Ford Trac-Lok

[THK]

I was inquiring about a locker unit for a 28 spline 8.8 and was told a Det. is $650.00 an Alburn is $400.00 but he could sell me a Trac-Lok out of a new Mustang for $100.00. He said the Mustangs go from the showroom floor to Salene for the hop up and that they remove the Trac-Loc units. How well do the Trac-Loc Posi units perform? Sounded like he really wanted to get rid of them. I have a PowerTrax No-Slip unit up front and have been waiting since last October for the rear unit and I am tired of waiting.
Scott

 

[becker69]

The prices you listed (except for the $100 deal if in fact the info you were given is true) sound a little high, have you checked Summit, P.A.W, for comparable units? It is odd that you have a power-trax up front, and yet an open rear... is the mustang unit an even swap? You or others probobly can answer this better than me (I did not even consider that they were the same size, configuration,etc...). If the answer is yes, have you considered contacting a Ford junkyard and getting the whole rear-end (with rear discs if you can find them) with a posi unit... and fix two deficiencies, vice one? Don't know what size tires you're running, but installation costs may be neglidgable if you find a cool shop. Just an idea, I'm still trying to learn alot. cheers, becker.

 

[Clint]

the trak lock is junk don't buy it get a good l/s or locker i know alot of people who run a locker in the front and a ls in the rear and they swear by it and that's what i am doing oh and btw those prices are way to high

 

[SteveVB]

28 spline??

I would get the no-slip.

The trac-loc your looking at wont fit anyway. The mustangs are 28 spline, and all explorers are 31 spline.

 

[mrboyle]

Just to clear things up for you, the "trac-lock" used in the Ford IS a limited slip. The Ford 8.8 unit is a excellent unit if set up right. The "trac-lock" has gotten a bad rep from the experiences Jeeper's have had with the Dana35 unit found in the rear of most Jeeps. This unit is junk. The Ford unit is designed and built different from the Jeep and therefore are only related by their aquired name.

 

[mike's explorer]

I'm confused?

I recently read an article in a 4x4 magazine that said only 96 and later axles have 31 splines and the earlier ones have 28 splines. they were putting a 8.8 on a jeep and said the 31 splines were much stronger and much more than the jeep rear axle. I want to put in a new carier and can't seem to get the facts straight.

 

[Kampy]

I'd have to both agree and disagree with Mike, The track lock could be an ok L/S if it was set up right, so why didn't ford do it right from the factory and use the right number of frictions?

Also, there is a design flaw with the side gears, they don't make full contact with the frictions causing the inside friction disc to wear out rather quickly which renders the unit nearly useless.

 

[SteveVB]

All explorers have 31 splines

Mike all explorers have 31 spline rears. 28 splines are found in the rangers( although I thought some are 31spline) , and mustangs.
95 and up rears have the disc brakes, 31 spline - those would be the most desirable for a swap into a Jeep, or Early ex, or Ranger

Hope that straightens it out.

 

[yob_yeknom]

Re: I'm confused?

Originally posted by mike's explorer
I recently read an article in a 4x4 magazine...

I read that same article. SteveVB is right. I got kinda pi$$ed when I read that article. Shouldn't they do some research or something so they know what they are talking about before they print those things!? I will not be renewing my subscription when it runs out. Who knows what other mistaken information they have printed?..

 

[kvo]

THK - I have a No-Slip in my rear 8.8 with 4.10. I replaced my gears from 3.73 with 4.10.

 

[rpenner54]

Never ever belive a magazine. I would always come to a site like this first for all info. This kind of a site has a whole lot better readbase and probably has a ton more info and produces a heck of a lot better tech articles then any magazine. I have a subscription to 4-Wheel and Off-road. However I am disapointed now after reading it. They don't give hardly any info and more and more info can be gotten on the web live a quicker and better then any print magazine.

Okay thats about the mags....

The trash loc is just that trash. They work for a couple thousand miles then quit on ya due to wearing out.

 

[Paul Gagnon]

I have a Trac Lock in my rearend. It has performed extremely well, only unloading under pretty severe situations. It works so well that I am often asked what locker I have in the rear. I get funny looks when I say that it is only a limited slip differential. I have put a pile of miles on it, both on and off road and it is still working great. It's definately not as good as a locker but it's sure better than nothing.

 

[GJarrett]

I agree with Paul. You can click on "Gerald's Truck" in my sig line, go to the second post, and scroll down to the section on the NoSlip locker and the TracLoc to get my thoughts concerning it.

I used my TracLoc for 51,000 miles and (like Paul) shocked enough Jeepers while using it that I often was asked what locker i had. As MrBoyle made clear, the 8.8 TracLoc is in no way to be confused with the "CrapLoc" TracLoc installed in the Jeeps. RobbieJ has a fairly built Explorer with TracLocs front and rear and does very impressively with them.

At 51,000 miles I removed mine to install a Powertrax NoSlip. It was still functional and the clutch plates still had friction material on them, including the inside ones. There was no uneven wear on any of them.

I'm not saying it's a locker, but in the 8.8 it does perform much better than the bad press it keeps getting would lead you to believe.

 

[Clint]

u know what u can do is pull the springs out and preload them basicaly pull them apart then u have a stronger spring rate and the clutch packs will push harder and that means better equalizing of the power to the wheels and last longer also because there is less slipage that is what i did when i rebuilt mine and it made the track loc a very tight limited slip