Betty's "I want to be a mule" progress log thread

[Turdle]

Hubba Hubba on the new wheels! Spider gears should be turning in straight line flight unless there is difference in wheel speed. Sounds like a bad bushing or something loose in the suspension?

Hi Daniel!!

I don't think it is anything suspension related. I kind of "felt" it in the steering wheel also, and could tell it was a rotational type "tug" "thunk". If this makes sense.


It may have been the fact the surface was very slick, but we were on a gravel road. Maybe the tires were biting--slipping.

 

[delexploder]

I know what you mean that's what my 99 mounty was doin when i got it and the front diff was trashed due to a bad bearing

 

[gmanpaint]

Bearing and a cracked cap would be my guess too.

 

[Turdle]

Bearing and a cracked cap would be my guess too.

I appreciate the input, however I just drove 65mph in 2wd mode on dry pavement, with no issues. I turned around in a tight circle, no noise.

I'd think , even in 2wd mode, if the bearing cap was bad it would not drive well.

 

[MrQ]

I have the Falken Rocky Mountains. Essentially the same tire its just offered through discount. I love them, quiet and responsive. However don't let them put more than 30lbs of air in them otherwise you will be bounced around.

 

[Turdle]

Dilemma:

Rear lunchbox automatic Locker desired, however we have a Limited slip diffy.

I think the tires are as big as they will get, so 373 gear ratio is best. I guess I should just look for a 373 open rear axle for simplicity sake. I don't think there are many of them out there though.



I have a set of new "rebuilt OEM" front axle shafts on the way. Hopefully these will rid the truck of the 4wd binding thud sound. If there is internal damage to the front diff, I would think there would be a sign of this after 750 miles since making the noise. I'm also going to drop the front drive shaft to replace u joints in the DC unit at transfer case end, and the yoke joint.

 

[MrQ]

Richmond makes the Powertrax No-Slip for the 8.8 Limited Slip. Cheapest I have seen it was on 4by.com at $480.

 

[Happy Jack]

Yup. I'm running those in Green and Jr. Chad was running one in his also. Chad had trouble with the go nogo measurment. We looked and looked to try to find side gear washers the correct thickness. Both of mine went in just fine though.

Same thing as with a Lock Right just more peices to take out and more to put back in.

 

[Turdle]

Richmond makes the Powertrax No-Slip for the 8.8 Limited Slip. Cheapest I have seen it was on 4by.com at $480.

Yup. I'm running those in Green and Jr. Chad was running one in his also. Chad had trouble with the go nogo measurment. We looked and looked to try to find side gear washers the correct thickness. Both of mine went in just fine though.

Same thing as with a Lock Right just more peices to take out and more to put back in.

Is this a true locker with a ratchet, like the aussie locker? I thought these could only be installed into open diffs. --enlighten me please.

 

[CDW6212R]

How do the Torsen diff's rate for off road use? I installed one of those in my Mercury when I bought it, they may not ever wear out. I know that they went up, I got mine for about $450 with the bearings and install kit.

 

[Turdle]

How do the Torsen diff's rate for off road use? I installed one of those in my Mercury when I bought it, they may not ever wear out. I know that they went up, I got mine for about $450 with the bearings and install kit.

According to a supra owner--

http://www.supraforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-392174.html


I don't think they really cut it Don, from what I have read.

 

[Happy Jack]

The Torsen and Tru Trac's are for folks who like limited slip. The good part is they don't have clutches to wear out like a Trac Lock or Power Loc. Not sure about the Torsen's with the pre-load.

And yes the no-spin is a quiet locker. The one in Green is the oldest and locks up just like the detroits in Jr. The one in Sissy is a bit smoother. But they both lock up when needed (or in Greens case even a lot when it's not)(fun to drive though).

http://www.richmondgear.com/powertrax/noslip.html

 

[Turdle]

Is this a true locker with a ratchet, like the aussie locker? I thought these could only be installed into open diffs. --enlighten me please.

Ah, I see. It is the same, just built a tad longer with 7/8" shaft. That is the one to get.

Powertrax 9206883128

 

[Turdle]

Don, I am planning on a few things, but am going to keep the 2 toned red theme. I have some ideas, and I think going with the darker red will be more stealthy.

 

[CDW6212R]

According to a supra owner--

http://www.supraforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-392174.html


I don't think they really cut it Don, from what I have read.

I read some of that, and down several posts the same member posted this;
"tekdeus 10-02-2006, 03:37 PM
I thought I was lucky too, after it worked great drag racing, autocrossing, and hard launching all the time. It just started failing at random after 6 months. I looked inside it too before I installed it. It was a tight, mint, JDM unit with around 50,000 miles. I'm assuming that I stripped off some teeth on the helical gears since I could still drive on it but it had HUGE slack."

Every application is different. I think any drag racing or serious shocking of the diff, will kill it. I think those Supra guys were dealing with a smaller diff, hard launching them etc, just not the best comparison to a Ford SUV.

I do believe they are not strong enough for serious duty. I doubt they would "lock" well enough for off roading. They have full time slippage, splitting power between sides in some ratio. The torque loading levels refers to how much they will transmit before slipping. Meaning they do not lock fully each side axle like most common strong lockers do.

I shouldn't have mentioned the Torsen, it's really a light duty diff, great for anything but real serious uses. The Ranger FX4 got them, that's what made me think of it.

 

[Happy Jack]

Well not zactly. Lots more parts doing stuff. But I guess they felt they needed to do all that instead of make the peices larger to take up the extra room in the Trac Loc case used for the clutches.

But it is quieter. That clicking used to bother Larry. Made me no never mind. If Green and Sissy would have had open cases I would have put Lock Right's in.

 

[CDW6212R]

Don, I am planning on a few things, but am going to keep the 2 toned red theme. I have some ideas, and I think going with the darker red will be more stealthy.

If you are going to do some painting, help me out and look through the paint books to find a close but different shade like the Dark Toreador Red.

I honestly have not looked much, maybe 2-3 minutes. I like the two tone color theme, I just don't really like that DTR color itself. It's not very attractive to me. I want something close to it that will still contrast well with the main dark red.

Help me find that darker red, I will be painting the two Saleen bumpers I have with it.

I hope to begin on the KB blower project late this year, after the BW4406 swap and engine swapping the 347 into my Lincoln. I'll need a hood bulge I think.

 

[Turdle]

Don, you keep mentioning any idea you have. I appreciate the input as always.

 

[Turdle]

If you are going to do some painting, help me out and look through the paint books to find a close but different shade like the Dark Toreador Red.

I honestly have not looked much, maybe 2-3 minutes. I like the two tone color theme, I just don't really like that DTR color itself. It's not very attractive to me. I want something close to it that will still contrast well with the main dark red.

Help me find that darker red, I will be painting the two Saleen bumpers I have with it.

I hope to begin on the KB blower project late this year, after the BW4406 swap and engine swapping the 347 into my Lincoln. I'll need a hood bulge I think.

Gonna try this one out--I can adjust it with red or blue as needed. But--with a metallic effect for a winch bumper

http://www.powderbuythepound.com/HARLEY_BURGUNDY/

Dang if that isn't pretty close

 

[Happy Jack]

Every application is different. I think any drag racing or serious shocking of the diff, will kill it. I think those Supra guys were dealing with a smaller diff, hard launching them etc, just not the best comparison to a Ford SUV.

I do believe they are not strong enough for serious duty. I doubt they would "lock" well enough for off roading. They have full time slippage, splitting power between sides in some ratio. The torque loading levels refers to how much they will transmit before slipping. Meaning they do not lock fully each side axle like most common strong lockers do.

I shouldn't have mentioned the Torsen, it's really a light duty diff, great for anything but real serious uses. The Ranger FX4 got them, that's what made me think of it.

Back in the 80's I think the Gleason Torsen Tru Trac came out and I think 4Wheeler magazine did a story on diffs. Been a lot of water under the bridge since then but the end results was that the Trac Loc and Power Loc clutch differentials would not pull a vehicle off a jack stand with the other drive wheel off the ground no matter what they did to it. The Detroit locker would of course. And so would the Gleason Torsen Tru Trac. But only with the e-brake applied (pre load). Now things happened over the years and there was a split. So now you can still buy a Tru Trac or you can buy a Torsen. I have read there are different levels of the Torsen. And the upper levels can have pre load. But I don'tknow how they do that. I read some where that the Torsen in the FX4 Ranger was a lower level and was the only lower level Torsen that had pre load.

So if you have a good Torsen with preload and remember to put a few clicks of the e-brake on you can do some pretty good stuff. Fact I have followed a guy around for years with open diffs and he would go places I needed a locker just by uses the e-brake and brake pedal to "pre-load" the axles. They usedto teach the e-brake pre-load in the winter portion of drivers ed. But I don't know if they still do that or not.