSDs.
No doubt, but I'd prefer LSD, even with clutches. Can't really justify Giken or OE for the money though. My budget also needs Recarro CS and some meow-less long tube headers too.
No doubt, but I'd prefer LSD, even with clutches. Can't really justify Giken or OE for the money though. My budget also needs Recarro CS and some meow-less long tube headers too.
You need to consider the operational cost of the Cusco. If you use it as intended, you'll be servicing it for wear at regular intervals. The Giken is install and forget as long as you use an approved oil, and there is a small selection of approved oils besides Giken's pricey stuff that's reasonable and affordable. I don't know about you, but IMHO, I'd rather install once and forget. Dropping the diff and disassembling it to service clutch packs every 30 - 50k miles doesn't sound like fun to me. I've had mine for almost 100k miles and done nothing but oil changes at the recommended 20k mile intervals. Buy once, cry once. Pick your poison.
What’s a reasonable price to get a os Giken lsd installed? Labor price
Find a shop that services over the road truck differentials. They'll likely have the best quality and pricing. I would not do this at a typical automotive repair shop, it's not something they do day in and day out, so unless they're racers, they don't have the practical experience to get this done well. The good news is, so far, no one has said they needed to move anything to get the spool in and correctly adjusted. If you decide to change gear ratios, all bets are off, but if it's just a spool swap, it's been pretty straight forward. I did mine with my dad who has been working on heavy equipment and dirt track race cars for decades, so I had no worries at all.
Cusco LSD?
