Looking to create a buggy for the SAE Baja competition using eBay parts, my team wants an LSD or a mechanical locker (not electronically actuated like a Detroit locker). Would a Honda foreman 400/450 front diff have these characteristics? Ive been looking online at various listings and the inner components, but nothing gives me a concrete answer. Can anyone give some tips or concrete answers?

 

Early 450s seem to have the conventional plate clutch type limited slip diff, which I would think is similar to that used on competition cars. The drive is locked until a certain torque is reached between one wheel and the other, then the plate clutches start to slip. I haven't had one of these to pieces, but have stripped the similar Honda 300 front diff down. I don't think you can alter the torque at which this happens, which may be a problem for your application. Late 450 diffs have the built in electronic selectable 4WD mechanism, and appear, from the parts drawing, to use a strange differential without planetary gears, which is also used on 400 King Quads. I had to rebuild a KQ one and found nothing about this type of diff on the net.