i drive everyday on a welded stock coupe diff i dont mind it. the biggest down fall is they blow fairly easily. i have been lucky and been able to find more axles and centers at a reasonable price but at the rate im going there wont be many left. hehehe.

first off you cant actually get a mini spool for a h165 as the centre doesnt split you have no way of getting the mini spool inside

would have to be a full spool or a cig locker

i had a locked ute diff before the r31 diff and i reakon is was better than the mini spooled r31 diff. as long as you dont get any crap in the bearings or on the gears when its welded and you actually weld it up properly i dont think a mini spool would have any real advantage

Locked diffs are great for traction, but you can't turn them off. Having your car pig route around corners and such gets old pretty fast. Plus the axle life shortens lots.
If you want a locker, just weld one up. I'm very tempted to weld up one of my spares.

Thats a good point from Pigdog, I've never used a mni spool so thats good to know.

What about a Full spool, anyone know if they are available?