Hewland LD200 Questions

[socaljeff3798]

I wasn't sure where to post this so if this is not the right forum please forgive me.

We are looking at purchasing a "School" formula car for track days and seat time.
It has a LD200 Trans axle . Is there anything we need to know about these? Any problems with them
Any input would be helpful.

Thanks Jeff

[S Lathrop]

The LD200 is a very good product and will give good service for many miles.

But, if ignored or abused, it can be very expensive to repair. In a FF it is excellent, FC is right at the HP limit for the box.

The one weakness is the pinion bearing support. The box uses a single row tapered roller bearing at the pinion bearing location. It uses a second tapered roller bearing at the rear main case. This setup works well as long as everything is setup correctly. But if any thing goes wrong, you can loose the main case in a heart beat.

These boxes need to be inspected and have the CWP setup tuned from time to time.

Any of these gear boxes shed metal regularly with use. Attention to lubrication is a must for good longevity. I would take a very good look at the Ring and pinion when you buy any race car.

[socaljeff3798]

Thank you for the help. What oil do you recommend
Jeff

[S Lathrop]

Any of the top racing tranny lubricants should do just fine. Just change it frequently. That is weekly after a weekend of running or every 3 hours.

Changing tranny lube is not an issue for most racers because they are changing gears for every track.

Also you want to find a good tranny expert, such as Taylor or WRD. Have them inspect the tranny annually.

You should move the dog rings around and replace them when the corners get too worn. Worn dog rings kill gears. And worn gears kill dog rings.

You can shift these boxes without using the clutch, once you have launched. But unless you are an experienced driver, you run the risk of shortening the life of gear box components. Banging gears also takes a toll on the CWP.

[Buc01]

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...p?Product=1685

Red Line Light Shockproof Gear Oil (Blue)

This is what I have been using in my LD200 very successfully for many years.

Aaron

[Rick Kirchner]

If you are just tracking the car use the heavier redline red stuff. Much easier on the components/less wear. Just saps a bit more HP than the blue.

[Westroc]

I would definitely use redline. I personally know guys who tried Mobil and had failure. I have NO axe to grind on Mobil products but I know someone who has a air bill for a tranny shipping on a race weekend. Glad it wasn't me- just sayin.

[Rick Kirchner]

Hewland hates the redline stuff tho (at least on their facebook page).

I used M1 for years but just got tired of the stink, and redline is not as bad.

[DaveW]

I have been using this since 1994 in my Staffs box in my F2000. I am still using my original CWP. Probably have at least 125 races on it since then.