locking differential
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
locking differential
Do you want a locker or a limited slip? Both work great, but each has thier pros and cons.
Lockers will give you maximum traction at all times, but can be hard to handle on icy or snowy roads. In off-road situations where you are on a trail that is crossing the side of a hill, they can drive the back end down the slope of the hill. But in all other parts of a trail they are worth thier weight in gold for the added traction they provide!!!!
Lockers can be full case automatic lockers, " lunch box" automatic lockers or selectable lockers.
Full case lockers mean that the entire stock carrier is replaced, and the exisiting gear set or a new gear set with a different ratio are used. Since the entire carrier is replaced, this offers the most strength. This also requires that the rear be set up by someone who is knowlagable and experienced with setting up gears do the install work. An Example of this type of locker would be a Detroit locker. These are automatic lockers, meaning that there is no manual intervention, they are always working and will always try to deliver power to the wheels. This sometimes causes handeliing quirks out on the street, especially with manual tranny rigs.
Lunch box lockers refer to a type of locker that uses the existing carrier and simply replaces the spider gears with new components that provide the traction to both wheels at all times. These types of lockers usually cost less and usually do not require the gears to be setup again. So this can save money in terms of labor install and purchasing the locker itself. These are also automatic lockers and will exhibit the same handeling characterisitics out on the street.
Because Lunch box lockers use the existing carrier, they are not as strong as a full case locker, but in the case of the 8.8 axle, the stock carrier is pretty strong, especially if the engine being used is the 4.2 or 4.6.
Examples of these types of lockers are the Powertrax No-slip and the Lock rite.
Selectable lockers are the most expensive, but offer the best of both worlds. When the locker is not engaged, the axle behaves exactly like an open carrier and sends power to only one wheel at a time. This makes them handle very well out on the street and offer a smooth ride. When they are engaged, both wheels are provided maximum traction for off road trails, etc. Selectable lockers require that the entire carrier is replaced, so intall is expensive. Some require air to be engaged, which means that an air tank needs to be installed as well. An Example would be the ARB air locker. A new electric locker is now being offered by Trac Tech. Currently it is only available for a Dana 44 axle, but you could check with them to see if they plan to offer one for the 8.8 .
Limited slips do not offer the maximum amount of traction to both wheels at all times. But if you are not doing hard core rock crawling where your tires are in the air all the time, but instead do more muddy trail type wheeling, or just want your truck to have more traction on snowy roads and for general wheeling and still behave good out on the street. Limited slips are a great way to go.
Limited slips are usually designed in three different ways. Clutch based, cone based, and gear based.
Clutch based limited slips, like the factory offered Trac- Loc use a series of clutches to transfer some of the power from the spinning wheel to the wheel that is not spinning, these limited slips require gear oil and a limited slip additive that allows the clutch pacs to engage smoothly, not using the additive, will allow the clutches to grab more, but will result in chatter, increased wear and wierd behaivor at times. Clutch based limited slips are rebuildable and usually last for 50,000 miles before needing maintenance. If your hard on them and wail on the truck all the time you can wear a new one out in 10,000 miles.
Because they are the least aggressive and offer the smoothest ride and the least amount of power transfer they are the choice for OEM's. Both Ford and Dodge offer them as options.
Cone based limited slips like the Auburn posi, do not use clutch packs, they use two cones that drive each side of the carrier when engaged. They are usually more aggressive than a Trac loc OEM limited slip and offer great performance. They are a carrier replacement and require the gears to be setup for the inital install, so install labor is expensive. They are not rebuildable. As they wear, the carrier itself wears and the entire unit must be replaced when it no longer offers any performance. This requires setting up the gears with the new cone based limited slip carrier so install labor is expensive.
Gear based limited slips are also available and have a lot of benefits. They use a series of worm and drive gears to transfer power from the spinning wheel to the wheel that isn't spinning. They do not require special limited slip fluid, they only need regular gear oil. There are no clutch pacs or cones to wear out. So they can last the life of the vehical. Gear based limited slips can be ordered with different bias ratios for different levels of performance. Lower ratios for smoother street behavior and less aggressive performance, higher ratios for more aggresive performance. They are also a carrier replacement and require the gears to be setup for the inital install, so install labor is expensive. An example of this type of limited slip is the Detroit Tru-Trac.
Hope it helps...
Lockers will give you maximum traction at all times, but can be hard to handle on icy or snowy roads. In off-road situations where you are on a trail that is crossing the side of a hill, they can drive the back end down the slope of the hill. But in all other parts of a trail they are worth thier weight in gold for the added traction they provide!!!!
Lockers can be full case automatic lockers, " lunch box" automatic lockers or selectable lockers.
Full case lockers mean that the entire stock carrier is replaced, and the exisiting gear set or a new gear set with a different ratio are used. Since the entire carrier is replaced, this offers the most strength. This also requires that the rear be set up by someone who is knowlagable and experienced with setting up gears do the install work. An Example of this type of locker would be a Detroit locker. These are automatic lockers, meaning that there is no manual intervention, they are always working and will always try to deliver power to the wheels. This sometimes causes handeliing quirks out on the street, especially with manual tranny rigs.
Lunch box lockers refer to a type of locker that uses the existing carrier and simply replaces the spider gears with new components that provide the traction to both wheels at all times. These types of lockers usually cost less and usually do not require the gears to be setup again. So this can save money in terms of labor install and purchasing the locker itself. These are also automatic lockers and will exhibit the same handeling characterisitics out on the street.
Because Lunch box lockers use the existing carrier, they are not as strong as a full case locker, but in the case of the 8.8 axle, the stock carrier is pretty strong, especially if the engine being used is the 4.2 or 4.6.
Examples of these types of lockers are the Powertrax No-slip and the Lock rite.
Selectable lockers are the most expensive, but offer the best of both worlds. When the locker is not engaged, the axle behaves exactly like an open carrier and sends power to only one wheel at a time. This makes them handle very well out on the street and offer a smooth ride. When they are engaged, both wheels are provided maximum traction for off road trails, etc. Selectable lockers require that the entire carrier is replaced, so intall is expensive. Some require air to be engaged, which means that an air tank needs to be installed as well. An Example would be the ARB air locker. A new electric locker is now being offered by Trac Tech. Currently it is only available for a Dana 44 axle, but you could check with them to see if they plan to offer one for the 8.8 .
Limited slips do not offer the maximum amount of traction to both wheels at all times. But if you are not doing hard core rock crawling where your tires are in the air all the time, but instead do more muddy trail type wheeling, or just want your truck to have more traction on snowy roads and for general wheeling and still behave good out on the street. Limited slips are a great way to go.
Limited slips are usually designed in three different ways. Clutch based, cone based, and gear based.
Clutch based limited slips, like the factory offered Trac- Loc use a series of clutches to transfer some of the power from the spinning wheel to the wheel that is not spinning, these limited slips require gear oil and a limited slip additive that allows the clutch pacs to engage smoothly, not using the additive, will allow the clutches to grab more, but will result in chatter, increased wear and wierd behaivor at times. Clutch based limited slips are rebuildable and usually last for 50,000 miles before needing maintenance. If your hard on them and wail on the truck all the time you can wear a new one out in 10,000 miles.
Because they are the least aggressive and offer the smoothest ride and the least amount of power transfer they are the choice for OEM's. Both Ford and Dodge offer them as options.
Cone based limited slips like the Auburn posi, do not use clutch packs, they use two cones that drive each side of the carrier when engaged. They are usually more aggressive than a Trac loc OEM limited slip and offer great performance. They are a carrier replacement and require the gears to be setup for the inital install, so install labor is expensive. They are not rebuildable. As they wear, the carrier itself wears and the entire unit must be replaced when it no longer offers any performance. This requires setting up the gears with the new cone based limited slip carrier so install labor is expensive.
Gear based limited slips are also available and have a lot of benefits. They use a series of worm and drive gears to transfer power from the spinning wheel to the wheel that isn't spinning. They do not require special limited slip fluid, they only need regular gear oil. There are no clutch pacs or cones to wear out. So they can last the life of the vehical. Gear based limited slips can be ordered with different bias ratios for different levels of performance. Lower ratios for smoother street behavior and less aggressive performance, higher ratios for more aggresive performance. They are also a carrier replacement and require the gears to be setup for the inital install, so install labor is expensive. An example of this type of limited slip is the Detroit Tru-Trac.
Hope it helps...
Last edited by Thrasher1; Jul 17, 2003 at 09:19 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: San Rafael, NM
locking differential
Easy answer is to wait till mid August. That is when Eaton Automotive will be shipping the E-Locker for the Ford 8.8 rear. It will probably cost around $700 but you won't have any clutches to replace. http://www.eatonposi.com/prod1.htm
There is nothing else like it! One push of a button allows you to go from fully open to fully locked.
There is nothing else like it! One push of a button allows you to go from fully open to fully locked.
