Well, thanks to leebo i can now post a poll, so let me know what you have and what kind of experiences you've had with them and maybe some advantages and disadvantages. Thanks!

Happy trailes!

Forgot one thing... people won't be able to vote unless it's in one of the "Polls" forum.. I moved it there.

Sorry about that. :D

ah ha, so thats why i couldnt post. thanls for the help. :confused:

That's fine. Then maybe you should tell the web designer to take the option off of the general topics forum, that way you won't have to worry about it, but thanks, as long as they can vote on it!

My Explorer has the open diff, but I wish it had the posi/limited slip that my Mustang has.

Over the Summer I converted my Explorer from Open Diff to a Limited Slip Diff.......

Chris, you have become my best friend over the last week! haha. I have an open and i was wanting to change mine to a LS or a posi unit. How do you like your LS. Is there a big difference when you are off road. I don't what kind of off road driving you do but i like to trailes and an occasional mud hole but i do a lot or articulation up here in West Virginia because of our terrain. Which one do you think would be the best choice for me? Thanks buddy!

Happy trailes!

I like my LS, it doen't make that much of a difference on road, but it seemed to help off-road. I only do Light wheeling, so far it has been mostly Rocks. I might be wrong but i thought that Posi and LS were the same thing? One is just an older term then the other....

If you can find a LS carrier cheap and you have an idea on how to set up the carrier(shims may need to be added or removed depending on the bearings on the LS carrier), then you should be all set, but I would look into a locker. If you have someone install the LS and set the carrier with the propper shims, You may be able to install a Locker for the same price. You should be able to install a locker, since you are using your carrier and your Ring gear, you are just removing the spider gears and replacing them with the locker.

Did I loose you anywhere?

Well, a locker was my first thought. I looked at a detroit true trac i believe it was and it was about the same thing as a LS. I didn't know posi and LS were the same thing, the could be! I don't know much about gears. Well, either way i go i will do the job my self. I have a good friend who is a wiz at fords and mustangs especially, so he could help no problem. So you think it would be worth my while to get the detroit instead of gears? Honestly? Cool. Well, thanks for your help once again!

Happy trailes!

Well, it's offical. I talked mom into buying the Detroit True trac locker for Christmas!! Yeah, but there is one down side, my buddy said that he doesn't have the guages to put them in with, but oh well, well that it!!

Happy trailes!

Im not sure, but I think that the Detroit True trac locker just replaces the spider gears, so your using your original carrier with your original Ring and Pinion gear, and you have the original bearings on the carrier. This all means that you can take the carrier out, and install the Detroit True trac locker in the carrier and put everything back in place and your good to go! no gauges needed!

Maybe someone that has done this can confirm this.....

I believe the true track is a "lunchbox" locker which means its replaces the spider gears inside the carrier. I have a powertrax lockright and I'm real happy with it. Imo opinions its alot better than a LS. A limited slip will slip if the difference in traction is alot between the two tires. a locker will provide traction to both tires no matter what. Also Posi is Chevy's name for limited slip. like trac-loc is Ford's name for limited slip.

A locker is true two wheel drive, Power to both wheels simultaneously. Limited slip and positraction are the same thing, the latter just an older term for it, power transferring from the wheel that slips to the other wheel if it can grip.

Talkin about an old thread come back to life! haha

I've long since got a no slip for my 8.8 and it has been great! But now it's starting to throw me fits, so that sucks!

yeah you're right... and i dug it up too. the funny thing is i saw it under "New posts"

Yeah i did too the other day, but there wasn't a new post to it, wierd huh!

I just had to fix this thread. Posi and limited slip are the same. Posi Trac was just a model of a limited slip differential.

(Rick using Char's 'puter)

I have an ARB locker in my 8.8, and just love it.
Yes it is expensive, but you just can't beat it for being able to turn it on and off at will.

:D
Detroit "softlocker" so smooth once you get used to it that you hardly notice it is there!
until of course once in a while out of the blue the thing releases under accelleration with a steering jarring bang, just to remind you!
But that only happens once in a while!!

Originally posted by ld50
:D
Detroit "softlocker" so smooth once you get used to it that you hardly notice it is there!
until of course once in a while out of the blue the thing releases under accelleration with a steering jarring bang, just to remind you!
But that only happens once in a while!!


My lockright does that every ones and a while Ill be driving down the road, Ill hear this loud "Ping" and the truck will cut to the left a little bit. I'm used to it but if you've never experienced it before its unnerving.

sweet ive been looking into getting a detroit locker i have open diffs right now and it sucks! not to mention 3.27 gears that suck worse i need to sell my leg to get my diffs to where i want them.

:( Open, need advice on what to get to replace though, and about how much it would cost?

I'm used to it but if you've never experienced it before its unnerving.

For sure, it scares the crap out of women mostly.

the cost depends, you might want new gears while it is apart, but then you gotta do the front too. Some lockers are more expensive than others> Mine was a few hundred more than the regular detroit just to have a quieter system.

I switched from an open with 3.73 to an Eaton LS with 4.10 gears. Very happy with it. At the end of summer/beginning of fall I'm going to convert to 4WD, and then I'll probebly get full lockers.

I already have 4.10 gears, I may eventually go with higher but for now I'm good. Which lockers do you recommend?

It`s tough to recommend something. I went for the Softlocker, but others are just as good, possibly noisier, but less expensive. Just do some research and pick one that fits your wallet and wheeling habits.

If you do ever plan to change your gears, it will cost you just as much for the labor now. If you do it later they have to do just as much work.

I think the overal accepted max tire size for 4.10s is 33 inches, but some may argue.


;)

i have open diff but am waiting for the aussie locker to be completed for our 8.8 rear.

Vote for Limited Slip, only because I don't know much about Locker. ;)

Factory Limited Slip w/3.73s

Normal experiences. Its fun in the snow. Takes little to no effort to get the rearend to fishtail :D

Originally posted by IAmTodd
Factory Limited Slip w/3.73s

Normal experiences. Its fun in the snow. Takes little to no effort to get the rearend to fishtail :D

Thats the supposed down side to L/S and lockers that itlll break loose alot easier in the snow. but if you drive correctly you wont have a problem. I've driven in the snow with a locker and i perfer to have it given the added traction.

I find that as long as you don't let the wheels break loose, it isn't a problem. With Auto on however, it brings you right back around on track.

I always thought a locker would be nice. But the hardcore stuff I do(mostly the backyard) doesn't really require it. So I'll just stick with my Limited Slip!

WHEN i do regear, i know it will be either an eaton posi or a detroit softlocker (both are LS)

Yes, open 3.27s suck duck booty. :D

I've had to learn the left footed locker. That's when you put light pressure on the brake peddal with your left foot when you can feel (or predict) wheel spin. It works in a pinch, but MAN I want to get 4.10s and a couple of limited slips.

But then again, I can't even afford the tires I want right now. :p

I have 3.73 limited slip I want 4.10 with lockers.

I've had to learn the left footed locker. That's when you put light pressure on the brake peddal with your left foot when you can feel (or predict) wheel spin. It works in a pinch, but MAN I want to get 4.10s and a couple of limited slips.


cept, i think that would be kinda hard, considering i have a 5-speed.

Originally posted by X-factor
Vote for Limited Slip, only because I don't know much about Locker. ;)
I didn't either before I came here. I knew about how they worked and that's about it.

Basically a limited slip, (ie, Posi, Trac-Lock, or the clutchless Torsen) all work on the same principle. There is a torque biasing between each wheel. To make things simple, say the torque bias is 2. So that means one wheel can supply 2 times the torque (grip) of the other. So if one wheel is on a less firm (traction) surface the other wheel can supply up to 2 times the amount of torque to the other wheel before it begins to spin.

Simple examples.

1) Both wheels on same surface.
Duh, they will both grip and spin together, no need for any torque biasing.

2) One wheel on solid ground, one wheel on soft or slick ground.
This where it gets tricky. Suppose the slick tire is able to provide 100 ft lbs of torque before it spins, then the other tire is able to provide 200 ft lbs of torque before any slippage in the diff occurs, giving a total of 300 ft lbs available to move the vehicle. OK. So then, if 300 ft lbs is enough to move the truck then everthing is good.

But if your in a ditch, deep mud or trying to climb, than the 300 ft lbs may not be enough to move the vehicle. OK, So what happens. Basically as you provide more torque with the throttle, the slick wheel increases to its maximam traction torque provide by the surface, the other wheel biases to its maximum of twice the slick wheel and then the L/S breaks free allowing the slick wheel to spin like an open diff. This demonstrates how a limited slip is beneficial, but is limited in its capability.

3) One wheel on the ground, one in the air or barely touching
So your suspension is flexed to the max and one wheel is surrounded by air, or barely touching. Well, air doesn;t provide much traction, I would say approx 0. So, the other wheel provides twice that, = 0. And now you have one wheel spinning in the air, just like an open diff.


Lockers.
Three basic types. Full, Selectable, Auto.

1) Full
Also known as a spool, locks both wheels together all the time, like a solid axle on a go-kart. Not recommende for street use.

2) Selectable
Allows driver to switch between full lock and open diff. Most common is ARB.

3) Auto
Provides full lock capability while automatically disengaging. It's kinda hard to explain. It is usually fully locked, but automatically disengages when different tire sppeds are encountered while cornering, however it will lock up if additional torque is supplied to accelerate through corner. Most common is PowerTrax.

Most of this information can be found searching for PowerTrax, and Torsen.

WOW useful thread. I will be re-gearing to 4.10 and at that time either add a powertrax or a aussie locker. Which do you guys recommend?

I have a powertrax lockright and i've been happy with it.

lock rites arent bad for what ya pay... Mine are doin pretty good

I'm planning on getting 4.10 gears. What type of differential would you guys recommend for a 2wd that moderately offroads (like on elevating dirt trails and such)?

I wish I had a locker

The answer to this is obvious. If youwant to do serious off roading, a locker is the only answer. I have a lockright and an EZ locker, they click going around turns, but that's it.