better traction
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: redding, ca.
better traction
I have a 93 f150 4x4 with a 6" lift. Both front and rear axles are open diffs. I plan to put on 35" tires and the 3.55 gears are barely enough for the 33's. I need help to decide the best and cheapest way to get better traction. My thought was to put a stock type LS in the rear and an Aussie locker in the front. I also plan to put in 4.56 gears when I can afford to. I have seen the stock LS units on ebay for around $30. Is this a good idea? I do a lot of street driving that includes a steep icy road to work. I also play in the mud and off road. I would appreciate any help. Thanks.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Houston, Texas
LS in the rear is a good idea. That front locker will make a WORLD of difference! I'd get all the stuff (lockers and gears) and save up and have it all installed at once. It'll be cheaper that way.
Post Fiend
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 8,238
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From: Oregon
You won't want a locker up front if you'll have your front hubs engaged on those icy roads. An open diff is about the only thing that will help keep you on the roads in those conditions, which is why so many people opt to go with a selectable locker like an ARB. Fuzzy gave you real good advice about the siped tires. Many people don't realize how important sipes are for ice, and most mud tires are unsiped. If you have mud tires that are unsiped, a tire shop can sipe them for you for better traction in the ice.
Posting Guru
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From: Houston, Texas
Siping is when small cuts are made along the width of the tire. When the tire touches the ground the tread seperates and gives better traction as a bigger footprint is applied to the ground.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Vancouver WA
The siping doesn't actually increase the size of the contact patch with the ground. What it does is create many more seperate edges, or biting surfaces that contact the road at the same time. If you look at a mud type tire, there are very few large tread blocks. On an ice or snow-specific tire there are many more smaller tread blocks with lots of grooves in them. The siping imitates the grooves and extra tread blocks.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Houston, Texas
Sure it does. Since you slice the treads, they are allowed to seperate and touch the ground when before, when the treads were whole, they were being held back by the rest of the tread.
Humm.......kind of hard to explain. Did that make any sense?
Humm.......kind of hard to explain. Did that make any sense?
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Lead Driver
Joined: May 2000
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From: Senoia, GA
Originally posted by JeremyH
LS in the rear is a good idea. That front locker will make a WORLD of difference! I'd get all the stuff (lockers and gears) and save up and have it all installed at once. It'll be cheaper that way.
LS in the rear is a good idea. That front locker will make a WORLD of difference! I'd get all the stuff (lockers and gears) and save up and have it all installed at once. It'll be cheaper that way.
lol i dunno about cheaper but definitley worth it
-Jason-
Last edited by fishmanndotcom; Dec 2, 2003 at 08:16 AM.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 9,236
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From: Senoia, GA
Originally posted by JeremyH
Well, obviously.....everyone would ideally want dual selectables....but at $600 an ARB, thats a bit of a problem for some of us cheapasses!
Well, obviously.....everyone would ideally want dual selectables....but at $600 an ARB, thats a bit of a problem for some of us cheapasses!
-jason-
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
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From: Atlanta GA
All of the above reasons for siping are true, biting edges and tread flex, one left out that is important is it gives the water a place to go on glare ice, which is the slickest. At about 32 degrees, your hotter tire rolling over ice melts it and decreases traction, creating even more water on the surface of the ice. Sipes, allow the tread to squish water from underneath the tire.
Which is the idea behind the top rated snow tires with micro cell
technology.
Which is the idea behind the top rated snow tires with micro cell
technology.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: redding, ca.
Can someone explain to me why a posi rear end sucks so bad? It seems to me like it would be better than an open diff. I hate when I pull out of an intersection in the rain and have to baby my truck to keep it from spinning and hopping all over the road. I am more conserned about off road performance and not killing my tires on the street than driving on ice. In a perfect world I could use ARBs but thats just not possible. anything over $200 takes a lot of explaining to the wife.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: Des Moines, Iowa
limited slip is better than open. but not much. on wet roads it would spin both tires, but off-road as soon as one looses traction it's not any good. try a powertrax locker in the rear. they are 230 bucks and should do fine on the street. and will fully lock up when needed.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: redding, ca.
I have heard that lock rite and power trax lockers don't do well with bigger tires. I have 33s right now but plan to use 35s real soon. If they would handle it I would buy one, I just don't want to have to replace it. Has anyone tried this with bigger tires?