Limited Slip Faceoff: Detroit TrueTrac vs. ARB Air Locker

[Buliwyf]

The Detroit Locker,Yukon Locker, and Truetrac are good to go for towing and heavy use IME.

Mind your air pressures though, keep them equal on the street.

 

[Mundo4x4Casa]

Buliwyf
The Detroit Locker,Yukon Locker, and Truetrac are good to go for towing and heavy use IME.

jefe: Unselectable, full-time lockers on the front axle? I don't think so. You still do not address the extreme weight on the rear axle. It has almost nothing to do with towing. I"ve had all kinds of 4 byes with Detroits, Lock Rites and other full, no prisoners lockers and I do not think they will last on the street with that 7K pounds on the rear axle with the extreme traction those 16" wide super singles to grind against. Never mind the dismal operation on ice and the quirky snap/crackle/pop. It is just too heavy a vehicle to have severe oversteer when you are on it and severe under steer when you let up. With the massive traction of the rear tires, these very quirks are amplified as there is no chirp, no give with the camper on. I don't need a full locker on either end on the XTC: just a little added, gear driven traction (not wet clutches) aid on the front. One of the reasons I bought the 2 series Dodge when I did was because it was their first offering of a 35 spline, Dana 80 differential; bumped up from a 31 spline with the lower output Cummins. The engine was also re-tuned (as opposed to detuned) back up a ways(245HP/505TQ) only because it was the first offering of the NV5600 (26K pound load limit), a trans that could take the torque output. The Dodge automatic trans of the era certainly could not. The above HP/TQ numbers seem pretty puny compared to newer diesels. By the way, I've broken both Yukon (trussed up Corp 20) and Mosier (Dana 60) hardened axles using a full unselectable locker.
regards, as always, jefe

 

[kojackJKU]

But trutracs are fine. Correct?

 

[11MPG]

But trutracs are fine. Correct?

My Burb has 348rwhp going to 4.88s with a Truetrac in a 10 bolt. 40k mile later and no metal in the diff. I think it's earned my vote. Good for towing the camper too cause it doesn't burn up the tires when you're on asphalt. As for traction if you're talking a scale of open diff being "1" and a locker being "10" I'd put the Truetrac at a "7"

 

[Buliwyf]

Buliwyf
The Detroit Locker,Yukon Locker, and Truetrac are good to go for towing and heavy use IME.

jefe: Unselectable, full-time lockers on the front axle? I don't think so. You still do not address the extreme weight on the rear axle. It has almost nothing to do with towing. I"ve had all kinds of 4 byes with Detroits, Lock Rites and other full, no prisoners lockers and I do not think they will last on the street with that 7K pounds on the rear axle with the extreme traction those 16" wide super singles to grind against. Never mind the dismal operation on ice and the quirky snap/crackle/pop. It is just too heavy a vehicle to have severe oversteer when you are on it and severe under steer when you let up. With the massive traction of the rear tires, these very quirks are amplified as there is no chirp, no give with the camper on. I don't need a full locker on either end on the XTC: just a little added, gear driven traction (not wet clutches) aid on the front. One of the reasons I bought the 2 series Dodge when I did was because it was their first offering of a 35 spline, Dana 80 differential; bumped up from a 31 spline with the lower output Cummins. The engine was also re-tuned (as opposed to detuned) back up a ways(245HP/505TQ) only because it was the first offering of the NV5600 (26K pound load limit), a trans that could take the torque output. The Dodge automatic trans of the era certainly could not. The above HP/TQ numbers seem pretty puny compared to newer diesels. By the way, I've broken both Yukon (trussed up Corp 20) and Mosier (Dana 60) hardened axles using a full unselectable locker.
regards, as always, jefe

You must be thinking of how Lockrite, Powertrax, or Aussie lockers work. Detroits are fine on pavement. All the weight in the world isn't going to make much of a difference IME. The outer side just ratchets free in a turn easy enough, it won't lock up solid unless you want it to. The local Hazmat Semi-trucks next door to my last job used Detroits in many of their rigs.

The new Detroit Lockers work great hauling a slide in camper in a F350DRW or towing 10,000 pounds. They handle weight fine. The more weight I have the smoother they are. We even run them front and rear when a truck is only needed in 2wd on the street and not for hardcore wheeling. Example: A truck primarily for getting my jetski out of the water with no boat ramp, and soft, soft wet sand.

I avoid the front Detroit in the snow. But Ohio snow is deep enough for lockers. And when it's thin, 2wd is fine as long as the truck is set up correctly. Operator error, or setup error mostly, with the Detroits brings out the worst in them. I actually prefer them for heavy working trucks, because you get to use the locker in places where you couldn't use an ARB.

 

[looper]

I'm considering putting a Detroit Locker in the rear and a Truetrac in the front of my 99.5 F250SD Supercrew longbed. It has the 7.3l and a ZF6. I've seen that some of you don't think the Detroit locker would be the first choice with my manual trans, but I think with the long wheelbase it should be alright. Any thoughts?

 

[legendaryandrew]

I'm thinking TruTrack in the back for my Suburban and an e-locker up front. I prefer passive traction devices, for occasional bad weather and such, and from what I've read the GM IFS will live longer with a locker in front than it would open diff, as you won't get one wheel free spinning much faster than the other, and coming to a sudden stop once it hits something, which is apparently what grenades the front pumpkin. Locker keeps them spinning the same speed no matter what.

 

[1stDeuce]

I'm considering putting a Detroit Locker in the rear and a Truetrac in the front of my 99.5 F250SD Supercrew longbed. It has the 7.3l and a ZF6. I've seen that some of you don't think the Detroit locker would be the first choice with my manual trans, but I think with the long wheelbase it should be alright. Any thoughts?

It'll still clunk and bang a bit, and the tip-in tip-out clunk gets worse with a detroit too. And it still drives off the inside tire ONLY in every turn unless you can slip (spin) the inside tire a bit, like if they were locked solid together. That means that empty it eats tires a little more, and loaded, there's double the torque going through one axle shaft that there would be with an open diff.

If you're "alright" with those tradeoffs, then a Detroit will work for you.

 

[1stDeuce]

I'm thinking TruTrack in the back for my Suburban and an e-locker up front. I prefer passive traction devices, for occasional bad weather and such, and from what I've read the GM IFS will live longer with a locker in front than it would open diff, as you won't get one wheel free spinning much faster than the other, and coming to a sudden stop once it hits something, which is apparently what grenades the front pumpkin. Locker keeps them spinning the same speed no matter what.

I run a TT in the front and rear of my Jeep and I love them. I've never seen a grenaded GM front axle that wasn't flat out ABUSED and neglected. I've seen broken half shafts from the combination of torque and lift and a locker, and I've seen the CAD coupler have issues because people shift to 4wd at a stop (Stuck) and then foot it before it can fully engage. But never seen a grenaded front diff. You'd have to beat it HARD to worry about what you're suggesting. If you plan to beat it that hard, then you'll break stuff with a locker too.

I don't know where you read what you read, but I personally don't buy it for a second. My theory, regardless of IFS or solid axle is that any engine will make enough torque to snap axles or half shafts. If you run a locker, it's pretty easy to send a LOT of torque through only one axle shaft. Snap. Running an LSD on the front instead limits how much torque either axle shaft can see and keeps that from happening.

The front axle is usually a bit weaker than the rear, so I always tell people to put the locker in the rear. For most folks, just having a rear locker is enough and they don't bother with the front. (You're not rock crawling for fun in your IFS Suburban, right?)

I thought about putting a TT in the front of my truck for a while, as it would probably play well with the G80, but two things keep me from doing it... First, with the rear G80 locker, I have yet to fail to reach my destination, (IE I haven't needed anything in the front yet) and second, my truck is flex limited, which means that the most common need for a locker is that I'm crossed up, and with one tire light or lifted, an LSD is only minimally helpful, if at all.

My recommendation is to find a rear locker that you like and leave the front alone unless you frequently find that you'd be helped by a front lsd or locker. I think you'd be surprised where a rear locker in a rear heavy vehicle will take you.

 

[nitro-gear]

Here are some of the choices available for overland vehicles:

-Limited Slip Differential (aka LSD, "Positraction") - uses clutches, cones, or helical gears and pre-load to prevent wheel spin. Increases traction significantly, smooth on the street, reasonably priced, but NEVER 100% locked. Examples TrueTrac, Eaton Posi, Auburn LSD, TracLok, Torsen. Off-Road 3 of 5 On-Road 5 of 5 Average price $300-600

-Auto / Mechanical Locker - Uses mechanical teeth, cams, springs, to ensure 100% lockup when throttle is applied. Disengages around corners. Increases traction significantly, reasonably priced. Clunks & Pops on corners. Examples: Detroit Locker, Lock Right, Powertrax. Off-Road 5 of 5 On-Road 2 of 5 Average price $300-700

-Selectable Locker - Can be selected from open to 100% locked with flip of switch, Actuated via Compressed Air or Electro-magnet. Best of both worlds. More Costly, some also require an additional compressor system. More complex. Examples: ARB Air Locker, TJM Pro Locker, Eaton E-Locker, Auburn ECTED, OX Locker, Off-Road 5 of 5 On-Road 5 of 5 Average price $750-1075

 

[153624]

I have run a Truetrac in the rear D80 in my old cummins dodge. With loads of HP. No issues. Worked great. And also now in the D110 rear on my F450. They just eat up the abuse.


This is a blow up of a Detroit Truetrac. Very solid. No clutches no slipping no problem.

 

[legendaryandrew]

Yeah, after lots of consideration I think I'll go this route. I'm leaning toward a full rear axle rebuild now, leaving the .373's, and running an e-locker. Still haven't decided if I'll regear, trucks got plenty of power.

I run a TT in the front and rear of my Jeep and I love them. I've never seen a grenaded GM front axle that wasn't flat out ABUSED and neglected. I've seen broken half shafts from the combination of torque and lift and a locker, and I've seen the CAD coupler have issues because people shift to 4wd at a stop (Stuck) and then foot it before it can fully engage. But never seen a grenaded front diff. You'd have to beat it HARD to worry about what you're suggesting. If you plan to beat it that hard, then you'll break stuff with a locker too.

I don't know where you read what you read, but I personally don't buy it for a second. My theory, regardless of IFS or solid axle is that any engine will make enough torque to snap axles or half shafts. If you run a locker, it's pretty easy to send a LOT of torque through only one axle shaft. Snap. Running an LSD on the front instead limits how much torque either axle shaft can see and keeps that from happening.

The front axle is usually a bit weaker than the rear, so I always tell people to put the locker in the rear. For most folks, just having a rear locker is enough and they don't bother with the front. (You're not rock crawling for fun in your IFS Suburban, right?)

I thought about putting a TT in the front of my truck for a while, as it would probably play well with the G80, but two things keep me from doing it... First, with the rear G80 locker, I have yet to fail to reach my destination, (IE I haven't needed anything in the front yet) and second, my truck is flex limited, which means that the most common need for a locker is that I'm crossed up, and with one tire light or lifted, an LSD is only minimally helpful, if at all.

My recommendation is to find a rear locker that you like and leave the front alone unless you frequently find that you'd be helped by a front lsd or locker. I think you'd be surprised where a rear locker in a rear heavy vehicle will take you.

 

[Scrapdaddy]

Drodio,

You're getting a air compressor anyway, so just go with the air locker. I look at having both air lockers, not how often I'll use them, but when I do need them, they're there. I'd hate to be in a situation with my family where true four wheel drive was needed and didn't have it. Food for thought.

 

[The Yak]

A very useful thread. We have a Land Rover Defender 110 with which we do a lot of heavy towing to the vehicle max towing limit of 3.5 tons. We have had poor traction moments and are looking for lockers.

I don't know if it has been mentioned, but a consideration factored in to our choice of lockers is the fact that other people may be driving our Land Rover who are not familiar with lockers. With selectable lockers these drivers may not be familiar with when and how to use them, and just as importantly, when not to use them!

Thanks to all your inputs we have decided that Detroit Truetrac is best for us.

 

[smlobx]

Drodio,

You're getting a air compressor anyway, so just go with the air locker. I look at having both air lockers, not how often I'll use them, but when I do need them, they're there. I'd hate to be in a situation with my family where true four wheel drive was needed and didn't have it. Food for thought.

This is the way I'm leaning also. The ability to have onboard air to fix a flat etc. in the middle of nowhere cannot be underestimated.