I have a 2004 f350 4x4 scab 5.4 auto with limited slip rear. 3.73 gears. I noticed in the snow that only 1 rear wheel will turn while in 2wd. How and when is the rear end supposed to transfer power to both wheels. Seems that it isn't working right.

 

A limited slip needs a little resistance to lock up the clutches and snow and ice sometimes is not enough to do it so just apply the emergency brake just enough to give a little resistance to lock it up and then release it.

Denny

 

Ford's limited slip is a joke, if you want a real limited slip or you will have to buy it yourself.

 

Thats the understatement of the year. They work ok on dry pavement.
I saw jeep has a new locker front and rear, electric. Eaton makes it, it transfers from the wheel that slips to the other one seemlessly. I was suprised to see that, maybe Eaton will start making them for other vehicles..

 

I ordered my 94 F350 2wd with a LSD and during the huge snow of 96 on the east coast (with about 1000 lbs in the bed) the truck was unbelievable. 24" of virgin snow was a pice of cake. If you jacked up one side of the rear and tried to turn the tire....no way and no chatter. My 01 F250 2wd with lsd was a POS, You could spin the tire all day by hand when I had one side jacked up. The dealer screwed up a pinion shaft seal replacement, that led to me having to rebuild the rear end so I replaced it with an Auburn unit and it's night and day.

 

My boss has a Chevy HD and it has the stock Eaton locker, it is great, no noise ever, fully locks when it is needed, it has been great and the truck sees a lot of work, as for our SD's, they are hit and miss, sometimes they lock tight as can be and other times it's as if it's a open rear end, the only thing you can do besides adding some clutch packs is to add soe limited slip modifier, it is supposed to be stickyer and keep the clutches together a little better.

 

I think if there's too much in there is definetly won't work. I know some guy's drain it and try it without and add till its smooth.

 

Thats how it works. but if Ford put a full locker they wouldn't last long when you are hauling a load, when turning corners something has to give.

On my SRW with 5200 on the back axle it works great except on ice ( not enough resistance ). My DRW works all the time ice or snow the extra set of tire helps with the resistance.

Ford had to come up with a drive ability compromise with all the uses the trucks are subjected to.

By the way my V10 4.30 gears with lay 4 even black strips off the line when empty, the axle locks up just fine. I also had to add more friction modifier to stop axle chatter when the truck was new.

Denny

 

I think some if not all of the drw's get the Detroit True Trac, which doesn't last long for a 5th wheel puller or goose-neck puller, the Super Duty has some good axles under it, think I am going to go with a spool for mine, most of the time the locker locks through a turn so it won't be any differn't. My friend smoked his Detroit locker and we just put in a Aurburn Pro, nice and quiet and locks with about a half tire rotation, not bad.

 

Gosh I drive around with 6k of sand in the back with my detroit and you'd never know its there as I've said B4 also I have the soft locker version. and I don't drive like I'm 20 either.

 

That's interesting about the True Trac, since Dana puts that differential in their heavy truck axles, up to 25,000 lbs gross axle weight rating, in single and tandem applications. There are not clutches to wear in a True Trac, unlike an Auburn, Eaton Posi, or Trac Lok. The True Trac is all-gear and uses worm gears. You can see an exploded view of it at www.tractech.com and get a full description of how it works. I don't think they offer it for the Ford 10.25"/10.50" rear axles though, or at least they didn't offer it when I had the Lock Right put in my truck. They do offer the True Trac for the Dana 80 and S-135 in the F350 DRW, F450 and F550.

Actually, the Trac Tech True Trac and Detroit Locker (and possibly an industrial version of the Electrac) are the only differentials I know of besides the Dana Power-Lok (or some derivative thereof) that are used in both medium and heavy duty Dana/Spicer truck axles (class 4 through 8), that are also made for our light-truck axles as well. I'm sure Eaton has a traction differential for their heavy truck axles, but I'm not sure what it is. The Detroit is also widely used in Rockwell 2.5 ton and 5 ton military axles.

The other popular light-truck (one-ton and below) aftermarket traction differential manufacturers' axle applications that I am aware of, end at the 1-ton truck level. Some don't even go as far as the 1-ton truck level. Torsen is one of them, and Auburn only covers one 1-ton truck application: the Ford 10.25/10.50. They don't have listings for Dana or GM one-ton axles that I am aware of. The application information alone has to say something about the strength and reliability of the Detroit Locker and True Trac differential's design and manufacture compared to the other's.

The Auburn does wear out the cone clutches and is not rebuildable either. Auburn admits this on their own website. They do have a low-cost replacement program for original purchasers of it though. Go to www.auburngear.com to learn more about the differential and the replacement program.

A full spool on the street is not going to be the same as a locker. I believe you may end up disappointed with that choice in a street-driven truck, especially one that carries a load on the rear axle.

The locker does provide wheel speed differentiation in turns and if you learn to drive it with finesse, it will not squeal the tires around every corner either. I have the Lock Right in the back of my F350 SRW 4x4, used for towing, hauling a camper, and off-roading. I have no complaints with it, on- or off-road. Powertrax, manufacturer of the Lock Right and owned by Richmond Gear, also makes the NoSlip locker for 10.50" Ford axles. It has quieter, softer operation than the Lock Right and Detroit Locker. Check out the NoSlip and Lock Right at www.powertrax.com

If you want a spool in a street-driven truck, consider the ARB Air Locker. It operates like an open diff when unlocked and a spool when locked. Check out www.arb.com.

The purpose of the friction modifier additive for clutch-type limited slip differentials, like the Traction Lok, is NOT to make the clutch packs stickier. The opposite is true, it makes them slip easier. The additive is added to the gear lube to make clutch discs engage and disengage more smoothly, to reduce chattering in the axle during cornering.

 

I am learning more and more every day, I thought there was a lot of guys complaining about blowing there Detroit in there 350-450-550's, thought the guys that were pulling were having problems?

 

SoCalDesertRider Do the F350 SRW and the F350 DRW share the same rear end.

Denny

 

I had a 96 F150 with a great LS rear. I bought this 03 SD CC with the sterling LS, it gets stuck on a banana peel. The Cheby guys at work really have a good time with this, you'd think Ford would improve on things, instead of going the other way. I guess when it's out of warranty I'll make som changes, until then I'll put up with the POS rear.

 

I don't think the srw and drw same the same rear end.