Thank you for the in depth explanations I have a question, for drifting a locked differential is a must would one of your e lock differentials work for drifting because the slack would not affect a car being that you don't end up rolling backwards and my daily driver is also my drift car so this seems very practical because i don't want to weld my diff looks like a pain to daily drive
Congrats! I have a question about the Detroit locker. For an F150 IFS, would it cause any problems when in 2wd? Would it potentially cause damage to the weaker IFS?
I know you did this years ago and you probably won't even write but man this was a great video I have a 1994 ford f150 4x4 with 4 inch lift and plan on doing 6 inch anyways after watching your Awesome video I believe I will be doing the (Spartan lockers) front and rear, I would like to do the Detroit lockers but I really dont have that kind of money and I looked up the Spartans lockers and similar ones like them through jegs and summet racing and they run around $320.00 give or take a couple 20.00,s
@@edwardkesock216 ...I'm scrolling through here thinking, "no point in commenting here, after all this time", but there you are. lol What an interesting tutorial, and as someone else said "very professional" with no umms and arrs. I was soaking it all up. What a bloody good job. I wonder where this bloke is located. I've bookmarked this video for future reference. Bloody awesome.
Who needs years of TAFE and schooling when you have guys like this presenting in a way that is super easy to follow and actually retaining the information being shared in such an impactful way, being visual? Thank you for this share!
Had a Detroit style locker before in a light vehicle. Annoying to drive both on road and off road. On road it was the worst if not being driven correctly. It would lock in a tight turn if letting off a little on the gas or started to engine brake. Needed to keep a certain amount of power or freewheel else it would lock up shaking and unsettling the car with screaming tires. Off road one felt there was lot of play in the system when in rock or uneven terrain. Very jerky because the wheel has to turn a little before power would be transmitted in the opposite direction. Every time the car would get over to the other side of a stone it would move an extra foot rolling before engine braking worked because of the huge slack in the system. It worked best when driven "hard" because then it would always behave like a spool.
This concerns me @Anders Sandkvist. I'm considering one now for cost and ease of use when I go 4WDing. Got a hilux dual cab. I also tow a camper trailer. Would you not recommend it?
I have Lock-Rites (lunchbox/Detroit-style lockers) in both axles of my K10 and they've performed flawlessly for over six years. No learning curve, no clicks, no scrubbing, 99% transparent in daily street use. Perform in low-traction situations. Highly recommend. Only odd thing is that they cost as much a the Eaton Tru-Trac I installed in my Silverado.....
THE best off road differential description ever. This presentation doesn't go overboard with sponsor support. 100% mechanics, installation, application and engineering. AWESOME video. Thank you!
Absolutely. The only thing that has changed is that some Eaton E-locker models have changed to a positive engagement collar but only for larger axles. Thanks for watching!
This is a really incredible video. One of the best I have seen on RU-vid for any subject. I just want to add that we have front/rear ARB lockers with 110K miles on them, and zero issues except for a melted plastic air line that was replaced with a stainless steel line. No leaks, no icing, etc. We can air up our 2 gallon ViAir tank (110PSI) and the ARB compressor won't trip (90PSI) for ~6 days. With front and rear locker *engaged*, and the Jeep parked, the compressor won't trip until ~3 days. Without the ViAir tank (we have a shut-off valve on the supply hose), the ARB's tiny manifold/tank will hold pressure for over a day before the compressor trips, and about 12 hours with the lockers engaged while parked. Note that we don't typically leave the tank aired up due to condensation and such. Anyway, thanks again for the awesome video.
Well done, informative vid. I like the 'real world' addition of the welded spiders. In 50+ years, I have never seen anyone who makes money selling aftermarket parts be as real as that. If I was still building toys that break parts, you'd have my biz. Good on ya'
I welded my buddies rear end in his chev 1500 that lasted about 2 months before his gears were shot. I also welded my Jeep Grand cherokee axel that lasted about a month before it blew up going down the highway. It was super fun though!
To clear up some common misconceptions about differentials (also found in this video, to some extend): An open differential always splits the torque of the input shaft 50/50 between the output shafts. A Torsen (TorSen = Torque Sensing) differential never locks up. It changes the TBR (torque bias ratio) from 1:1 (open differential) to something else. F.e. a torsen differential with a TBR of 3:1 will output 3 times the torque of the faster wheel on the slower spinning wheel. That's why torsen differentials aren't great in really bad conditions. If one wheel slips on a really slippery surface like ice or hangs in the air, the torque it takes to spin it is nearly 0. Meaning the other output will be driven with 3 x 0 = 0. Clutch pack based LSD overcome this problem with pretensioning, which provides a given torque differential that has to be overcome before it allows slip.
1. Open differential is 50/50 only on high traction surfaces. 2. While the TrueTrac does not mechanically lock, when enough torque applied to it and given enough resistance to "seize up", it will create enough friction that both axle shafts will turn together as if in a spool, although, in the real world this may only be for a fraction of a second.
@@Filthymotorsports1. "Open differential is 50/50 only on high traction surfaces." That is not true. An open differential always "applies" the same torque on both outputs, disregarding minor differences caused by friction in the differential. That is exactly why an open differential delivers poor performance on low traction surfaces, since the torque is dependent of the resistance of the wheels. When one wheel slips, the torque needed to drive it is close to 0, meaning the torque delivered to the other wheel also is close to 0 (and for that matter, the torque output by the engine being close to 0 in that situation as well.) That's also the reason why you need a rolling road/dyno to measure the power/torque output of an engine, and can't measure it just standing still and stomping the gas. 2. A Torsen style differential can of course spin both outputs at the same rate, if the faster spinning output is generating a lot of torque. What you discribe usually happens when the vehicle isn't moving and power is applied very rapidly. The inertia in the drivetrain will generate a lot of torque in the system for a very short moment, and therefore deliver a higher output (depending on the TBR of the differential) on the slower turning wheel. But as soon as the faster output is turning and slipping, the torque drops again. One way to counter that lack of torque biasing in very low friction situations with a Torsen differential is applying the brakes. The braking force will increase the torque needed to turn the faster spinning wheel, and therefore increase the torque delivered to the other wheel.
Both diffs just exploded in my jeep tj and this demonstration is way better than a thousand forums and hours of research. Looks like a torsen unit is going to be a perfect differential for my personal needs.
At first I thought it was gonna be a long vid and im not gonna finish it, but when i kept watching I found out that this is The Best Differential break down on the internet! Thanks ben
Much agreed - very well put together video, didn't mind the 29 minute length one bit. I'd really like to see a video of vehicles out on a slippery hill demonstrating as many of these as possible, especially open vs torsen vs one of the selectable lockers vs detroit vs spool.
I literally have probably only taken the time to leave one or two comments on a video in my entire 10+ year RU-vid career, and after being glued to this video from start to finish, I feel compelled to offer my sincerest gratitude for this thoroughly comprehensive overview. If only you had a tutorial for any/everything anyone ever wanted to learn about, would probably be the biggest lifehack of all time.
If anybody is wondering why there aren't many vids on this subject, it is because of this video! ....very informative and very professionally done. Nothing beats a well presented, well constructed vid when broaching this sometimes confusing subject. Well done and many thanks.
Excellent description of the Eaton Truetrac. I agree, it is a brilliant mechanical design. It’s worth noting that they can make a “pop" or "boom" when unlocking...especially on dry pavement in a tight turn. I thought I broke something the first time I heard it.
MAAAAAAAAAAAAAN YOU'RE MY HERO! I Have a truetrack in my 06 silverado. Made a uturn with wsy too much wood in the back and swore i broke my rear end when i heard that bang. Called the shop that did the install & they acted like i didnt know what i was talking about. Nice to hear from someone else thats dealt with this issue.
@@michaelrichardson5505 Glad I could "help"! It scared the hell out of me the first time it happened. It doesn’t happen often with normal driving but I’m sure a u-turn would do it.
I agree with so many others on here, this is the best explanation that I have ever seen. Thank you guys for putting this together! I hope that you continue to create more content like this.
This video is far and away the best, detailed and most easily understood lesson on differentials I have seen. Thanks for making the effort to produce it. I have seen it before but wanted to refresh my mind about Detroit Locker operation, so it took a bit of effort to locate that segment of the video, but I did eventually get to it. I did however pick up a mistake with the Torsen explanation. Relating to the basic principle of operation, the narrators says, "a worm gear can drive a spur gear but a spur gear cannot drive a worm gear" What he meant to say was, "a worm gear can drive a WORM WHEEL, but a worm wheel cannot drive a worm gear." The worm wheel and worm gear are meshed, the spur gears are on the END of the worm wheels and do not touch the actual worm gear. They only mesh with each other.
Thanks for the comment! The phrasing in that section was to say that the Torsen differential works on the *principal* of the Spur and Worm gear relationship, I was not trying to say that the Torsen was a spur and worm mechanism. Hope that clarification helps. Cheers!
fantastic video this is the best demonstration of the different differentials I've ever seen really really good video thank you for taking the time to do such a great job to educate the public five stars to you
The best, most concise and clearly articulated presentation on this subject that I have ever seen. I’ll subscribe for more of this type of quality content.
Actually I have trained my dog to engage and disengage my Ox locker on command. He is also a good navigator unless he loses concentration if he spots a pretty bitch on the trail. Seriously though, this is by far the best analysis video of the different forms of differentials that I have ever watched. Good job.
That was the most clearly explained definition of differential types I have ever heard, and I have been rebuilding rears, trans & engines since 1976! Well Done my Man!!!
My brother in law and sister were driving in the snow and ice on the highway in a bronco with limited slip. The rear axle spun out on them and the bronco wrecked bad against the guard rail. It’s not said enough that these can be/are dangerous in ice at highway speeds. Additionally some people have had some luck turning their open differential into a limited slip when needed by applying the park brake and light gas pedal with drum brakes are self energizing in that when a wheel spins, and brakes applied, the drum shoes get pulled in even harder. Thank you for the great clear info. It’s true friction plates in limited slip wear out fast. My 93 ford ranger with factory was and when I put new plates in, it was worn out agin within 50k mikes or less even though I installed extra plates. The Moreno true team looks like the best thing out there and it’s cool our military agree.
Jim M I have a 96 bronco that came with a posi unit from the factory but after 168,000 miles the clutches wore out. But instead of changing the clutches I put in a Detroit true track
This is the best video I have ever seen that describes every type of differential completely. It may be long but extremely well done and worth every minute to watch. Thank you for taking the time to do this. It had just the right amount of detail about each type to make them easy to understand but not confusing. Very well done.
I stumbled into this video, and am very impressed with this gentleman's ability to clearly explain this subject for 30 minutes. I've subscribed without yet knowing what else the channel contains.
Great VID. We have started showing this to our clients so they understand what they are getting when they buy a locker. Mike Walsman JeepFix West Jordan, UT
Ben, that was spot on and a perfect video!! Thank you for taking the time to explain each set up. Plan on an Ox Locker in the rear of my Jeep. But was stuck on what to do up front, until I watched your video!! Very informative indeed. When I'm ready to order, after this video, I'll purchase from you!
I came here to say the same thing. Trying to figure out what will suit my 4runner's needs most, and before watching this I knew the basic principle of how diffs work and what a locker does, but still found it confusing. This guy was clear, concise, and easy to understand, and really helped me gain a better comprehension of how all these different diffs and lockers all actually work. Visually seeing him manipulate the physical pieces was incredibly helpful as well. Tons of value in this video for someone eager to learn more! 👏
Just reached 200,000 views! Thank you all for the support and your feedback! We have more videos like this coming out soon so make sure to subscribe to our channel. Cheers!
This a very helpfull for offroaders like me! I'm from Brazil and here is difficult to chose the best solution, because it's no easy to have all options at hand before the purchase. I'm on my way to get a Eaton e-locker!
Miata's are famous for Torsen diffs. I had a 2000 SE with 180k miles that would squall both rears off the line at autocross events for 2 plus years. still worked great when I sold it
I know it's already been said, but WOOWOOOWWWWEEE!! This was the most thorough, complicatedly simple description of THE DIFFERENTIAL and DIFFERENTIAL LOCKERS, that I have seen!! AWESOME JOB!! Thank you very much!!
What else are you so knowledgeable about. You are a real pro at explaining. I'm so grateful for your ability to convey the info correctly and your effort to make all the info comprehensive. I almost want to become a technical mechanic. Thanks.
I think a Candy Machine Maker invented the True Trac idea.. Being the owner of Walter Trucks . The Detroit Locker Detroit True Tack I think they have been bought out is why the name has changed over the years.. I had one in the rear axle of a Tandem axle Truck .. It helped not to get stuck but was a real pain in the road.. You have to let off on the gas pedal to get it to unlock not so good when you are pulling a loader on a trailer up a steep drive and pulling into traffic and turning .. With a Detroit Locker only the wheel on the out side of the turn breaks loose and free wheels.. thus if you are under power it won't disengage which would cause the front wheels of my truck to slide sideways while turning ..
@@Filthymotorsports Yes the only way a Detroit Locker will work is the out side wheel in a turn will ratchet or free wheel. With a big heavy truck Eaton 34,000 # tandem with 18 1?2 ring gears.. the only way I could get the truck to turn is to let off on the gas so it can unlock.. My Problem was I was pulling a trailer with 7,000 pounds of tongue weight which was way too much should have been about 3,000# 23,000 # loader 7,500# trailer
Excellent presentation, thank you. I built a custom 9" Ford for a 64 Chevelle Malibu Convertible SS. 1100 made. GM diffs are ugly. Ford diffs are sleek, smooth works of art and bullet proof when built right. Coupled with 19' wheels that barely fit the wheel wells, Wilwood brakes, SS E brake and Hydraulic lines made her as pretty underneath as on top.
I knew all this but i still watched the whole video... for the second time. This would be my go-to video if anyone needed to know. I liked how you know what you're talking about and didn't look like you were reading off a script, makes it more fluid and natural.
I cannot believe I spent 30 minutes watching this. However I am tempted to watch it again as it was so informative. What a great video to explain the differences in the different differential styles available. (I do not think I would even put that many different words in a single sentence). We bought a new piece of property and the driveway is pretty steep and plowing has become a challenge. I had to get my dump truck out of there last week and had to buy some semi chains to get it out. It is just so steep and being light (coming out empty) and its being slick from snow required me to chain it up. After watching this I am thinking I will have a ARB air locked installed on both front and back of the 1 ton truck I am plowing with and chains as well. This should keep me out of trouble for sure. now that I know the different styles and how they work will help me make cleared decitions on future vehicles that we access this property with. Thanks for the great job on this.
Excellent presentation, you answered questions I did not know I had and I like the bit at the end " simply weld the gears together, not to the case, just weld the gears together". Someone, somewhere must have:)
I've seen several videos on this subject, this is by far the best of all, thank you very much for sharing, I took the liberty of sharing it on my group page... hope you don't mind.
Exceptionally comprehensive explanation of lockers minus one issue... torsen style diffs, like the truetrac, freak out when both tires are on ice. I found that out on my Jeep XJ when the rear end swung from side to side when I hit some black ice at 60 mph here in Colorado. This wasn't just a little swing, but more of a full blown watusi that even the best of your favorite club dancers couldn't replicate. ARB air lockers for me from then on out. Only thing that saved my life was mashing the transfer case into part time 4wd "RIGHT NOW" at speed and it straightened up. Great diff for everything else, just tap the brake if a wheel gets off the ground on rocks, great on sand, mud, gravel or even if a wheel gets in a soft shoulder and one on pavement.Awesome in snow too. Ice? Holy crap, hold on to your wheel and say a prayer because you may be going forward looking through your rear view mirror.
My experience with the TruTrac going from snow to ice on a dirt road at 45 mph in a long bed, 4 door 2 WD 84 Chevy, was different from the former comment. I'm not discounting his experience, but mine was a positive outcome. Power went from wheel to wheel and kept me in control. My friend and co-worker in front of me in his 92 Dodge short bed 4x4 in two wheel drive almost lost it. I'm not sure if it was the wheel base difference or what, but in my truck the Tru Trac works for me.
Thanks for a great video, very comprehensive. Here in Sweden we have a motorsport called "Folkrace" which aims to make racing available to anyone on a very modest budget. This is achieved by a rule that says that after a race, anyone can buy your car (minus racing seat and safety harness) at a fixed price of less than $1000. This of course means you won't be investing that much in the car, that you'll be using a scrapyard-ready one and that the starting field is equal. The race form itself is akin to rally-cross, where you race on a short, technical track which is mostly gravel and mud with some sections of tarmac, and that you race together with other drivers. You are also allowed to push opponents sideways (not ram them though). When I was younger and did this, I recall welding the diff was the only way to go and as said in the video, a spool does come with some serious side effects. I used to race front wheel drive cars (Old SAAB 99:s mostly) and a FWD car with fully locked diff is almost impossible to turn normally outside of walking speed. This is of course remedied by learning to provoke the car to overstear, which in turn poses a challenge - normally (in say Rally or Rally-cross) you do this by having your brakes biased to the rear and then you brake with your left foot while maintaining throttle and doing a quick flick of the steering wheel first in the opposite direction of where you want it to turn, which will cause the rear end to skid in a controlled manner if performed correctly. However, an adjustable brake system was of course also outside the budget, forcing more creativity, in the form of physically decreasing front brake power - this could be done by removing parts of the front brake pads, or as I preferred, by putting a small length of metal tubing between the front calipers, ensuring the could only partially engage. You also had to be extremely careful on the tarmac parts of the track since a rapid turn of the steering wheel was almost guaranteed to snap a driveshaft or strip the splines of it. Good times. Mostly just reminiscing, the one point is that going with a spool diff really should only be used in very specific conditions and like said in the video, especially in the front it's very rarely a good choice.
Great Video! I sent an Email question to Ben. Excellent explanations. Almost like going back to trade school. Air Lockers where just coming on the scene but in the farm tractors we have had them for years at that point. The rest were being used in automotive applications
HOLD IT! At 4:09 - the small clutch pack. "Very similar to what you would find in a MANUAL transmission..." I'm certain you intended to say AUTOMATIC transmission. OK. Carry on. :-) Good job overall. I remember the Eureka moment I had in 9th grade when I had a differential cutaway I could play with and finally see it for myself. It's very difficult to comprehend without one in your hands.
The best explained if have ever seen on diffs. Thanks, yeah I think the best application for me is the OX LOCKER. I ASSUME THEY CAN BE USED FRONT AND REAR DIFFS AT THE SAME TIME.
I’ve got Eaton E-lockers front and rear, and I wish I watched this video first before getting them because I would have went with Ox lockers front and rear instead.
@@RegardlessRecords the Eaton e lockers are working just fine. Haven’t had a single issue with them at all. My buddy has them as well and somehow he burned up the diode for his rear locker. It was literally on fire in it’s little case. He just swapped it out with a new one and it’s been fine. But they’ve worked every single time I’ve used them. Can’t complain really.
@@RegardlessRecords and yes I was referring to the manual ones. Seems a lot more reliable to be able to just move a level and your locked, as well as the ability to use that tool in case the cable breaks so you have a backup to unblock. But like I said I haven’t had any issues with my Eaton e lockers. I made that comment before I actually had the ability to use them. Now that I have I don’t know if I’d switch, just because there haven’t been any issues with them.
@@StormbornJKU thank for the reply. I figured you were talking about the manual ones. Watching this video it does seem like something crazy might happen with the air or the electric ones. Then I was thinking to myself well a car has a lot of electronic components that last a life time so i figured I'd ask how you are liking them so I can figure out what set up im leaning towards. Thanks for the reply.
what makes you say that? They now use a ramp/pin design which works with same principle as ramp and ball bearing and still disengage and re-engage ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1nYZo--7Xh4.html
Best video I've seen. Question for you about the torsen. My application is endurance road racing on tracks like Sonoma. I understand that when you are going around a corner with no throttle, the torsen allows the wheels to spin at different speeds. My question is, if I begin to throttle in the corner, will the torsen continue to allow the wheels to spin at different speed, or will it effectively become a locked dif. I have used a friction LSD and experienced significant single wheel spin exiting corners even after replacing the clutches. I have also used a Mini Spool (because I don't trust the bearings in a c-clip eliminator kit to last an endurance race with a full spool). I have much better grip and acceleration out of the corner with the mini spool, but experience significant understeer and increase in front tire wear as a result of the rear tires wanting to continue in a straight line. FYI, this car never sees public streets. Thanks again for the great video.
Thanks for question, glad you liked the video! The TrueTrac is used a lot in road racing. On a high traction surface the power always goes to both tires while allowing them to turn at different speeds within a fixed ratio. I had a chance to race a Miata equipped with a Torsen earlier this year on a race track and it was very impressive and extremely predictable. The few times I pushed too hard and got sideways it was completely controlled and very easy to straighten back up. There was also no understeer or oversteer from it. Hope that helps!
By far the best detailed, unbiased differential explanations I've seen. I was already leaning toward the Eaton True Trac's front and rear in my street and trail 2000 XJ, this presentation confirmed that for me. Thank you for doing such a great job!
@@V8AmericanMuscleCar Half way there. I have a high pinion Dana 30 that I had 4.10's and True Trac installed in and am doing the same for the Chrysler 8 1/4.
Hands down the best video I have found on information on differential traction modifications! When I get money saved up for a truetrac, I'll keep your website in mind for my purchase!
So I could run a spool on my front diff on a tacoma, since I have Manual warn hubs, which means I can disengage my axles from front diff at the wheels when I don’t need 4x4. Would this be a good cheaper option for me????
Technically yes, however, you would have to be very, very careful with how you engage and use 4x4. We like lunchbox lockers for the front because they have a "fuse" function to them to reduce stresses.
I know this video is quite long and you learned more then you did ever did from your teacher or going to a school that helps you become a Mechanic... BUT... With the current state of the Edumukation SIStum.. .. :-) So here is a GUY that Sits down and tells everyone why and what you should buy and everything you ever watned to know that took him maybe 10 years to learn. Yea.. We should ALL be ANGRY he could not do it like PHIL defranco with HUMP-CUT-JUMPS and Pretend that we like the NEW style of Learning???? Yea BRO. We are SOOOO mad at FILTHY motorsports for making us learn something so we can buy the right one! THIS VIDEO IS HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO MEN. The TIZUM crew will love it too. Soy Boys MAY not apply.
Wish someone made a 35 spline (detroit) locker for a 12 bolt. I have a spool now for drag racing and it works but it's pretty hard on parts given the two 180 degree turns at my drag strip.
congrats, great video. I'm trying to find a great selectable locker for my jeep and while Eaton e lockers sound great they are prone to failure with 35 inch and larger tires. arb's are prone to air leaks oil feed into compressor fire hazard. ox's cable adjustment, I've heard stories of carrier rub on pinion and housing requiring grinding best to have a reliable shop install that on expect bearing failure ect. what would you go with?
Thanks for the question! You are correct in that there is no perfect solution as each locker has it's flaws. However, if you are careful during the installation and maintain the vehilce properly (as you should be doing anyway), the Ox and ARB lockers are very reliable. If you are still worried about those issues though, a Detroit locker is about as fool-proof as it gets but its not street friendly.
In the video I was trying to reference the clutch used with a manual transmission (between the engine and transmission) but you are correct, the clutches *inside* an automatic transmission are the same principle :)
manual transmissions have clutches. Even a log skidder has an auto style transmission you just pop in gear, forward seven speeds and reverse. Still has a clutch. Drove it for years pulling logs, no clutch pedal was there. Found one off another skidder, but still don't use it.
The Patrol rear locker is a vacuum actuating locker. It has dual vacuum solenoids in the engine bay which provide vacuum to either of the two hoses running to the rear differential. Vacuum is supplied to one hose constantly to maintain the correct position of the actuating rod to normal open differential use. When you flick the switch vacuum is switched to the second line which slides the locking rod across into the locked position. When you switch it off vacuum is returned to the "open" line and the differential will revert to open again.
@@AfkhamAzeez sounds like exactly the same principle as a Pnuematic actuated differential locker. The difference is they are using the vacuum generated by the engine instead of a compressor to move a pin that locks the spider gears.
I recently purchased a 2008 f150 fx4 with an l.s.d. with 164,000 miles. I gave it a test on snow covered dirt roads this past hunting season and the rear diff. worked awesome. I can honestly say it lasts longer than 20 or 30 thousand miles.
Had the same truck and ya the rear end on those trucks are unreal. It's only a limited slip but works like a locker and I loved it. I made a lot of Chevy guys mad with that truck lol.
I had a Detroit Locker on my JK. Being a lighter unit, it didn't always disengage but when it did the ratcheting sound was the coolest sound ever. My Gladiator will definitely get a Detroit locker.
Filthy Motorsports unfortunately I do. I can't say what happened before I bought it 12 years ago with a hundred and forty-two thousand miles on it but I go back and forth from Florida to Michigan and from Florida to Texas many times plus I do land clearing for Highway projects in Florida and I take my Bronco everywhere. so now I'm done with the highway driving I'm kicking my street tires off and going to set it up for serious off-roading so I'm going to need a locker glad I found your video PS I've rebuilt this rear end 3 times but never messed with the clutches and I keep the fluid relatively clean and add additives
Posi's don't explode or anything after 20k miles. They are just an open diff with a clutch function so I have no doubt it could last 300k miles. What you have lost however is most of the actual Posi functionality. What you have now is probably only slightly better than just a plain old open diff. And of course that would work perfectly fine for normal street use and even light off roading so you probably wouldn't even notice a difference unless you took it mud bogging or something.
Great video with clear explanation of differences in the products being sold. I have been an ASE Master Tech since the late 70’s, and not allows a GM guy, mostly imports. “Hazet Tools” perhaps German, but produced dealer special tools for decades and prior in 1971, I purchased a 3 point axle puller & 1/2” adaptor to use with a torque wrench to check the minimum “Break Loose” torque of the clutch-type LSD differentials. Oddly, cars had a 65 lbs. ft. Minimum being heavier that a pickup truck at 38 lbs. ft. This method is shown in the factory service manuals. With proper gear lube changes, I have check hundreds and never had a clutch pack failure on repeat customers in dealers, one where I worked for 22 years and was on a first name basis. It is not a common fail item. Yes, I have replaced the clutch pack on a few but the had bearing failures first. That metallic grease will destroy the clutch’s fast after a bearing flakes off. I was not lucky with a one job tech, meaning burn’t valves, T-belts, everything electrical so over time, I was forced to buy way more tools than many. Huge investment including a diff-housing spreader that makes it so much easier to get side bearing pre-load. Plus the last 20+ years or so, having selectable shims from the aftermarket was huge to me, getting away from cast iron machines shims used from the factory that require a driver. I have had 300k miles on HD factory Hitachi clutch type lockers still work great under heavy SUV’s. It’s just experience and I winced a little at the 20k comment because there is a way to check them as per the factory book. But then once, customer pay was $24 hr., tech’s flat-rate pay was $6.00 and a Chevelle w/454 was just under $4k loaded. I do understand and meant no disrespect at all. It’s good if you have the ability to drop that much coin. Never got hired by a poor man. I have met guys that could screw-up a steel ball bearing, if all they has, was a wad of cotton.
This is quite possibly one of the best differential explanations I've seen out there. Only thing I would say missed at first glean was the fact that people forget to clean up the crap when they weld which can make welding a diff a very bad plan. GG sir.
Like many other commentators on this video this was done excellently. Clean and accurate descriptions of both the pros and the cons of each system. Without a doubt this man knows his feces when it comes to diffs. No reason to be vulgar if you can be classy hence the word feces. :))
A very good detailed explanation, on point. I am putting a Detroit true track on a E450 Ford In a solid front axle. After your explanation now I know I’m making the right decision.
