well after complaining about the crap stock OEM LS Ford thinks is ok for use in a SD truck, and after having mine rebuilt once already and now having it go again i went and had a Detroit Locker installed March 6, 2014 with 119,800k on the clock. Im going to keep reporting back as weeks turn into months and then into years for anyone who's thinking about getting one.

i asked for all my old parts back and i wanted all the new box's etc, part number for the locker



mileage at pick up Thursday night

 

Day 1- absolutely hated the locker on the highway driving home!!! With stop and go driving i kept getting a clunk like i had a bad u-joint....... truck has no pulling or pushing on the highway like ive read on the internet when you stomp on it or coast to a stop. My biggest surprise is that making turns there is no tire chirping or skipping, bangs, clunks, NOTHING at all. Ive been driving normal and only had the inside tire skip once BUT i smashed the skinny pedal from a dead stop making a left at a red light, and it only skipped about two or three times and i was already going straight so that was all. Doing normal driving the locker has not banged or made any noises so far, im VERY VERY happy with that! I have not gone off road or anything yet but i did go to the circle at one road in my development to play on the snow piles from this winter and i backed into them with only one tire on the snow pile and the other on the dry street and i have to say its crazy to see my truck back up a four foot high snow pile in 2wd and be completely flexed out like a slinky! Again the locker made no bangs etc and yes i backed up smashed the skinny pedal and spun the rear tires to the point i smoked the tire on the pavement and the other dug into the snow a good 18-20" until i got the center section covered by snow. I simply put the truck in D and she pulled right out thanks to the locker well locking both tires together LOL.

Day 4- been driving for the past few days, still no off road sorry but the locker is amazingly quiet, ive read that Detroit made changes to the locker to keep it quiet without hurting its legendary strength and function and all i can say is A+!!!! Still no odd handing or anything, still makes turns beautiful with no clicking or bangs. AND I FORGOT i found out what i hated about Day1 clunk i kept feeling, when the guy installed my locker he of course had to remove the driveshaft and when he did he pulled the slip joint apart so it wouldnt fall onto the ground while the truck was on the lift. When he did this he told me he wiped the male side clean before he reinstalled it so i guess the grease he removed was causing the slip joint to cluck like many of us know all about. So yesterday i packed the slip again with the Ford PTF grease (that baby blue hand cream smelling stuff) and what do you know my clunk is gone. So im sorry to Detroit for blaming their locker lol

 

Glad to hear it's working well. Is it far different then the stock ls?

 

This is a very encouraging report, thanks.

 

Thats awesome, could you tell from the parts you removed where your squeal was coming from?

 

So did you consider the front end? Im thinking going in the front the truck can drive normal in 2wd then when you need to go and put it in 4 the front locks and has all the weight on it?

 

Well its about time!! LOL
As far as the front If I had a D60 up front I would do detroit rather than lock right. They don't make one for D50.

 

Don't you just hate when you go to enter traffic and the tire on sand is spinning.
I think for normal driving a locker in the rear is really nice. And one in the front for off roading.

 

I have a Eaton electric locker in the front and like it. Once it engages it pulls good but due to all the weight in front it makes it very difficult to steer. Also, it seems to take my 34' tall tires rolling over a few times before it locks up and same for disengaging. So my question is next time can I go to a Detroit up front and if so will it allow better steering on the front since it locks and unlocks automatically? If so this maybe a better option for me.

 

Unless you are in some real slippery stuff, or spinning the tires, it will never turn very politely with the front diff locked. The inside wheel will want to go straight and you'll get that snappy action at the steering wheel. That's probably why Ford chose the system that come on the stock truck, otherwise people would have a hard time turning sharp on asphalt.

 

different? LOL yea night and day! like i said i havent been hunting or off road yet but doing my normal work trip etc its amazing. No more spinning one tire making a turn at a stop light because of all the salt, snow, dirt, road debris backing up to my work trailer and pulling forward isnt a one leg drop because of the wet slippery muddy grass. I had to get a dye test ex ray Friday and the only parking spot was in the corner spot with half the spot covered with a big ol snow pile. i just backed up the passenger rear went up into the snow bank and the locker kept both tires pulling so i backed right up and over the snow NO PROBLEM! With the stock LS the passeger rear would have spun by itself and dug into the snow and my whole truck would have been sticking out into the parking lot

 

yea, it wasn't the clutches apparently i have one chipped drivers side spider gear inside the stock LS housing that was causing all the noise..... the guy said its from me spinning the rear tires so much and when the LS did grab it caused a shock load into the no spinning tire which causes the side gears to take all the abuse. Which is why ever time the drivers tire would spin by itself i kept hearing that squealing sound all winter

 

so far its real nice to not have the passenger rear spin ever time i make a right turn from a stop sign or red light. The roads in NJ are just horrible to begin with and after all this snow and salt this winter I live in the pothole capital of the US! so ever intersection is covered with asphalt pebbles and before i would just haze the inside tire ever turn, now the locker just well keeps the rear locked and i just go... cant wait for a rain storm to play with my drifting skills

 

one thing i will say this morning i pulled into WAWA to get my a gallon jug of water, i back out making a right then turn left to pull out about fifteen feet to the main road then made a right to go to work and as soon as i got straight BANG the Detroit locked together from making so many quick turn without going straight and that sucker locked up with authority! Other than this one time doing this its been quiet as a mouse again with no bad side effects

 

Ya once in a while mine will bang. maybe once a month..I think its the best addition you can do to a real truck. My truck weighs 12k lbs with sand all winter and the locker is still quiet..


Dick