breesej

I've been doing a lot of searches and lurking around. It seems that everybody loves lockers in the rear, but what about the front? Here's my situation:

I live in SoCal and there are plenty of offroad places near me. Gorman, Anza Borego, Big Bear, etc. I will spend a fair amount of time on dirt roads where a locker or even 4wd isn't necessary but I am interested in upgrading the abilities of my truck as I would like to slowly venture off into harder wheelin'. I will spend most of the winter in Mammoth or other mointain resorts skiing/snowboarding. Snow/ice/slippery surface manners are
absolutely important to me. I daily drive my Runner and it frequently needs to do u-turns and sharp turn in the parking garage.

Would a newer designed locker be good for me in the rear diff or should I stick to an LSD? When I say newer design, I mean the newer models that claim to wear less and have less racheting noise etc.. And what about the front, are clutch type LSDs appropriate or should I save for a Torsen? Obviously an LSD is better than the stock open diff, but is a non-selectable locker appropriate for my intended usage?

Thanks for the feedback and I appologize if this was covered before and I didn't find it. If so, please post a link so I can read.

bullcrew

I live in N. Idaho now but hailed the anza area and lived in del mar. At that time I raced off road and opted for a spool. Up here due to the icy slippery conditions I only run a true trac lsd in the front and an open diff. rear
If you are looking to add max traction get a toyota electric locker for the rear. That way you can run the lsd in the ice etc and flip a button if you need the full tilt traction.
I am scouting an electric locker now, that way I can have a rear locker for wheeling with the flip of a button and still retain safety with the front lsd in the ice and snow.

suprathepeg

I am not running it yet as I still have to build the rear diff but I have a lockrite for the rear and have installed a 7.5" supra LSD in the front. The Supra LSD is by far the cheepest option, I got mine for $25 they usually go for between $50-100 but steals can be found. I would only use a LSD or a selectable locker up front.

amgraham

If you do alot of parking lot maneuvers and such then an automatic locker probably isn't the way to go. I have an Aussie Locker which is supposed to be the smoothest of all of them and it can get a little jumpy on dry pavement with tight stuff. Now, granted, I have had it for a grand total of 2 days and it's not completely broke in but I can't see it smoothing out enough for what it seems you're going for. Don't get me wrong, I like it alot but it does take some commitment. Where I notice it the most is turning at a stop sign or light. You have to be really smooth with the clutch to keep it from chirping (I don't know if it would be better or not with an auto). Also, you can hear the ratchet sound, particularly in tight turns, but if you have the radio on and windows up I doubt you will notice it.

I agree with the e-locker idea. If you want to keep your street manners the way they are pony up for the e-locker or an ARB. I do really like the idea of the LSD in the front though. I plan to do that at some point as well.

Yoda

With a lockrite in the rear of my cruiser (and an automatic) I am ALWAYS chirping the tires when turning after a stop. I also don't like the "push-pull" feeling changining from accell to coast and back. I bought an auburn LSD also, have yet to install it (I was thinking front, but I hate the locker in the rear.

tc

The ONLY lockers without a performance compromise are the selectables - elocker or ARB. Of course, they cost a little more, but not as much as you think if you shop around. Also, it gives you a compressor, just in case.

Putting ARB's front and rear in my truck was the best money I've ever spent.

SLC97SR5

I really like my TT up front and the e-locker in the rear...lots of combinations for different conditions. The only thing better would to have a LSD/Selectable front.

breesej

Wow! Great info here. Thanks a bunch, I wonder if you can have a LSD/selectable Locker combo in the rear without selling a kidney and lung.

Suprathepeg, what year/series Supra do I need to look for? 93-95, 88-92 or both?

ChickenLover

Does such a thing even exist for toyota diffs?

AH64ID

I dont think they exist for toyota either, the only ones I can think of are the one in the rear of the rubicon, and the eaton elocker.

But why would you want that? IMO its a waste of a perfectly good locker. I think LSD's are a waste of $$, and pretty darn useless. In my experiance with them they work when you dont want them to, ie. on snow/ice, and dont work when you want them to, i.e. on the trail.

If winter driving is important to you, its SUPER important to me, and you want added traction off road, SUPER important to me also, you only have one option. A selectible locker. Now you have the coice of the toyota e-locker or ARB. My current rig has an ARB and I LOVE it, my next will rig is going to have the e-locker stock.

suprathepeg

7.5 LSD came in supras a cressidas fron 82-86. A TT may be better but the cost difference even if you have to rebuild the supra LSD is substancial. Selectable would be very nice but the cost is pretty serious to match. That said there is an e-locker diff on car-part.com for $400 right now.

MonsterMaxx

LSDs work on the street, for me anyway.

It's wet and you want to accellerate and you are in a slight corner, the LSD works. W/o you spin the inner wheel.
I run the eaton truetrac in the rear of my street truck ('94 Toy) and when it's not blown up (3x now) it works pretty good on the street.
They suck balz off road. Just not enough bias to be worth anything.

Only LSD I ever ran worth a wet fart offroad is the Powerloc in the front of my jeep. Downside to it was that when it locked it locked hard and would often blow the outter u-joint when it locked. Ie, crossed up, one front in the air, spinning like mad and suddenly lockup, full power to the planted wheel and bamo u-joint goes byebye.
Have to use good throttle management and not slam the front end.

The detroit locker in the rear is a bullet proof answer. Though in a CJ5 it could give a scary ride on slippery roads - thing would swap ends in a heartbeat. Mine is a first gen DL, the newer ones are a lot smoother. In a truck that does a lot of offroad and is longer like a Toy is I wouldn't hesitate to put the DL in the rear.

Leave the front open or it'll push really bad on slippery roads.
On the real slippery winter roads in upstate NY I'd have to steer the jeep with throttle - bump & slide.


The new jeep rubi has a electric lockable LSD (LSD all the time and lock it up with a switch) which I think is way cool. That to me would be the ideal street/offroad combo.

suprathepeg

You will never get a possitive lock with an LSD, hense the name Limited Slip Differential.

AH64ID

Never heard of a locking LSD?? They all have the potential to provide power to the wheel with traction, but I have never seen it go to more than potential. Could spin a tire in the air allday with them and do nothing but spin. And crashing down a front end while spining will break things in an open axle just as easy. (sounds like a built jeep thou, since I dont think 44's came stock until the rubicon)

On icy roads the best combo is open/open. I have run open/LSD and open/locked and nothing compares to open/open. Its predictibale and controlable. When your in 4wd you have to spin a front to be able to spin a rear so you gain a ton of traction right there.

IMO, Jeep made a perfectly good rear locker usless by adding a LSD to it, its not any good to me to have a LSD. I have never driven a LSD that didnt "lockup" on offcamber ice, which many roads are in the winter.

And the rubicon locker is an air locker, just operates at a much much lower pressure than the ARB. I wanna say its only 4-6psi.

jsnby

I have a full detroit in the rear of my truck. The on road manners are not really that bad. Yeah, it's kinda jumpy at slow speeds when turning on dry pavement, but it's sooooooooo worth it. I run an ARB in the front. I was running a lunchbox type locker, but my steering was crappy on the trails and the locker died, so I put in the ARB.

If i ever had trouble in the snow/ice due to my rear locker, I'd probably slow down, engage 4wd, and just take it easy.....there are enough people on the road that don't know how to drive in the snow that I'm happy to take my time and keep my eyes open.