Front Locker in the Snow
 

Ok it has been snowing off and on for the last couple of days, I have a lockrite in the front differential and was hoping to get some comments from guys who also have lockers up front and drive on road in snowy/icey conditions. I have yet to actually lock the front hubs but by doing so will there be any kind of effect on handling with the tcase still in 2wd? I know how the truck will handle with the the truck in 4wd, but what about when I am taking the truck in and out of 4wd just to get moving on certain hills and then doing most of the driving in 2wd with the front hubs locked in?

a very small amount in the corners only. as the inside tire spins adiferent rate as the out side they will lock up. the truck will tend to under/ over steer more easly depending on eccleration. just learn to counter steer and all will be fun.

I must say that those who drive in the snow with lockers are brave people.

I refuse to experiment in this area, becasue i do not wish to have a "learning curve" on my truck, when it starts losing it becasue my rear axle is all locked up, or worse the front is and i can't turn.

As a side note, and completely off topic, neil, 57 there is my favorite part of the man code....that cracks me up everytime i see it, i love it

Not sure how the locker would handle with the t-case in 2wd and hubs locked. I would assume it would handle OK up till it got really slippery, then there wouldn't be enough traction to ratchet the locker and the tire would just slide.

Running a locker on ice scares me just thinking about it... I HATE understeer. I'd rather back into guardrails so I can't see the impact coming :)

I've run a rear locker in the snow and ice a lot, and although cornering ability is dimished compared to an open diff, it isn't that unmanageable. Tail out driving is fun... but for those times when you don't want to go tail out (meeting a semi on a curve) it gets a little hairy as you try and minimize the slide (no, going slow isn't an option :P ) Example, full size Chevy with a rear locker still has better handling traits than my 85 4Runner. And running mismatched tires front to rear is way worse than either of the above! You're just in a constant slide then, even when going "straight". I'm not talking about a big mismatch either, maybe 1/2 to 3/4" diameter difference.

it really depends on the person, some people hate it with a passion, others dont really mind it. personally, i say go to a nice open snowy parking lot and give it a try for yourself.

I don't see much need for a locker on the road unless there's over 12" of snow and you might get stock. Unless you are trying to drift.

Well obviously I didn't put the lockers in my truck so I could drive on the road haha. Driving with the rear locker is no problem seeing as im used to oversteering in my LS1 Camaro :)

Well regarding off road, I use my locker a lot in the snow. The only time you don't want to have the locker on in snow is in off-camber situations.

The worst case scenario w/ dual lockers in any slick condition is off camber situations.

They really, really suck bad, really, really bad.

The rig tends to slide downhill pretty quickly once traction is lost. The only saving grace with snow is hopefully getting the slide stopped before things get stupid, and using a shovel to clear a path.

http://community.webshots.com/user/crawler976

added a couple pic's in the "wheelin'" album on snow/ice fun...

Locker induced oversteer is somewhat different (I got a 95 Impala SS). On really slick surfaces it isn't controllable like a high horse car... you just kind of got to ride along. For the average driver it isn't a concern... it's just different. Heck, I let my mom drive the locked Chevy a few times and she never wrecked it... and she regularily complains to me how much she doesn't like her Lexus RWD sliding around... and it's riding on brand new snow tires.

Oh, and a sweet trick on ice is to just put one side of the truck in the ditch and let the locker pull you along as iced up grass usually has way more traction than iced over pavement. Climbed hills in 2wd like that that most 4wds were sliding down.

well the reason i posted was mostly questioning if the truck would understeer and make it difficult to turn, but it didnt seem to be an issue. As far as oversteer goes, i enjoy it more than most anyways and have no problem eliminating it when need be.

It'll understeer a bit more and if your front end is worn out, the toe change will make it dart back and forth more than you rememember. Otherwise, you'll be fine. Sometimes, goosing the thottle with the wheels pointed the way you want to go will help kick it around a corner. I'm talking about wheelin' in low traction conditions like deep snow/ice.

I found the truck will also tend to get out of ruts BETTER with the locker in the front. I never ditched it or looped it once driving with 2 lock rites in the snow. Yes, It it more sketch, but just pay attention on the ice. It was no big deal.