Locker and traction type question
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Cross-Country
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 81
Likes: 15
Locker and traction type question
This might be some basic stuff but a question is a question so if I may....
In my last truck I had an eaton LSD rear with 3:73 gear. Magnasun super charger and about 550hp to the ground. Truck had Toyo AT 2 tires and was 4x4. In that truck making a turn from a stop sign or the like would net a touch of wheel spin but very quickly the other tire would start to pull and movement was steady. Yes hammer the gas and it was tire smoke around a corner. In the 250 I have the E locker but even with very light right foot I get a lot of spin on the inside rear and the computer starts getting involved. I hammer it the computer gets more aggressive and there is little forward movement. My issue here is I have tried going easy on the gas and trying to ride the line between spin and no spin with little success. It is only an issue when you need to make the turn to get into traffic and you cant get forward movement due to the various issues. I was always under the impression a locker is not for turns so to avoid damage as I am not sure I have never tried it around a corner. So the question is am I doing something wrong? Is there a trick I just have not learned? Do I need to swap the E locker for a LSD? Is it just the Goodyear tires?
In my last truck I had an eaton LSD rear with 3:73 gear. Magnasun super charger and about 550hp to the ground. Truck had Toyo AT 2 tires and was 4x4. In that truck making a turn from a stop sign or the like would net a touch of wheel spin but very quickly the other tire would start to pull and movement was steady. Yes hammer the gas and it was tire smoke around a corner. In the 250 I have the E locker but even with very light right foot I get a lot of spin on the inside rear and the computer starts getting involved. I hammer it the computer gets more aggressive and there is little forward movement. My issue here is I have tried going easy on the gas and trying to ride the line between spin and no spin with little success. It is only an issue when you need to make the turn to get into traffic and you cant get forward movement due to the various issues. I was always under the impression a locker is not for turns so to avoid damage as I am not sure I have never tried it around a corner. So the question is am I doing something wrong? Is there a trick I just have not learned? Do I need to swap the E locker for a LSD? Is it just the Goodyear tires?
Tuned
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 416
Likes: 76
From: Georgia
I am going to assume you are getting wheel spin on the inside tire because you have not "pulled" the e-locker **** to actually engage the locker. That said, on the road, and when making a turn on a hard surface, you should not have the locker engaged. Yes the loss of traction is annoying with an e-locker, well truly it is just an open diff at that point with the locker not engaged. It is best suited for off-road and/or loose surface conditions where you can pull the **** and leave it locked. It will automatically unlock over 25mph as I recall, but I would not leave it locked 100%. The difference between a limited slip and a locker is pretty significant, and (in my opinion) the intended use is also different.
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 162
Likes: 9
nose heavy truck, with stiff suspension and lots of torque, made even worse if you have a rear sway bar, the unlocked open differential is miserable around town. But the locker is far superior off road or in snow. Where a limited slip excels on the street or icy conditions. You take the good with the bad I suppose. The idea behind Auburn's original ECTED diff was superior, LSD normally with the option to fully lock. But sadly it had issues and didnt sell well enough.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,937
Likes: 1,221
From: Southern Crescent
I didn't want or need 4WD and I didn't want to get stuck either so I opted for 2WD with the e-locker axle.
I have used it so far to drag a defunct farm tractor out of the woods and to enter state highways from gravel drives and parking lots. Looking forward to navigating gravel campsites and campground roads with the 5th wheel. And maybe if it ever snows at my house again.
I have used it so far to drag a defunct farm tractor out of the woods and to enter state highways from gravel drives and parking lots. Looking forward to navigating gravel campsites and campground roads with the 5th wheel. And maybe if it ever snows at my house again.
Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 3,523
Likes: 483
From: Southern OH
That's why I have always said that a rear selectable locker is useless for street use, since it is either open or fully locked, neither of which is ideal. I would pull it out and put a Detroit locker or Truetrac in.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2018
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A mechanical Detroit Locker is also only open or locked. I have one in an old Ford muscle car. Lockers are fine for street use. I have the E-locker in the Super Duty. I had one in my old F-150 too. They stay locked up at low speed if you're applying power. But it's better to manage the throttle and not spin the tires.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 3,523
Likes: 483
From: Southern OH
A mechanical Detroit Locker is also only open or locked. I have one in an old Ford muscle car. Lockers are fine for street use. I have the E-locker in the Super Duty. I had one in my old F-150 too. They stay locked up at low speed if you're applying power. But it's better to manage the throttle and not spin the tires.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 1,555
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As I wrote, a Detroit Locker is either locked or unlocked. When opposing axle torque overcomes the spring in the dog clutch, the clutch unlocks that axle so it can turn free of the other axle; as you wrote so the tire isn't dragged. I never wrote it behaves like a differential. A locker doesn't have the capacity to bias torque as a limited slip or open differential can.
Trailering
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 21
Likes: 1
Enter Detroit TrueTrac which I have in the back end of my 99 F350/450 (technically it's an F450 now). Works like a charm never an issue with surging across an intersection because the clutch in the locker didn't release. Never gotten stuck with it, and gotta really lay on some heat to get it to spin out. Not a fan of the clutch pad LSDs. Having to manage the oil and having pads that wear out just isn't for me.
Trailering
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 22
Likes: 6
From: FLA
It’s just to bad if your truck has the Dana M275 there is no aftermarket option. The E locker does suck on the street, I get 1 wheel spin in wet weather. I have to constantly work the locker or 4 hi on and off.
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