Im thinking of going with a Gleason Torsen! Any thoughts?

[tooltime]

Im building a low key pre-runner ST 2wd. Im getting ready to purchase 4.56 gears, and have been gathering info on traction adding devices. Was thinking if going with a Detroit Locker,but when I was younger, I remember the Gleason Torsen unit. Is that thing still around,and is it a good unit, and does anybody have any real experience with the Torsen? It sounds really good in theory.

 

[LONO100]

if you have the funds for a detroit locker, you might want to think about saving a few bucks and going with an auto locker. detroit lockers are solid and work awesome, but they are pretty loud and clunky from what ive experienced in my buddy's crawler. i wouldnt put one on a rig thats gonna be used on the road if i can save a few bucks and get an auto locker that would work great for a prerunner setup and will be a lot quieter. just my opinion though.

 

[Ronin8002]

Im building a low key pre-runner ST 2wd. Im getting ready to purchase 4.56 gears, and have been gathering info on traction adding devices. Was thinking if going with a Detroit Locker,but when I was younger, I remember the Gleason Torsen unit. Is that thing still around,and is it a good unit, and does anybody have any real experience with the Torsen? It sounds really good in theory.

Eaton TrueTrac is a gear driven limited slip like the Torsen differential and they have them for the 8.8 axle.

Either that or the Detroit would be awesome, just depends on what you are planning to get into with your truck

 

[RangerSVT]

Look into the Yukon grizzly locker. It's like the Detroit unit, but made to be more reliable, durable and quieter than the Detroit...

SVT

 

[IZwack]

I think it should be noted that there is often a confusion when the term "Detroit" is used in the locker world because there is more than one - the lunchbox and the full carrier, both totally different in design and operation. The full carrier is very smooth and, from my experience, doesn't really make any noise in operation at all.

 

[WidgetTrac]

How big would your tires be with the torsen/tru-trac?

There was some kind of ranger special 4x4 edition that had some sort of torsen in it.

 

[RangerSVT]

That would be the fx4 level II...sometime after 2k...

SVT

 

[snoranger]

I think it should be noted that there is often a confusion when the term "Detroit" is used in the locker world because there is more than one - the lunchbox and the full carrier, both totally different in design and operation. The full carrier is very smooth and, from my experience, doesn't really make any noise in operation at all.

I'm with IZ on this one... I have a Detroit in my Ex and I had one in my Ranger, both on 35's. The only time I get any noticeable noise out of it is at full lock on a hard surface (pulling into a parking spot).

 

[Dan Whitaker]

I recommend a Detroit Tru-Trac. It is a gear driven possitive drive. The original Detroit Locker is best for racing applications only. It can be quite scary in wet road conditions and cause you to spin out in the blink of on eye when too much power is applied.

 

[tooltime]

Im very familliar with the Detroit,Lock Right ect., but was looking into something different and cool. I will not use any LS unit which uses any sort of clutch pack, as most of them do. I was thinking the Torsen because it has a torque splitter which will still give a tire in the air grip,which all other LS units that I can think of do not have this capability. I can always go with the reliable Detroit Locker, but am in no hurry and just want to find anyone who has had actual off road experience with the Torsen T2.

 

[Rick]

I have a Torsen style gear driven locker in our '03 Ram/Cummins. It's worked flawlessly over the years doing a great job in the sand when camping with the 5000lb Lance Camper in the bed of the truck. It's been used to pull out a few stuck Class A motorhomes too.

 

[carlover]

Stay away from the detroit or any other "locker" if you plan to go faster in the dirt. They dont like the "shock" of loading and unloading at semi high speeds. I've seen and heard of quite a few of them breaking due to this. A good LS is a good choice since they allow some slip to absorb some of the shock.

 

[WidgetTrac]

That would be the fx4 level II...sometime after 2k...

That's the one!

I absolutely exploded one of those in my mustang, on the starting line at lone star raceway, in Sealy, TX. Put it in neutral, it wouldn't roll. Had to put a floorjack under the differential to get the car off the track. It looked like the worm gears had forced their way out of the body of the carrier.

This was behind a 5.0 & t5, no blower, no spray, just an explorer gt40p long block with an e303 cam and suitable combo.

Here's why: IIRC, Tractech, then (about 10 yrs ago) makers of tru-trac LS and Detroit locker differentials (both full carrier type, not add-on kits for OEM carriers), had listed in their tech notes that the tru-trac was "not recommended" for use with:
1. Racing slicks
2. Tires 31" or taller
Apparantly "not-recommended" is corporate disclaimer talk meaning you may cut your finger on the razor sharp shards of shattered iron in the bottom of your diff housing. The Fx4 unit I destroyed was, I think, a Gleason torsen that was made especially for ford. They make one without preload which (like the preload-free tru-trac) needs SOME traction to work. They also make one WITH preload that will work with a wheel in the air. I was told that the fx4 unit was sort of a cross between the two, and also that the tru-trac warning about tall or sticky tires also applies to Gleason torsen units. Apparently its a characteristic of worm-gear diffs that they NEED a bit of slippage and, in case of drag slicks or tall tires that really stick, the pent-up forces are too extreme.

So... I would love an awd with tru-trac or torsen diffs front & rear and oem height snow tires, for getting up to ski & snowboard areas at the top of icy mountain passes. Or racing on a frozen lake. Or wet-weather racing on asphalt, or safe city driving in places it snows, etc. I'd like one in my mustang to help get moving on rain-slick streets. Anywhere you have "regular" tires and slippery surface.

For many many years there were only 3 options for basically all Americanist cars & trucks - 1. Open diff, full slip, one-wheel peel; 2. Clutch-type LSD; 3. Detroit locker...
So for the entire time from the invention of the v8 up until relatively friendly, the "go-to" diff has been the Detroit locker (when LSD wouldn't cut it), and since they were a factory option, suitability for street use was never questioned back in the day. As mentioned above, the new ones are supposed to be even smoother. From what I can tell, the Aussie and p--traxx add-on units are basically retrofitting detroit locker type internals (ratchet action) into another manufacturers carrier. usually, things that are "converted" don't work quite as well as things that were designed to be that way on the first place. Look at a Detroit or grizzly carrier with its closed conical shape, and look at an OEM carrier with big open windows, and guess which will break first. Look at the diameter of the add-on type ratchet discs, and compare to the diameter that will fit inside a carrier that is specifically designed to house it... just something to think about.

 

[WidgetTrac]

I meant Zexel-Torsen, not Gleason. My apologies to the fine folks of Gleason, who have never made any parts that failed me.

But they likely have the same inherent weakness when it comes to sharp torque loads and tires that won't budge, since the overall design is similar. Best to call & ask, and if they warn about tall tires, take it seriously!

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto, some diffs do have limits to what they can take, as mentioned. I have installed two of the Torsens, and they do great for normal street use. I don't know their limits for off roading, and drag racing is the biggest bad idea with them.

The Torsen is heavier than other diffs, it's a big wad of gears, weighs a good 10lbs or more, more.

Each kind of diff has varying traction given a tire in the air or with no traction. The full lockers like the big Detroit I gather help in off roading of course. The Torsen does not provide that much power to the one loaded tire, that is the result of the pre-load built into it. If you go with one of them, be sure to do your best to match the type of pre-load it has. Check with Torsen to find out what's best. They are very pricey now too, I got them when they were under $450.

 

[IZwack]

This shock load thing brings up another issue that sometimes comes up in the prerunner world - the tailshaft's slip yoke area.

 

[tooltime]

Thanks for all the great input! I have used the Lock Right during heavy and hard off road use in a Dana 35 with no failures. I know, can you believe it! A Dana 35 c-clip with 33's and lots of hard/fast one wheel in the air wheelin, and no breakage. Some odd binding with harsh unloading here and there. You had to keep your attention in focus at all times while driving. Ive also had Detroit Lockers with great success as well. So, Im convinced either will be fine. Especially with a little v-6 and a fairly small tire with 4.56 gears. But, after getting a quote from my local 4wheel parts store of 1500 for gears and the detroit locker,thats probably the direction in heading. They quoted me 225.00 less for the lock right.
On a side note guys, Im really struggling to determine what gear to put in. It has a 4.10 right now,and not sure if I should go with the 4.56 or 4.88. I jacked it up and rotated the rears and counted 4 revolutions of the pinion to one rotation of the rear tire. Rough math! Any advise on gears, now that Im pretty sure Im going with the Detroit now? Again, thanks in advance!