Looking to get a 4WD Excursion with the 6.8L V10. The nice ones I have found all have the 3.73 non-limited slip. I want to put 4.30 gears in and wonder what options I have getting some sort of limited slip or lockers.

What do you Ex owners suggest?

Hoping to get ideas from owners that have actually performed this mod.

 

The detroit tru-trac has proven to be the best Limited Slip/Locker for these trucks and most other vehicles.

It does so well that oddly enough, some folks have reported less of a need for 4wd since installing it.

Bottom line: it improves 2wd AND 4wd performanc and is worth every penny.

 

Well, do you NEED a locker? If not then just order the 4.30 LS. Mine has served me fine over the years...but I do have lockers on the list along with a re-gear.

 

I have had my tru-trac fpr 2 years and agree with all of the above
I have had other fords with the LS and no comparison, to clutch packs & gear driven units...

 

I started with factory rear LSD and 3.73 gears. I think the factory LSD offered a somewhat marginal performance gain compared to an open diff.

I then switched to a Truetrac front and rear (still 3.73 gears but with Dana 60 swap in front) which were very good in all but the worst trail conditions. If one side of an axle has no traction at all a Truetrac will act like an open diff. This is not necessarily a bad thing in some conditions (ice rods with a lot of camber).

Finally I recently switched to ARB air lockers front and rear (now 4.30 gears). The air lockers work really well allowing the vehicle to just chug along through some very challenging terrain. However they are expensive, quite a bit of work to install and need to be operated manually (via switches).

If you are looking for a good diff that will get you trough all but the worst I would have no problem recommending the Truetrac.

 

A friend of my father's was a snow plow operator in the 50s or 60s and the vehicle that he praised was the Walker truck. It was equipped with a differential very similar to the Detroit TruTrac (probably the predecessor) and was in both front and rear axles as well as the transfer case. He said he could never get a wheel to spin. It is a very good design. I wish Ford would install this kind of differential at the factory.

Nelson

 

I have had the Detroit True Trac for 3-4 years now.

Nothing but good praise for it. Winter time use is a little bit to get used to as the back tends to go out on it a little easier, but that is the fun part of it. It locks the rear together and I can spin it on a dime.

The wife and the kids get used to it. I can do a nice sideways walk on the way to work.