What type of axle is in the front of the 350 SWR? Also has anyone thought of adding a front E locker that would be engaged through one of the upfitter switches?

 

I'm planning on doing the same, the E locker is a great choice. I believe the front axle is still a Dana 60 with 35 spline axles and reverse rotation ring and pinion.

 

I wished Ford would include this option in the FX4 pkg...

 

I seriously doubt ford will add this feature. Not even the Raptor has a front e-locker.

 

I don't know what it is exactly, but the 2017 Raptor has the ability to lock each wheel, back and front. If I didn't have to haul a gooseneck trailer around I would be getting a Raptor. Can't afford both....

 

The raptor does not have a front e-locker but it does have an optional Torsen front diff available.

 

I was able to order my 1993 with front and rear limited slip axles back in the day. Too bad they didnt keep this as an offering.

 

A front e-locker would be impossible to steer without breaking axle u-joints. I know the rock climbers use them but their experience level is sometimes better than the average truck owner. I wish the torsen was available front and rear. For 99.5% of owners it would be better than the e-locker.

 

They would still steer and turn but with a lot of difficulty and strain on components. Many times a locker just gets you farther (more stuck) than you really want to be. With that said, I'd always take a full locker over a limited slip anything and if you are going to be taking a vehicle places that require dual lockers, you should probably have a winch up front too when even dual lockers are not enough.

 

"Taking a vehicle places that require dual lockers, you should probably have a winch up front too when even dual lockers are not enough" Great Point.

 

ARB probably offers an air-locker for the Dana 60 in the front of the Super Duty. I don't think its really necessary. All of the trucks have 4-wheel electronic traction control, brake based, which will force the truck forward in most events.

I've been going to job sites in my new dually, which are all off-highway. All of my four previous Super Duty trucks have had the selectable locking rear differential. I was irritated you can only order a limited slip in the dually, but I knew that going in.

I have to say, so far I'm very impressed with the dually's ability in 2WD. Yesterday to get to the site I had to drive up a fire road about 1 mile, and there were sections which were steeply uphill with some loose dirt and rocks. I've been to this site before with my previous SRW trucks. Bear in mind I'm towing 10k behind me with a 22' equipment hauler in all cases. The dually made it up in 2WD, no problem, I think the limited slip did help because coming down I could see areas where there was one set of heavy wheel tracks...but in the loose uphill areas you could see areas with two. The previous trucks never made it up without spinning out, even with the rear locker engaged. I still absolutely prefer the locker, but I'm impressed so far. Maybe with this new axle Ford improved the limited slip.

 

I ran F/R ARB Lockers on Dana ProRock (Ford) HiPinion 60's for years and almost 100,000 mi of driving.

Lockers can be your best friend and your worst enemy. If you don't know what you are doing you can grenade your axles into scrap metal and many do because they do not understand how and when to deploy them.

 

I think I found what might be the perfect differential pairing for a diesel super duty: Eaton Trutrac gear driven limited slip in the rear axle and a Eaton E-locker in the front. The Truetrac is a great rear diff for a daily driver Super Duty, whereas the OEM rear locker can only be used when activated, and under certain conditions/speeds. Bottom line is that with the OEM locker in the rear, you are driving around with an open diff 99% of the time. The Trutrac locks in quickly and acts like a locker - even in sand and snow. Sure, with one wheel in the air the Truetrac may need some brake modulation, but how often is a 8,000 lb crew cab truck crossed-up on the rocks with one or two wheels in the air? Not often for most of us.

In terms of the front, the E-locker works great. Standard open diff as long as you need it. Then with a flip of a switch it can be locked. One through the rough spot, unlock it. I considered a Truetrac for the front, but the shop said they had installed several of them only to have the customers pay to have them removed soon thereafter due to constantly fighting torque steer.

 

Well I had a opportunity to use my locker today. GOOD GRIEF was I disappointed. The locker was just about useless a limited slip would have been for better and my last SD had the LS and in the same place with the same maneuver the locker was near worthless...WHEEL HOP. I have seen and encountered WH since the 60's and I know it. You could not feather the go pedal enough to not get WH and break traction.

Give me a good LS anytime far less WH.

 

The OEM LS is total garbage (as you probably know having had a number of Fords). I'm actually surprised Ford continues to offer it. I once got stuck with it on relatively flat wet grass at a suburban Christmas tree farm. I ordered a Trutrac the next day. On the other hand the Truetrac works very well. Some people bash it because it's not a Detroit Locker, but it works really well in a super duty. It's a pretty tight LS that holds up to the torque of a diesel....and it has no clutches. Can I get a hallelujah?