Locking differntials for trailering?
 

I gave up 4-wheel drive in my Dodge for a Ford F150 Supecrew, and I'm looking for the best locking differentials for towing (on a budget). Boats weight under 5,000 pounds. No offroad. A little snow on ski trips. Mostly for slippery boat ramps. Any input would be appreciated. Dave

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

aftermarket?

Detroit locker ~~ but they are crud and noisy but work wonderful.

Me, I would chose an air locker that is locked and unlocked with a flip of a switch

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

i have detroit lockers on my mudder and they are madd ass

donz jr mike

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Detroits are the way to go. Have front and rear on my wrangler and love'm. Arb's are also nice but pricey. The detroit true trac is not a true locker but gives tremendous traction on slippery surfaces.

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

I would not put a true Detroit Locker in a street truck unless it's a real go fast deal. Yes that was the best diff I ever ran in my 4x4 but you always knew it was there in the street. They stink in snow for sure. I would go for a good limited slip myself. Or the ARB if you have the cash.

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Hey, i just noticed you are in So Cal. The Gear Man in Garden Grove can fix you up. Ask for Bill and tell him that Dave from Sweet Performance said to do ya right.

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Hmmmm...Good info, but the water's still muddy.
Lets narrow down needs and limitations:
Slippery, steep boat ramps are a concern
I will do some snow on road.
I like to powerslide on the street in the rain
I will NOT do rock-crawling type offroad (just occasional fire-roads for haulin dirt bikes in desert)
Currently running 20 inch Centerline wheels with low profile street tires.
LOW BUDGET. Getting married in 1 month.
Thanks again for your responses! Dave

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Go with a factory rebuilt swap, cheap and effective.

Wannabe

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

I'll check out the gear man! Thanks miuch! D

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Detroit true trac is a good compromise (noise wise) and are tough.
Air lockers are cool, but not necessarily the most robust.
Seen a lot of them at the start of hill climbs/off-road races,
not a lot of them at the end of the week.
Just uncle Ernie's $0.02 :chimp:

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

A good quality limited slip by auburn or eaton will work fine, and if you keep the same gear its an easy swap.

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

I run a Detroit in the rear w/ no noise and no problems in the snow. I run an Arb in front.

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

For towing (and the associated tongue weight on the rears) I prefer a decent limited slip diff, not a locker. It's a wonder that the axle shafts hold up with limited slips, much less a true locker.

I think lockers are the BEST units you can get for hard offroading.
And GREAT for parking lot pull-offs.
And BAD for towing.

As was mentioned, there is NOTHING wrong with a factory style clutch diff. Auburn is a superior unit to the GM Posi-Trac.

And don't let anybody fool you about a limited slip not pulling its weight. If you ease out around a corner on a slippery road, the inside wheel may spin. So what. Big deal. On the same corner, if you stomp it off the line, the load on the spider gears will stuff them back into the clutch plates and you'll light up both rears no prob. That's how they work. The more load you put on the spiders, the harder they bite into the locking plates. No magic. No positive locking (which can snap your axles right where the splines stop) which eats up your tires.

Auburn diff.
or
True Trac (a much more aggressive unit, and not actually necessary).

mc

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

As has been said already, don't do the Detroit locker unless you offroad heavily.

That being said...you wanted inexpensive and functional. Go with a Lock Right. Unlocks when turning and works great. We sell a lot of these to guys that lift trucks at our shop and run them mainly on the street. I ran one for about 40k miles on a 1995 Chevy I listed.

Buck

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Go factory rebuilt limited slip from Ford, and never think about it again.........

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Good question. Might have to contact Dodge with your VIN, but if it doesn't have one, the Dodge factory should be nuked................

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

yup. I have limited slip in my 03 F250 4x4 and pull almost 9K, rare that I need to throw in 4x4. My old Ford had manual locking hubs and the most I would do is put in low 4x4 for the gearing, the truck was a DOG. The one thing Ford does right is limited slip, when I plow all 4 spit roosters at once.

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

I would be surprised if a truck like that doesn't have one. Like was mentioned, get your VIN and call a dealer to find out though.

As for needing one with the amount of weight you tow....that would really depend more and traction issues than anything. Are you having any trouble pulling up wet ramps right now?

Buck

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

I am looking at a Detroit Locker Tru Trac for my 85 GMC 1500. It has been a yard truck/boat mover for several years but gets stuck on wet pavement.Who has the best prices on lockers?

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

A Detroit Locker and a Tru Trac are two different beasts.
A DL is a ratchet lock diff, and when it locks, it locks. The outside wheel will ratchet ahead of the inside wheel and make a clicking sound.
The TT is a gear locking diff. Friendlier to the tires and such, but will still lock up.

Gleason Torsen is a worm gear locking diff. Fantastic street car (roadrace) diff. Still locks all the way.

For towing, I prefer a diff that doesn't actually LOCK. When you are towing, you have a far increased weight on the rears (from tongue weight) and you are loading your parts much heavier. Just like a headgasket will blow during detonation and save your motor, a clutch type limited slip will save your axle shafts while still providing the additional traction you are seeking.

If you are towing, and need to start off with one wheel on ice and one wheel on pavement, a clutch style limited slip will "one wheel it" if you baby it from a start. But if you start with a good dose of juice (which shoves the spiders into the clutch packs) the pavement wheel will drive you out of the ice. Just gotta see in your mind how they are working.

Course some people gotta have lockers. And then they get to brag about how badass their truck is because they have gone thru five or six snapped axle shafts...

Many trucks do NOT come with limited slip diffs. In fact, more of the are shipped with open diffs than you'd think. The tag on the diff cover will tell you if it is a limited slip or not. The VIN usually doesn't tell you. The data tag axle code usually does though (in the glovebox, door jamb or under hood).

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

Hey Mark - Not sure what you mean? I should have the Ford's cylinder head examined before I get married and put in a limted slip? Maybe something is already slipping...

Re: Locking differntials for trailering?
 

"slipping".......if your getting married, that would be your judgement. uh oh, hang on a second..............what honey???...........no, I'm not surfing smut dear.......yes I love you, it's just OSO.........no honey, I wont' stay up late.....yes honey, I'll take the kids to school tomorrow..........sure honey, you can have my truck tomorrow.........................