That right there speaks volumes to me because I live in the Pittsburgh area as well so I know the conditions you are dealing with. Something we haven't seen in a couple of years but it will be back. Thanks.

 

I too have an open diff 3.31 axle and in the heavy wet snow that SE Virginia typically gets, she's a mule. The traction control does well but the 4x4 really grabs.

I've had two trucks with the LSD and 3 with open diffs and I really can't say that the LSD trucks performed any better in mud or snow than my open diff trucks did.

 

Anytime! PM me if you're able to yet, let me know what part of town you live in.

 

I've had both and an open rear end is the most frustrating thing! I've had multiple trucks with factory Ford Limited slip diff's and no issues with milage into the 120,000's. Many Explorers, Expedition, Excursion and even my '91 F-250 is on the factory rear end and LS and it works great still at 68k miles.

The limited slip in my '11 is tight and works great! I've broken loose on dry ground and had the rear end pass me, tells me she works pretty darn good, an open diff would have just spun one wheel and done nothing but make a smoke show.

In the snow I can actually get it sideways very easily ( I always turn off TC/RSC in the winter ) but my open diff trucks it took work to get them to even start a rear end slide, which is no fun.

 

Incorrect, at least with my 2011 it stays kicked in and will cut power at the slightest bit of wheel spin. Hence why I turn it off every time I get in during the winter months.

 

Agree that 4WD would be better than 2WD, even with a locking differential.

There is much mythology about how a differential works. There is no such thing as a one-wheel-drive vehicle. There is no left or right drive wheel...BOTH wheels on an axle are supplied torque. The confusion exists because torque is equalized...when one wheel slips, the gearset can only apply that same amount of torque to the wheel that grips. Taken to extremes, if one wheel is in the air, it can apply no torque, which means the wheel on the ground also receives almost no torque.

Locking the rear differential permits unequal torque between left and right wheel, which effectively locks both axleshafts to the differential. Meaning the wheel that grips will transmit much more torque than the wheel that slips. This difference can be huge, as in the above example, or quite small if both wheels have similar amounts of traction. Modern traction control achieves a similar effect by braking the spinning wheel, which transmits more torque to the other gripping wheel.

Lots of good info on this:

Differentials and Traction - How Differentials Work | HowStuffWorks
How does a Differential work ? ~ Learn Engineering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F40ZBDAG8-o

 

In an open diff any wheel can drive. The one with the least amount of traction is going to get the most power though

 

Actually, they both get the same amount of torque. The one with the least traction spins first, and at that point the party is over.

To the O.P. - Get the 4x4 truck and spend some money upgrading the rear diff. Get a True-Track differential and be done with it. They're expensive at the point of purchase but have no clutches to wear out, and require no oil additives. Its a buy once-cry once item, and they work great.

 

How much $$ are we talking? And would I be able to do the work myself?

 

Typically they run $5-600 depending on application. They're fairly easy to install as you only have to pull the ring gear, so a full set-up is not required upon reassembly. The trick is to carefully measure the backlash prior to teardown, and re-shim the new unit to replicate that number as closely as possible.

 

Oh great! Thats really not half as bad as I was thinking. I must be thinking of a gear swap. But with what youre talking about, id keep the same ratio, correct?

 

Yes, you keep your same gears. You're just changing the differential carrier upon which the ring gear is mounted. I put a True-Trac in my 05 last year when I re-geared it. I'm very happy with how it performs. The other serious option would be an E-lock. My '11 F350 has one and it works great when you really need it, but it is manually operated. The true-Trac is automatic and gives you 75-80% effectiveness (ballpark guess number) compared to being fully locked. From what I've read, the True-Trac's Achilles heel is when you have one wheel fully off the ground with zero traction available. At that point the unit can't engage itself, but a little brake pressure (which gets torque on the axle) puts it back into operation. There are some sprag-type units available such as the Detriot Locker and I believe the Ox-Locker, but they are aimed at the hard core crowd and have rather poor street manners. They chatter and clunk as they lock and unlock.