I have a 78 F-250 with D60 rear and D44 front. What are the best lockers/limited slip options for my truck? I drive to areas where I wheel so I think a limited slip front would be best.

 

Limited Slip front, perhaps even with an extra friction disc inside to tighten it up better - Mustang could tell you about that. You could also get a true locker and just lock one hub, but that wouldn't be quite as good of an option I'd think.

For the rear - so many options, how much you wanna spend? Weld it, spool it, Lunchbox lock it, full case locker. The Detroit locker is renowned for ease, reliability, etc. Could get a lunchbox locker for half the price of a Detroit, but then you've got a stock case. This also depends on whether you want to replace axleshafts and such. if you spool it, or get crazy on the go pedal then you might not want something THAT crazy. If you want to go even more expensive, air/electric lockers.

I'm sure others will come on and give their opinions. I'd probably put a lunchbox in the rear unless I had the coin for a detroit or something similar, and find a limited slip for the front.

 

Since you are driving it on the street you will more than likely not want to weld the rear, if that is what "lunchbox" means.

If you have the funds I'd go with a Detroit locker in the rear, and Powetrax up front or an ARB if funds allow.

 

for the front your options are unlimited, just be reminded that your steering characteristics are gonna change drastically not to mention you may break an axle or driveshaft!

the rear is a lil more touchy since it sees power 100% of the time. your BEST bet all around would be a selectable. now they are expensive but WELL worth it. you will save your tires and keep you from gettin stuck. go ARB or dont go at all.

you can weld your rear for utmost reliability and predictability but every time you take a hard turn you might as well subtract 1,000 miles from the life of the tire! also, your 1/2 drivetrain may not take too kindly havin the rear welded.

a lunch box locker would be good for you b/c of strength issues. your 9" rear (stock) will not be able to handle much more than 35's even without a locker so having a full locker or just the lunchbox style really wont make to much of a difference! just keep that in mind while you hunt around

-cutts-

 

He has a F250, not half-ton. Plus, I doubt a person could look at a rear and confuse a D60 with a 9". Not even I could!

I got the impression it was just driven to the places it is wheeled, not that it was a daily driver - maybe it is. I'd go cheap and weld, but I'm a poor college kid. He could get some cheap tires to run till bald to get him TO the turnoff of the highway. If its a daily driver, I'd get the Detroit lunchbox locker...

The 44 up front, limited slip all the way. You're going to snap a stub or blow a Ujoint eventually...but this will just remind you why you need a D60. =)

Thread Hijack! Is it possible for an 80-86 F250 to have a D60 front? I was looking at a truck in the weeds tonight and it appeared to have D60 front and rear, but was an 80-86 F250. Couldn't get the greatest look though. Also saw a parked 87-91 F250with a D50TTB/10.25 that I wouldn't mind tracking down the owner of it and seeing how much they'd part with it for. With that I wouldn't even really need to worry about lifting...could just cut the fenders (rust). I love Missouri now...every farmer has a truck in the weeds. I'm watching for a 1-tonner...

 

o my bad! for some odd reason i thought he had an F100! that changes things a lil bit since the D60 rear will hold up to 38's if you be smart about it.

not from the factory. all 80-86's F250's came with ttb D50 or the D44HD. the truck could have an F250 badge on an F350 though! that happened pretty pften since it was easiest.

-cutts-

 

If you can unlock the front hubs, why not put a locker up front too. Either that or do with a Detroit out back and a Trutrac up front.

Personnally, like fish said, ARB's baby. Best of both worlds. Yes expensive, but not extra wear, not shock loading your drive line, no slipping when you don't wnat it too, and when it's locked, IT's LOCKED. Plus you have air for tires and crap.

 

BFR250SD - he might be able to do that with a D60 - lock the front, but with a D44 up there he's going to snap a stub or blow out a U-joint in short order. I'd bet 20 bucks you would in the first 5 times he gets stupid in a stupid place with the stupid pedal.

 

That's when you buy stronger parts. It's what breakage is for.

Unless he's rock crawling, not likely in an F250, he shouldn't have much trouble, even with the D44. Thing I don't like about LS, is sometimes it'll hook, other times it won't, and other times it'll grab quicker than you think. I'd rather know it's locked and avoid the shock load of wheel spin.

 

limited slips dont give shockloads...or "grab"

 

I put an Aussie locker in my rear 8.8 about a month ago. It was an easy install and so far it's held up without any problems.

I took it out the very next day, hooked up to 3 other trucks(seperately) and flogged on it and it performed with no problems.

Not once has it failed to lock or failed to unlock when it should. It ran $250 shipped.

 

One tire not spininng or one tire spinning slow + one tire spinning feely + sudden traction to spinning wheel = shock load & broken parts.

It's better to have consistent power and be able to go though something with a little finesse, than it is to have an LS and try to use speed and momentum on a small drive line. That's why I would go with a locker. Even with a highly built rig, there is no building a truck against stupidity and a heavy right foot. That will break anything.

 

yes true BFR.... but what kubota is saying is that a limited slip will not suddenly lock up. they slip not lock. you can break (and i have) axle shafts and ujoints with an open diff spinning the tire and then suddenly grip!

-cutts-

Edit.... hey now i just caught this;

what does this mean? i rock crawl (or in the east we call it rock racing since 90% of the time the rocks are covered in mud or water which requires a good bit of wheel speed) with my 250!

 

I must respectfully disagree. =)

Your idea on consistency is why I would rather have a locker in the rear, or even go so far as to be spooled. You always know you'll have it when you need it.

As far as buying stronger parts - you'll break those two. Or pretty soon you'll have a strong D44 that you could have just bought a D60 and new U-joints and be done with it. It's a neverending argument about D44 vs D60, lets NOT get into it here.

My vote is for a track-lok rebuild for the front D44 with an extra friction disc (to make it act almost locker-ish, if you could call a LS a locker), and then the locker of your delight in the rear - aussie or Detroit lunchbox, or a true locker like a Detroit, or selectable like ARB, or a spool. Or be cheap and weld it.

 

Fish, I know the LS don't "lock", I didn't mean it like that. But the clutch /cone can and do grab under different conditions. Sometimes the hook up well, other times yo uhave to apply a little brake to get it to engage, sometimes you just smoke it with a one wheel wonder. That's what I meant about the LS's

I meant rock crawling as in Moab, Slick Rock, typ crawling. The one wheel in the air, roll your truck over on silly angle type rock crawling.

The reason I wouldn't go spool or weld, is if you use in on the street and not as a dedicated off road rig, you are looking at more expensive parts / tire wear and replacement than you would have had just getting a detroit, a lunchbox or other locker to begin with. Plus you get that oh so lovely chirp, squeel, hop going around corners with the weld or spool. That's why I have the ARB's I get what I need, when I want it.

Yes the 44 / 60 / whatever conversation is never ending. But one thing that helps with this is a little understanding of your vehicle capabilities and limitations and applying it accordingly. Like I said up above, no amount of building can cure stupidity and a heavy right foot.