B34R - Your post #93 and this additional Hippo picture (see below) really clarified things for me - I had followed Hippo's calcs all the way through from the input from the gearbox and Luckily I picked the right ratio numbers from front axle to back axle from his thread for my two wheel up check - but this picture of his and your post #93 and Nodge68's input have crystalised it out for me.
It boils down to this :-
We can ignore the actual differentials - they cancel out - and it's valid to do the test one front to one back wheel - which makes it easier.
From the gearbox input to the front Diff - we can ignore - that's gearing - not ratio front to back
That leaves as you have shown only the following :- (small differences make it important not to round - so I use all the decimal places my calculator will give)
V6 IRDs (Edit -not just V6 but any later IRD with the 0.2% difference front to back) front diff shaft to rear axle is purely those first two gears, the front crownwheel and pinion, and the rear pinion and crownwheel.
39/22 x 38/21 x 14/45 = 0.997979797 -
1 - 0.997979797 is the lag at the back wheel in revolutions = 0.002020203revs
ie if your rear tyre is 26" Diameter 81.69" circumference - and you rotate the front say 20 turns for a good sample - you should see a lag of 0.002020203 x 20 x 81.67" = 3.3" at the circumference.
Similarly
Other IRDs (Edit - this should be for all older IRDs with the 0.8% Difference front to back) 37/21 x 38/21 x 14/45 = 0.991887125
1 - 0.991887125 = 0.008112875revs
ie if your rear tyre is 26" Diameter 81.69"3.3" circumference - and you rotate the front say 20 turns for a good sample - you should see a lag of 0.008112875 x 20 x 81.67" = 13.25" " at the circumference
So a simple check - jack up two wheels - one front one back - mark - turn front 20revs with no slip from the VCU - if its around 13.25" late at the back it's an older 0.8% IRD
If it's around 3.3"" late it's a later 0.2% IRD
Simples
Let's hear from other TD4 Auto owners out there -
I have now checked 2003 and 2005 TD4s both Auto and Manual and found the 3.3" lag. (That's why I added the edit above) Can anyone find an older vehicle that measures 13.25" Lag?
Many thanks folks for helping clarify this for me - and again apologies to Hippo for highjacking his thread (although it's sort of relevant)