I've got an 89 F-150 4x4 with a 302. I've got the Ford 8.8" diffs. I have a few questions for those with some experience.

Here's my goal: to be able to climb farther in the snow. The roads I take out in the winds sometimes have sharp turns in them almost like switchbacks in places. I'm also tired of getting stuck at stop signs around town when it's icy, so I'd like an solution that is streetable.

Here are my questions:

1) If I were to put an ARB air locker in both axles and drive around town with only the rear axle locked, will I have some control problems on either ice or dry pavement. Would there be something else that you guys would do to the back axle considering my goals above.

2) If I were to put an ARB air locker in both axles, what is the normal lock time when you hit the lock switch? Also, do you have to be stopped in order to lock the diffs?

3) Would you guys go an entirely different setup than ARB lockers?

Thanks in Advance,

Fire
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1989 F-150 XLT Lariat Supercab 4x4, four speed, 8000# Warn Winch, Diamond Plated Toolbox, Overhead gun rack, bald tires

 

Personally I would stay away from the air locker given the driving conditions you outlined. I would think a PowerTrax No-Slip in the rear and a standard limited slip in the front would be the simplest way and would be cheaper and more dependable than an air locker. Their operation is also completely automatic and totally transparent to the driver. Just one mans opinion. I’m in the process of trying to find a good price for the No-Slip for my 4X2 Ranger for exactly the same reasons.

 

Just out of curiosity, why would you go with a limited slip in the front vs. running the powetrax in the front also?

Fire

 

Rumor has it that lockers in the front can cause steering problems and experiences that I have had with older lockers (Detroit types) would lend credibility to this. They are very harsh in engaging and disengaging so even rear drives tend to jump a little with them. The No-Slip “seems” to be the ideal compromise. It doesn’t make any noise and is very smooth, the Lock-Right just makes clicking noises around corners. But I haven’t tried them in front so I won’t say it’s OK. In the rear I have tried them and they are both work well. I like them on those roads where you have one wheel on ice and the other isn’t. They just go no muss no fuss. They are also very easy to install. About one hour in the rear.

 

Just a few comments here. I've had a locker in the front on a truck before, its bad news on the pavement. Yes, its driveable but the side effects are noticeable now I put limited slips in the front diff on the trucks I own that are going to see a lot of time on the road while the front axle is engaged. They work great. I still put lockers in the rear, absolutely love them. I've never owned an ARB but my buddies have and they've been nothing but trouble for them. Seems like everytime they turn around they have to replace a solenoid, a compressor, or something else. Knowing this I've never even considered getting one, although the idea of a selectable locker is great. I always liked the idea of having one electronically controlled but the ones GM and Toyota are using can only switch from open diff to locked and be used while locked at speeds below 5mph while in 4-low. For me that would be pretty much worthless (Imagine that, GM uses inferior components in their vehicles and markets it (the e-controlled Gov-lok)as some kind of great new innovative thing. lol. Just junk like always) I know that Trac-tech, the manufacturer of the Detroit locker, is working on one right now that is a limited slip/locker combo and its electronically controlled. Hopefully its selectable at higher speeds and in 2 or 4wd. One more thing, if you plan on using a locker on ice be careful, you'll have a greater chance of finding traction but you're also much more likely to fishtail all over the place.
-Cope

95 F-150 4x4
4.9L M5OD
Front Truetrac Rear Detroit
3.73 Precision Gears
Warn Premiums
4" Superlift Superunner

 

Have true-tracs front and rear, don't know they are there until I need them. I consider these somewhere between a limited-slip and a locker. most of the clutch type limited-slips need a fair amount of wheel spin to engage, the true-tracs actually bias torque to the wheels when it senses one starting to slip and will do this as needed. No clutches, just worm gears and normal fluid. I've purposely put one rear tire in the air, in 2wd, and tried to move, no good-just spun the tire that was off the ground until I stepped the brake a tad, then it actually tried to pull and would have except it started spinning and dug a small hole (I really didn't try to hard before it went into 4wd and motored on, it did what I was really hoping it would!). I do have an auto so this is much easier to do than with a manual. My girlfriend drives this truck sometimes (my fingers crossed and prayin' everytime ) and I'm much more comfortable with this set-up than with sender her out with a locker in the rear, it has a little more power than what she's used to. The electro-locker that Cope is refering to is to be based on the true-trac, in my mind, the very best of both worlds! I think they are due out in June/July or there abouts, and I don't think it will be long after that one will be in the 9"!

 

Chuck P,
I definitely agree, it does sound like the best of both worlds. Do you know which axles the new truetrac/locker is going to be offered for when they first come out? If they make one for my TTB Dana 44 I just might have to get rid of my regular truetrac.
-Cope

95 F-150 4x4
4.9L M5OD
Front Truetrac Rear Detroit
3.73 Precision Gears
Warn Premiums
4" Superlift Superunner

 

I have ARB's on front & rear of my '76 Bronco. I installed the front ARB not long after I purchased the Bronco about 10 years ago. At that time an ARB for the 9" rear was not available, so I decided to put a Detroit in the back. The Detroit was a good, strong locker, but it had side-effects such as increased tire wear, swaying on hiway while accelerating/decelerating around turns, and a huge increase in driveline backlash. Since I understood what was going on, I learned to live with it until the 9" ARB was finally available a few years ago and I installed it. Even with the rear ARB locked, it handles better on pavement than the Detroit ever did.

I have the old style ARB compressor on my Bronco, and it takes about half a minute for the tank to pump up. Once it does, the front and/or rear locker will engage the second you push the front and/or rear buttons. You can engage/disengage them at any time and any speed; but engaging while one tire is spinning without the other spinning could cause damage.

Steering with the front engaged is difficult; rear engaged makes little difference in steering; but as mentioned above, driving on ice while engaged increases the chance of fishtailing and "loosing it". But any traction differential wether it be a locker or limited-slip will make this an issue.

With a selectable locker such as ARB, you can easily test and see just how much a locker helps traction in certain situations. On level ground with somewhat equal surface conditions for all tires, a locker won't help you much. Just because you don't see one tire spinning, doesn't mean it is not pulling. In an open differential, the amount of torque between left & right is always equal. I was playing around on my driveway a few weeks ago when it snowed to see if it made much difference to be locked or not; the only thing it did different was cause the vehicle to shift to the downhill side of a slope easier. If you are having trouble taking off from a stop while in 4WD, I would suggest you get a set of the best studded snow tires you could find and put them on all fours. This will help you more than any special traction differential ever could in that type of situation.

Lockers really shine in rough terrain where the traction is uneven and lack of suspension travel leaves some tires with little or no traction at all. I have found that in extreme cases such as this that having a rear locker engaged can actually give you more traction while in 2WD than in 4WD with locker disengaged.

Another cool thing about the ARB is that the compressor (although ridiculously slow) can inflate you tires in an emergency.

Good luck on what ever you choose!