Electronic rear lockers vs. a "limited slip differential"?

[Durango]

I like having the ability to use the E-Locker in my truck in 2WD and 4WD........nice feature, some only can lock in 4WD

I do believe the Ford E-lockers can be used in 4WD.

And BTW, as the OP I am overwhelmed with all this info. Five years ago when I bought my 2500 RAM I just wanted it "4 WD" and that's it. I didn't even know the Ram would come with limited slip. (It did.) And if I go with the new 2018 Ram I'm taking away to stay with the factory rear limited slip and then add a locker on the front IF I need it. But if I go with the 2018 Ford to go with the E-locker option. (Ford does not have a limited slip option on the F-350 SRW chassis cabs.)

It sounds like either option will be better than what I have now and I've never been stuck in five years including five days on the white Rim Trail last week! So maybe it comes down to the perennial Ford vs. Dodge debate including is the 6.2 Ford gas with the Selectshift tranny or the 6.4 Ram Hemi with the Aisin tranny better? Guess this one deserves its own thread though!

 

[D45]

Yes, I can use the e locker in both 2wd and 4wd

 

[twodollars]

Durango, you have a fun decision to make. The caveman in me likes v8s without overhead cams, so I vote dodge.

 

[Buliwyf]

My Ford locker locks in 2wd, 4H, and 4L. It'll kick off at 20ish mph in 2wd and 4H. 4L locks it in at any reasonable speed. (58 or something) It should auto unlock for tight turns, if it can, but we do that manually anyways.

No need for LS rear in the Ford. When the locker is off / open, the TCS brakes the spinning rear tire aggressively and early. Tested it today again. Works well. Better than any stock Ford LSD ever has for me.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

4l at 58mph?

 

[toylandcruiser]

4l at 58mph?

Was going to say the same thing.

 

[Betarocker]

Probably a brain fart typo. 4 low requires a stationary vehicle, in neutral to engage.

 

[Paddy]

It's common to think that an lsd is only good till the wheel lifts is totally false. Look at how humvee is made. They came with Torsen LsD on both ends and they trained soldiers to use brake modulation to gain traction which uses the Torsen to their best. This is why all humvee are automatics. Easier to work both pedals. Then, for the 99% of the time when you don't have a wheel lifted, the Torsen is a transparent and beautiful device that makes a 2wd pickup feel like it has AWD on wet streets and gravel. SO, I suggest looking at Detroit truetrac. They are reasonable priced, work all the time and improve on and off road driving greatly. They also have no special friction discs, any adjustments or oil additives. I placed on in my Tacoma because I was having issues with trailers on gravel. It made my truck able to back up on my gravel street where before it would've just jumped and hopped annoyingly.

Truetrac gives the benefits of a locker without the negatives. Now someone might pop up and claim that they don't work for rock crawling and extreme wheeling. Okay, well to me they outweigh that with all their other benefits. I like to use my 4wd on ice at times. Locker is useless or dangerous then.

 

[Buliwyf]

And today's trucks pump the brakes for you automatically, so the Truetrac is even better than it used to be. No left foot needed.

Not a typo, the Ford E locker doesn't auto dis-engage until you reach a speed that is higher than you'd ever go in 4 lo. It's a good thing, I don't want the locker turning off on it's own when in 4 low from a bad speed reading or some wheel spin.

You can engage the locker at just about any speed under those limits. 4 low is one that's less than 3mph in neutral to engage. Once you're already in 4L you can lock and unlock the rear axle as you see fit at any speed. 2wd turned it off around 20 IIRC.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

My Ford locker locks in 2wd, 4H, and 4L. It'll kick off at 20ish mph in 2wd and 4H. 4L locks it in at any reasonable speed. (58 or something) It should auto unlock for tight turns, if it can, but we do that manually anyways.

No need for LS rear in the Ford. When the locker is off / open, the TCS brakes the spinning rear tire aggressively and early. Tested it today again. Works well. Better than any stock Ford LSD ever has for me.

The traction control doesn't work for me in reverse backing my boat up a grassy hill to the barn. It'll sit still spinning one tire until I use the e locker or 4wd.

 

[Comanche Scott]

I ran a Truetrac in a track car. But haven't tried one for a 4x4. Been thinking about it for the front of the Dodge Ram 2500.

What I like about a Torsen style (like the Truetrac) is it is torque sensing. If I remember right the Truetrac varies up to 2:1. What that meant on the track is, it was virtually invisible, except that the rear "just stuck" like glue and i could power out of a turn much sooner than when I ran a locker.

Thinking about that for off-road would be a similar advantage, especially in off camber slippery conditions, where traction is consistently changing from side to side.

 

[Tiki]

Selectable full locker F/R. Open F/R have served me well through many a snow storms, and a selectable off-road is the bees knees.

 

[Buliwyf]

If I can make it this winter, driving on the street and back country roads, in 1wd only, then I'm adding a Yukon Grizzly Locker to the front axle in the spring.

I just drove a truck with an E-locker rear, and Grizz up front, and it was unstoppable. My only concern is driving in snow in the winters, but since I always run excellent tires in the winter, I don't recall TRUELY needing 4wd on road. And I'm fairly certain, I'll never need 4wd above 15mph.

If one wheel drive, and my lame stock Michelin LTX AT tires do OK, this winter, then I know I'll be fine with Cooper ST Maxx's and 1wd. If that's the case, then I can go hardcore with the front locker without worry. And not have to sweat in spring off road mud slop, and towing on beaches as much.

 

[locrwln]

I believe he is referring to the "one wheel peel" of an open differential in slippery situations.
.
Jack

 

[Buliwyf]

I believe he is referring to the "one wheel peel" of an open differential in slippery situations.
.
Jack

Yeah, I have the OEM E-locker in the rear. 1 wheel peel!

Actually, the TCS did get both wheels spinning fine by braking the spinning one. So it's at least better than the pathetic 1999 Ford LSD's.

If that's all I need on the street in the winter, then it really opens up my choices for the front diff. And/or, if I only need 4wd at speeds less than 15mph this winter, then I'll still go with a Yukon or Detroit up front.