how good does the powertrax lock right work on a mostly street driven vehicle?

 

I have the LockRight in my '92 F350 4x4. I drive on the street as well as some off roading when I go to the desert. The LockRight overall is ok on the street. Alot depends on how you drive with it. If you're easy on the gas while turning, it behaves itself. If you get into the gas, it will chirp the tires easily. On wet pavement it will break the rear tires loose easily with a little gas. It does make the normal locking differential clicking while turning sharp and clanking between power on/power off engagement. If you're not used to a locker, you'll swear the rear end is in the midst of a total breakdown, but don't worry, it's just the locker doing it's normal thing. Once you get used to it, you don't notice it as much. For a smoother engaging locker, try a Powertrax NoSlip or a Detroit Soft Locker or EZ Locker. I hear the new Detroit Locker is now soft engagement like the Soft Locker, which may have now been discontinued.

Off road, the thing is great. It turned my previously sorry performing 2wd 4x4 (both open diffs) into a very capable off road machine. I go places in 2wd that previously required 4wd and when in 4wd, the truck claws its way over just about anything. All in all, it was a good way to spend $325.

If you want something that will still give you descent traction off road and have better manners on the street, look into one of the many limited slip differentials out there. The True Trac and Torsen diffs are clutchless limited slips. Most of the others (Trac Lock, Auburn) have clutches.

For more in-depth info on the various differential types, check out www.reiderracing.com www.ring-pinion.com and www.precisiongear.com The new Rieder Racing catalog has some great info about differentials in it. Takes a while for them to send it though...