Haldex tuning – your AWD, your torque split?

Haldex tuning – more rear-wheel-drive feel and AWD to your liking

Haldex AWD is a familiar piece of kit to many Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Cupra and Škoda enthusiasts. The paperwork says all-wheel drive, but give it a bit more throttle or throw it into a corner and you might occasionally start having doubts. There’s a circus going on at the front wheels, while the rear axle arrives at the party when the coffee’s already been served?

Seriously though, these aren’t bad systems at all. But depending on the situation, you can certainly notice some front-biased behaviour and a little hesitation here and there.

But what if you could adjust it to your own liking?

Now we’re getting to the point. Done properly, a little Haldex tuning can make a surprisingly big difference to how the car behaves, how it puts the power down and, most importantly, how the AWD feels from behind the wheel. And isn’t that feel half the reason we drive these things in the first place?

The shortest history lesson

Haldex is an electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system found in a huge number of Volkswagen Group AWD cars. Among others, those ones where the engine sits sideways under the bonnet.

The basic idea is that the car is fundamentally front-wheel drive, with the rear end joining the action depending on how much torque the Haldex clutch transfers towards the rear axle.

It’s not controlled simply by whether the front wheels happen to be spinning or not. The car’s electronics make use of plenty of information, and Haldex control constantly adapts to what’s happening.

The factory setup is designed to work across all sorts of weather, drivers and situations, from grocery runs to motorway cruising.

A car enthusiast’s list of priorities, however, might look a little different when the mood strikes.

What can you actually adjust with Haldex?

Different Haldex control strategies can be used to achieve things such as:

• more torque to the rear axle
• better traction under acceleration
• less front-wheel-drive-style understeer
• more throttle-adjustable handling
• different setups for track, street or winter driving

Things get particularly interesting with a tuned car. If there’s more firepower under the bonnet than the factory intended, the drivetrain gets a longer to-do list as well. The more power you’re trying to put down, the more attention your AWD system deserves.

You can throw an entire meadow’s worth of extra horses into the engine, but they only become fun once they actually make it to the tarmac.

 

 

Can you turn Haldex into a 50/50 AWD system?

This is where you’ll quickly run into numbers like 70/30 and 50/50 all over the internet. But it’s not quite as simple as setting one fixed torque split and calling it a day.

Haldex is an actively controlled system, and its behaviour changes depending on the driving situation and the control strategy being used. A lot also depends on what you’re actually using the car for.

• One driver wants the car as neutral as possible for fast track driving
• Another wants a more rear-wheel-drive character for some winter fun
• A third wants all four tyres working hard off the line at the drag strip, but might want to switch towards front-wheel drive at the top end of the quarter mile

So the same setup isn’t necessarily ideal for everyone.

So is this the same as Haldex software or Haldex tuning?

Not quite. Haldex software upgrades are useful modifications too, but they permanently flash the AWD controller with software that behaves differently from the original factory calibration. It’s a simple solution, and certainly has its advantages.

But if you’d rather have more freedom to experiment with different settings yourself, while avoiding permanent changes to the system, that’s where the HX-01 add-on controller becomes the Pro choice.

-> Click here to check out the Haldex HX-01 controller in our webshop

 

HX-01 – Haldex control straight from your phone

F* by SEKTØR HX-01 Haldex Controller is a plug & play controller installed alongside the car’s original system, allowing you to modify how the Haldex AWD behaves. The factory Haldex controller stays in use – the HX-01 works alongside it, modifying the control request sent to the Haldex system.

So the factory engineers are still along for the ride. The enthusiast just gets a little more say in what happens.

The HX-01 user interface runs directly in your web browser. Connect your phone to the controller, open the interface and, after a quick initial setup, choose the operating mode you want.

No need to drag the family’s ancient hand-me-down laptop along for the ride – unless you’re doing it purely for the vibes.

The more advanced tinkerer can take things even further. Control can also be set up using the CAN bus and separate switches, allowing you to assign your preferred driving mode directly to one of the car’s own buttons.

 

Where can custom AWD control come in handy?

Daily driving

You don’t always need to have the volume turned up to 11. For daily driving, you can use a calmer setup and let the car behave closer to the factory configuration.

Track days

On track, different things start to matter. How you enter the corner, what the car does through it and, most importantly, how you get back out. Depending on your preferences, you can go for a more active rear axle to make the car feel more neutral on throttle and keep the whole thing nicely balanced.

Quarter-mile runs

On the quarter mile, things can work a little backwards. A hard 50/50 AWD split can quickly end up being second best here. Once the sled is moving and traction is no longer the main problem, two driven wheels may actually carry you down the top end a little quicker.

ICE TRACK – the sacred Finnish art of going sideways.

That’s where AWD cars belong anyway – out on the snow, throwing it everywhere. This is also where it’s easy to experiment with different settings and actually feel what they do, without any smoke and mirrors. Driving practice at its finest!

 

Don’t forget Haldex maintenance

No amount of tuning will fix a system that’s mechanically in poor condition. Changing the Haldex oil on time is extremely important, as is cleaning the pump side of all the accumulated gunk and clutch dust.

If the Haldex oil has seen better days, the filter or strainer is clogged, or the pump can no longer build the pressure it should, your first tuning part should be a service kit.

Before giving it some serious abuse, it’s worth making sure the AWD system itself is in good working order. We can take care of that at our workshop in Vantaa, Finland -> ECU Helsinki Customs

 

→ Check out the HX-01 Haldex Controller here

 

Please note that modifying the AWD control strategy affects vehicle behaviour and drivetrain loads. The HX-01 is intended for enthusiast and motorsport use by users who understand the effects of these adjustments. Please also take into account your vehicle’s warranty terms and the road traffic laws and regulations applicable in your region.