I disagree about a spool being 100% transparent on the highway. Most of the people I've known that had accidents with welded diffs or spools were on the highway in low traction conditions like heavy rain or snow. The theory is one thing, but having both wheels brake loose at highway speeds due to a puddle or ice is extremely difficult to control and get back in line before it spins. The fact that both rears are locked together means the spin is even harder to control. Unless you like drifting everywhere, you want open diffs to drive and locked diffs when you're stuck.

Personally I wouldn't waste any money on a stock 50. A 60 to replace it is less than the cost of a decent set of gears or a lunchbox locker, and a 50 is a highway cruising axle under an 8000 on excursion (mine weighs 8270). That's too much weight to trust those necked down axle shafts locked up, especially if you are running bigger tires.

 

x2 across the board.

 

I've ran vehicles with welded or locked rear axles since I was 18. Everything from 68 Bronco, to full size pickups, cars and what not. I have never had a issue drivng on the hwy in slick conditions. You just need to be aware of the conditions 100% of the time. We get some really crappy winter driving conditions here, and a lot of the times people spin out of control, is driver error, like running cruise control on icy roads.

 

Driving in snow and ice is *** clenching enough for most people, especially with a trailer. I'll pass on trying to do it with a locked rear end. I used to drift cars for a hobby and it's fun on a track. No fun with your wife and kids in the car and a trailer in tow when you're trying to get somewhere, visibility is terrible, roads are slick, and other drivers are driving like idiots around you. Plus here I'm West Virginia we have lots of steel hills and off camber curves. You can drive as good as you want but with the rear locked you're not gonna make it up an off camber curve going up hill without sliding off the road. Been there done that. My excursion is my tow rig and daily driver first. I wouldn't do anything to it to compromise it's ability to haul my family in the winter, and driving on the street with a locker is just that: a compromise. Can you drive around it? Yes. Does it take attention, skill, and to some degree, luck? Yes. That's why I'd go with a selectable locker every time.

 

I agree with this 100%. Selectable in the rear is the best of both worlds.

As for locked in the rear on the highway... I will concede that it will not be 100% transparent in slick conditions where torque is being applied, even at highway speeds. With that said, I think that any accidents that occur on the highway in slick conditions are 100% the result of too much speed and too little driver awareness and would most likely have happened with or without a locked rear end.

 

Great updates, thanks for expanding the distinction between ford's diff vs the eaton (detroit).

On the highway, the lsd or rear locker does tend to increase instability under hard acceleration.

An open rear diff is easier to spin one tire, under the same conditions, but since only one rear is spinning you generally have less chance of doing a 180.

Of course, letting up on the go pedal is needed in both cases.

 

Thanks for all of the input guys!! I did some research and would like to know who has experience with the Auburn Ecled? I put one front and rear....seem like it would a great fit.

 

As far as I am aware, they do not make that locker for our rear axle. I don't think they make one for the front either but I am much less certain about that.

I am a huge fan of e-lockers and would run them all day over an ARB or other air locker. I believe that the Auburn is an LSD when not locked.

 

No experience and did not know it was available for our axles.
You will find your choices for the front are decent but the choices for the rear are somewhat limited. A $450 lunch box locker, an $1100 arb, a Detroit, and I believe the true track. Along with the Yukon Detroit and the Yukon air locker. There is no e locker currently made for the rear the last time I checked. They I guess at some point made one but it was out of production and the early ones have pretty negative reviews. Ford made their own e locker in newer years and I've seen inquiries about installing it in an older truck but not yet seen it done. Probably cheaper and easier to use an arb than to try and find a late model diff. But the wiring should be easy.

*edit I forget I have a 60 front. Choices for the 50 are similar but I think even smaller.