Looking for an upgrade that truly takes your Sprinter camper van to the next level? The engineers at Dark Star Offroad have developed a proprietary Limited Slip Differential for AWD and 2WD Sprinter vans that can take your offroad performance and handling up a notch.
Why Develop an LSD for Camper Vans?
When we first looked into developing an LSD for Sprinter vans, we had multiple van customers from Off Highway Van finding the limitations of the Sprinter's standard differential quickly. So, we set out to solve the problem.
Before Dark Star's foray into limited slip differentials, there was not another option available on the market. After some late nights in the engineering room, a few partnerships, and countless hours of testing, we had developed a product that we knew was going to change the offroad van game for good.
Getting More Places With Your Van
Our main goal when we started engineering our limited slip differential was to build a truly offroad capable van that was good for more than a cruise around the national park gravel roads. We wanted to create a performance offroad machine that just happened to be able to seat and sleep the entire family.
Who the LSD Benefits Most
If you currently own a Mercedes Sprinter 2WD and feel like you could get more performance out of your existing system, you're the perfect candidate for an LSD from Dark Star Offroad.
The Realities of 2WD
If you own a 2WD Sprinter, you're well aware of the limited offroad capability of the van. this is because, in essence, one rear wheel is driving your entire van forward. From the factory, the standard Mercedes Sprinter differential will be programmed to deliver power to one rear wheel or the other.
With a standard differential, the power logic will focus the power on the wheel that is already spinning, rather than putting the power to the wheel that has maintained traction.
Why An LSD is An Upgrade
An LSD effectively merges the logic from a standard and locking differential into a single package providing the benefits of both systems when you need them most.
Now, when you have an LSD from Dark Star Offroad installed, this power is split evenly between the two rear wheels. This means that even if one wheel has completely lost traction, the other wheel will not stop spinning. If both wheels have limited traction, this power is split and the lion's share of the power will be delivered to the wheel that has maintained traction.
LSDs and 4WD Sprinter Vans
Four wheel drive is a bit of a misnomer when it comes to Mercedes Sprinter vans. With a standard differential, two opposing wheels (front + rear) will drive the vehicle forward like the diagram below:
There are many conditions you may get into on your van journeys where this system will fail to provide adequate traction using the standard differential logic. Adding a LSD effectively makes your van a three wheel drive vehicle splitting power between the two connected rear wheels:
The Best Upgrade For Your Sprinter Van
Whether you're taking on snow, ice, sand, mud, gravel, or challenging offroad obstacles, an LSD is one of the most important upgrades you can add to your offroad camper van.