I've been reading a bit and keep hearing about locking differentials (air and electric) and various types of limited slip diffs. I understand how they work, but not which one is the best choice. Also, in an LSD with clutch packs, how long do they last? Do they operate better or worse than a geared LSD?

If it helps, I don't play in deep mud. 95%+ of the miles on our 4Runner will be on the pavement. Most of our offroading will be hardpack forest roads. Some of those roads are very rocky, but nothing larger than a basketball (most can be driven around). Sometimes we might find ourselves in soft soil or shallow (less than 8") mud. Other than that, I would like to drive it onto the beach next summer. Regarding snow, we rarely get more than 10" and it clears quickly (less than a week).

Are there any websites that detail the pros and cons of each?

Chris

 

You probably don't need an lsd or a locker for what you do. 4wd and prudent driving should be fine for most hunting areas.

As soon as you lift a tire, like in rockcrawling, a lsd is useless. That's where a locker really shines. I'm not sure which is better, the geared or clutch lsd.

If you find yourself unable to get through an obstacle there are several tricks you can do. Lower your tire pressure to about 20psi, disconnect your front sway bar, and use a little momentum to get over the obstacle.

As for sand, just lower your tire pressure to about 10-15 psi.

For the sway bar disconnect, see my website.

Steve

 

Ok, thanks. I felt like the locker would be overkill, but wasn't sure about the LSD. Thanks for the info.

Chris