diff options

[Already_Taken]

questuon: should i go with carbon fiber ford racing clutches or a powertrax no slip in the rear? When i skimmed the grimmjeeper site it said lunchbox lockers can increase wear on drivetrain (not just tires) is this true, and does the no slip act this way (except for right after install) thanks!

 

[BKennedy]

The no slip is a locker, limited slip is limited slip, which allows rear wheels to turn indendently of each other under load. I had a no slip and if you accelerate while making hard right turns or in a parking lot it will chirp the tire inside of the turn. It's not a true locker as it does allow a little slip, but it's close enough that you have to change the way you drive on the street. If you off road it a lot, than a rear locker is a great traction aid. I had a no slip for a few years and it worked well. I have a Detroit now and it works better, but chirps tires on the street. A locking differential will put more pressure on axle components, but I don't think they will wear any different.

 

[Already_Taken]

alrighty! since my rig is also a dd, im considering going with a stornger ls instead, as i dont do much serious stuff, just backwoods exploration. however, one other option is the auburn ected... ive heard mxied thoguhts on these, but if reliable, maybe be also a good ootion, as i get rhe be efits of the ls on thebstreet, but if needed i can lock it (i dont need full spool level of lock, but if this "lock" is better than that of a ls ill take it) and if my understanding is right this "lock" is basically just rhe ls tighening even more, correct? if so it should be fine for my usage, if reliable

 

[traveler]

I discovered when I was building my Tbird that there are different "S" springs for the trac-Loc. The part number for the tbird was different than the F-150. The F-150 is a much tighter spring than the tbird. I don't know how it compares with the Explorer but worth checking.

 

[Already_Taken]

I discovered when I was building my Tbird that there are different "S" springs for the trac-Loc. The part number for the tbird was different than the F-150. The F-150 is a much tighter spring than the tbird. I don't know how it compares with the Explorer but worth checking.

hmm ill have to look into that... i know the stangs have different s springs, but I had assumed it was either car version or the truck version, but ill have to check... im thinking the carbon fiber clutches and shimming it up slightly with one of the old clutches or steels (forgot which it was... ill check) along w a new s spring (if its any different than the one in the x) and i should be good to go!

 

[traveler]

I know that with the rebuild and the stronger S spring that the Tbird had almost a locked rear end. In parking lots it wasn't unusual for the inner wheel to slip.

 

[Already_Taken]

I know that with the rebuild and the stronger S spring that the Tbird had almost a locked rear end. In parking lots it wasn't unusual for the inner wheel to slip.

do you have the pn for the the s spring?

 

[Mbrooks420]

You can also have them change the way the clutches and steels are stacked. I had the LS rebuilt in my first Explorer, and afterwards the rear was VERY tight, and would squeal the inside tire on tight corners. I’d definitely go this route again.

 

[traveler]

do you have the pn for the the s spring?

Its been 10 years since I worked on that car. I'd have to look it up. I do remember that it was for an F-150 with a trac-loc 8.8. I can't remember the year, probably early 2000s

 

[Already_Taken]

You can also have them change the way the clutches and steels are stacked. I had the LS rebuilt in my first Explorer, and afterwards the rear was VERY tight, and would squeal the inside tire on tight corners. I’d definitely go this route again.

is it like this quote i got from corral? stock- "F-S-S-F-S-S-F. However, if you re-use the best two of your old Frictions in place of one of the new Steels you can re-stack them in an order that makes the diff lock better, which is F-S-F-S-F-S-F, which is the same number of total elements. You may have to trial assemble it a couple times to get the right shim so it's just loose enough to get back together, barely."

and traveler, also on that same thread on corral it had mentioend that the f150 spring doesn tmake a noticible difference, except maybe in rare high mud senarios... is this true? if so I may just stick with the one in the X, as its stiffer than the stang one, but i probably will not need the f150 spring if thats the only benefit...

 

[BKennedy]

There is a long-standing theory that one can sometimes get a LS diff to engage better by lightly applying the brakes, or pushing the park brake pedal a few clicks. It's supposed to shift torque to the spinning wheel. I tried it a few times and it never worked, but I was real stuck by then, or high-centered.

I have a Eaton ELocker in my front axle, and that thing works great. It acts like a spool when engaged, open when not engaged all with the flip of a switch. It's so seamless I really can't tell when it engages or disengages, except that the steering wheel gets hard to turn, and if both front tires are on rocks I can't turn the wheel when not moving.

I do think that everyone that off-roads should spend the early times when learning how without any traction aids. It makes you a much better driver and you learn to read terrain much quicker. If you are going out alone on a regular basis, you need as much traction as you can get, and need to know your vehicle's, and your own limits. Or, just stay within walking distance of a paved road..

 

[WormsExplorer]

@BKennedy I totally agree with you on what you said about learning to wheel with out the aid. I have Wheeled many years and have done it mainly with Lincoln locked up front or LS in the rear or a Locked rear. But I started out open front and rear and learned what my rig can do. I have been places that Jeeples are surprised I can make. Its a matter of knowing you and your rig.

 

[donalds]

Its a matter of knowing you and your rig.

Lmao I know my rig pretty well
But never driven it
She drives

 

[traveler]

Using the brakes to get traction is an old trick, goes way back to when all diffs were open. It was taught to those folks lucky enough to live in the snow belt. The wheel that is spinning is the wheel with the least traction (traction = Friction). By applying gentle brakes, it helps to equalize the friction so more power is sent to the wheel that has traction. This works whether its an open diff or a LS.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

is it like this quote i got from corral? stock- "F-S-S-F-S-S-F. However, if you re-use the best two of your old Frictions in place of one of the new Steels you can re-stack them in an order that makes the diff lock better, which is F-S-F-S-F-S-F, which is the same number of total elements. You may have to trial assemble it a couple times to get the right shim so it's just loose enough to get back together, barely."

and traveler, also on that same thread on corral it had mentioend that the f150 spring doesn tmake a noticible difference, except maybe in rare high mud senarios... is this true? if so I may just stick with the one in the X, as its stiffer than the stang one, but i probably will not need the f150 spring if thats the only benefit...

almost a year later, but: that seems accurate. just not sure if positioning of the new old friction matters, as far as in the FSFSFSF where it is optimal to land.

 

[Mbrooks420]

is it like this quote i got from corral? stock- "F-S-S-F-S-S-F. However, if you re-use the best two of your old Frictions in place of one of the new Steels you can re-stack them in an order that makes the diff lock better, which is F-S-F-S-F-S-F, which is the same number of total elements. You may have to trial assemble it a couple times to get the right shim so it's just loose enough to get back together, barely."

and traveler, also on that same thread on corral it had mentioend that the f150 spring doesn tmake a noticible difference, except maybe in rare high mud senarios... is this true? if so I may just stick with the one in the X, as its stiffer than the stang one, but i probably will not need the f150 spring if thats the only benefit...

I didn’t do it, my local transmission shop did. It was pretty standard, and they knew what I wanted without having to explain it to them.

 

[valenciaismail]

It's not a true locker as it does allow a little slip, but it's close enough that you have to change the way you drive on the street. If you off road it a lot, than a rear locker is a great traction aid.

Speed Test​

 

[BKennedy]

The factory limited slip is just that, limited to low torque applications no matter how you stack the plates. If it didn't slip at low torque, it would rip itself apart. Stacking the plates differently than how it was designed might give you a little more traction, but it will also cause it to wear much faster. My OEM limited slip wasn't functioning after the third year of owning the Explorer.

It's not even close to what even a lunchbox locker like the No-slip can provide. Probably comparable in cost when you have a shop do the rebuild. I did have a no-slip for about a year. I can tell you all from experience that they fail in about a year when paired with 35" tires and 5:13 gears. I think with smaller tires and gear ratios, they would last a long time. I'm easy on the throttle, not a skinny pedal masher in the dirt, and it didn't last for me. I rarely have trail breakage.

I've had a Detroit locker in my rear axle for at least 15 years now. It still functions as intended, and shows no noticeable wear after all those hard miles. It was well worth the money for a off road based vehicle.