What is an LSD diff? What are the performance characteristics of them?

Wow, Limited Slip Differentials, that's a tough one to explain. Basically in a real car, an LSD restricts the diff movement based on which wheels are having traction. It even allows the complete disfunction of the diff in one or both directions, ie front one-way differential. The only thing we can hope for in our hobby that has the same effect is the different diff oils that we use, and of course our own little one-way differentials, like those you see on RC touring cars. A torsen diff is also functioning in a similar way to an LSD, by virtually doing the opposite of a standard diff. A regular diff transfers power to the wheels that are spinning most freely, a torsen (or torque sensing) send the power to the wheels that have traction.

When we put oil in our diffs, we are literally, limiting the slip.

Thanks!

LSD diffs (or TCD as Kyosho calls them) are nothing like Torsen diffs.

Inside they look almost identical to normal diffs but they have 4 extra square plates around the 4 spider gears inside. Under power these plates make the diff (almost) lock up limiting the diff action. They lock harder the more power you put on them.
You could actually see the diffs as self adjusting regular diffs. They give good off power steering coming into a corner and pulls out hard exiting (if used in the front). These diffs are not adjusted with different thickness of oils.
Some people like them others don't.

The stock diffs in the CEN Matrix looks almost identical to the Kyosho TCD diffs.

I've attached a picture of the TCD diff (taken from Kyosho manual).

I never said torsens were like LSDs physically, I said they can be used to make a similar effect. And that pic of a regular TCD is NOTHING like an LSD either physically.

By the way, I have those TCDs in my Savage. Weird. I didn't realise that's what those little plates did.