I have an ARB in the front of my truck, cost about 800 bucks and to pay someone to install it was 600 bucks. (insurance took care of it for me :-)~).

 

i plan on useing this truck for street use. ARB's are just to costly for me right now, so how do detroit lockers do on the street? what about snowy roads? anything really bad to expect?

 

I have heard Detroit Lockers CAN be a little rough on the street. My only experience with a Detroit locker was on an M913 5ton 6x6 military truck. They didn't do too bad, darn near unstoppable off road. As far as ice and snow performance, it can get a little squirrelly on snow covered roads if you don't behave yourself. One particular time I would not have made it with out my Powertrax. My brother and a couple of my buddies and myself were going hunting in the northern part of Michigan and got into a snow storm. I was towing a 14 ft camper trailer, when we got off the highway and on to the back roads the snow got pretty deep. And it got worse once we got into the woods, we had to go down some deeply rutted trails along some powerlines. The trails had nearly 2 ft of snow on them and it continued to get deeper as the night went on. The conditions didn't slow our forward progress a bit. I was leary at the time because it was my first time towing off road with the locker. With stock tires and open diffs I would have surely gotten stuck. But with the locker (and brand new 31 inch ATs) it was a cake walk, even in the deep snow.

 

you could try running a spool in the front and using Warn "Fusible Links" with your Warn Premium hubs. I bought a set but never used them, they are not recommended for use with a locker. they replace the outer splined ring in the lockout hub assembly. they are purposely made to break before a 297x ujoint will break(breaks at like 30000 lbs/in of force vs. 45000 lbs/in of force a 297x will break at, something like that). haven't seen anything about them for a couple years tho, maybe the idea flopped. i bought them 2 years ago for $21/pair. i love my Detroits, but this truck never sees 4x4 on the streets, either.

 

I would put locker in the rear first. then decide if you need one in the front. I spooled the rear of my Bronco and it made a world of differance, I had a limited beofre i blew the 3rd member up. I stil plan on putting a locker in the front before winter. I drive my Bronco on the street to and from trails and also around town at times. The spool does take getting used to on the street but you can do it. with the ifs i wouldn't go over a limited slip. I'm upgrading to CroMo shafts and CTM joints when I go to 38's this fall. The most important thing to remember is now what you have and the limit of your truck and you should be fine. With a spooled rear and 35's and a healthy 460 I am yet to break a axle shaft or u-joint, I just know when to get off the skinny pedal.

 

ultimatebronco-I have been thinking of spooling my rear 9" and was wandering how much of an increase in tire wear there is. By next year this truck will strickly be offroad, only to see street use while getting it to my offroading spots. Right now I'm running a 9" in the rear and a D44 straight axel up front ( already planning on spooling the front since I have locking hubs I can just unlock one side as needed), and 38" GroundHawgs. Thanks in advance for any information.

 

A locker in the front or back for snowy roads gets tricky because the locker will ratchet itself around a corner, which makes it unpredictable and sometimes dangerious. I would put a limited slip in the front axle if a secectable locker is out of the price range.

 

Right now like I said I don't drive it every day on the street but I do drive it every now and then. Your tire wear will be a little more with the spool. Also when you do drive it on the street keep your tire preasure as high as you can it will help with the chirping around corners. What ever you DO NOT put a spool ine the front!! Even if you unlock one hub when you brake you will get a pull to the side that is still locked in. The only time you could get away with it is if all you did was mud drags and trailered it to and from. As far as limited vs. Locker it all depends on what type of wheeling you do. My buddy gets by with a limited in the front while I won't go less than a locker. It all depends on your driving style. Also if you go locker I would recomend some CroMo shafts like warns or even better ones from Superior. Also same up CTM u-joints to go with the shafts. I know people that were running 42's with a D44 and CroMo shafts and CTM's in Competion. They survived but you have to know your limits. Right now I'm surviving with just the spooled rear until I go with a 14 bolt and 60 front in my 78. After that happens I'm going CroMo 35 spline Superiors with CTM's and 40 michelins. If I knew how you drove and what type of wheeling you do it would be easier to give good advice on what to use.

 

i do alot of street driving and alot of driving in the snow,but i want great off road traction. i don't want a limited slip. i am carefull in driveing with new equipment untill i know how it handles, i just want to know who the truck will react to it and any down sides to street driving besides tire wear.

 

With the spool you always know where it wants to go. With a locker everynow and then you will get squirley because it unlocks. Tire wear you get with both but I like know that at all times it will act the same way no matter what. That is the reason I will never get a locker for the rear on any 4wd I own. I'll weld it up or spoole it. Since I'm going 14 bolt I can either weld it up or get a Sandy Cone Spool and shafts. Alot of people will swear by spools or they hate them. Talk to as many people you can who have driven a spooled truck and not there friends.

 

I put a mini spool in awhile back, and I haven't noticed much tire wear yet, but I don't drive on the pavement much. It definitely doesn't like to turn, but it is well worth it. It provides excellent traction when I need it. It was definitely the best bang for the buck.

I am also looking to put something up front, just haven't done it yet.

 

tucker_lucas that's a bad a$$ rig you got there! It's giving me ideas! I can see where a spool would be invalueable in mud and very loose terrain where traction is everything. But I am hearing axles snapping in the back of my mind, I don't think I would be comfortable driving with a spool on pavement. Heck my locker took some getting used to, I love it now!

 

I put a mini spool in the back of my 78 w/ 31 spline axles, 3.50:1 gears and 35" tires. I've driven it on the road several times and have had no problems at all. If my 35s didn't break the axle around corners, I don't know what will.

I haven't put enough street miles on it to comment on tire wear, but it's not like you'd be leaving piles of rubber on every corner.

Off road, I wouldn't trade it for the world. On the street, the spool had less of an effect on handling than the big tires did.

Just my experience.

Kevin K.

 

Thanks for the compliment.

I drive the truck on the pavement a little. It has probably seen a good couple hundred of miles on the pavement since I put the mini in. I don't have any problems.

Lately I've even been using it to pull an attachment to level out the back yard.

You would really have to try to break it. I put it through quite a bit.

 

I wonder how my 77 High Boy would do with a full spool in the rear, and 38/14.5-16.5s maybe TSL radials?