What do you think about the trak lock

[sstoli123]

I have an open diff. now. I always seem to have traction problems so I was thinking about putting in a track lock. What do you guys think of them and where is the best price to get one?
Thanks

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Out of a wrecked ranger in a junk yard. Install the whole axle.

I think they work pretty good, the one in my F150 does anyways.

later,
Dustin

 

[Branger2B]

you want traction? WELD it! sure go ahead and spend $150.00 at a junkyard on a "traction lock" rear end. but in most cases proves as useless as a fat kid without his smarties. Yes you can install a traction lock but it is proboly worn out or doesnt work anyway (if you got it from the junkyard).. even if you rebuild it they dont last to long. it will be awesome for the first day.. or week. then you will notice it slipping again. depending on how hard you are on it. I made the mistake of rebuilding my traction lock and it cost me almost 200$ and it was alright for about a week. then within 2 weekands of wheelin i noticed a big difference. back to one tire fire half the time. if your truck is a dd then you may not want to weld it.if it never goes in the bush you wont need the trak lock. open diff 4x4 is good for you (snow). but if its a weekand warrior/work wheels. WELD IT! and be done.. oh yah its free to if you have a welder. just my $0.02

 

[AllanD]

Being honest? a T-L does improve things.

The people who automatically say "get a locker" or "weld it" don't realize that both wheels spinning are both wheels spinning... and a further upgrade to a locker isn't
to the benefit of most people particularly those that run mostly on the street.

Limited slips DO NOT start slipping in a week... if you said in a YEAR you'd
be closer to being right.

rebuilding a limited slip typically costs more like $80 if you do it yourself.

$200 sounds more like you paid to have it done and they probably did
it to factory spec and there is a better way of doing it... but that's for
a different discussion.

AD

 

[bullitt]

I have a Limted Slip diff from Ford Racing parts or whatever, cost me 225$ with shipping, roughly, and i love it. It's fun, i haven't been through any mud really yet cause the ground is either frozen, or covered in snow up here. But like from a dead stop, i can punch it and start doing dougnuts without crankin the wheel or nothin, and i can keep doing them as long as i please, or till i get dizzy. It's better than open diff, plain and simple i guess.

 

[Hahnsb2]

IMHO useless if you want real traction, lunchbox lockers are cheap and easy to install and WILL lock, can't say the same for an LS.

 

[mdmarble]

I've always wondered how exactly limited slip works. Is there a computer that senses when the right rear wheel starts to slip and then it locks up both wheels? How long does the right rear wheel need to slip for it to engage? I've heard that once the right rear wheel slips 1/4 turn ahead of the other the left engages and the two lock together. I've noticed when its wet out after rain and I punch it, sometimes both wheels wont lock up, the right will just keep spinning. Is this considered slipping? Does this get more commong over time?

Another thing, my friends Tacoma had the TRD off road package and he has a differential locker on his. He says he has both limited slip and diff lock. So limited slip engages itself on its own as needed... right? A differential lock locks both wheels together, both with power spinning at the same rate, the entire time you have it turned on, or engaged. Is one better than the other? It seems like limited slip is a convenience thing, on a wet street, your tire slips, and instantly you get the added traction and it unlocks when you dont need it. But overtime it has a harder time engaging.... am I right? And with a differential lock its just a matter of turning a button on and off, and it will always work, no slipping?

I'm only 16. The biggest thing I've learned about trucks is that there is a lot of stuff to learn about trucks before you can say you know anything. Help me out guys.

Thanks

 

[MAKG]

No, it's not nearly so high-tech.

Each side gear is clutched to the diff case, with a breakaway-torque of around 25 ft-lbs. So, turn it harder than that, and it will allow differential motion, which is what happens in turns on high traction surfaces. But that's enough to get you through quite a lot. Once I got through an (invisible) oil slick on pavement in the Bronco II that way.

With far less risk of breaking axleshaft than a positive locker has. Though it is true that a locker will get you out of a more dire situation than a limited slip, an LS will serve you fine under most circumstances. It's a compromise with pavement manners.

As for welding the diff, that's astonishingly poor advice in isolation. The differential is there for a reason, and defeating it is appropriate ONLY if the truck is a trail-only rig. It will SUCK on pavement.

Open differentials have the most predictable handling -- if they slip, you still go in a straight line. ALL traction aids will cause the rear end to move around when one wheel slips. Limited slips less so than lockers. The traction wheel will attempt to center itself.

 

[Branger2B]

Being honest? a T-L does improve things.

The people who automatically say "get a locker" or "weld it" don't realize that both wheels spinning are both wheels spinning... and a further upgrade to a locker isn't
to the benefit of most people particularly those that run mostly on the street.

Limited slips DO NOT start slipping in a week... if you said in a YEAR you'd
be closer to being right.

rebuilding a limited slip typically costs more like $80 if you do it yourself.

$200 sounds more like you paid to have it done and they probably did
it to factory spec and there is a better way of doing it... but that's for
a different discussion.

AD

I Understand your piont. maybe its just limited slips arent made for me.. trust me i live my life sideways. im from a small town NO cops.hell i drive my ride on mower to the post oiffice.. little traffic im used to just ripping around town sideways everywhere everycorner dry. even crazier when it rains.. and i have awasome trails like 50ft from my back door.

i rebuilt my 7.5LS for $200. clutch pack was almost $125 friction modifyer, gear oil, permatex. oh and i bought new diff cover bolts. i rebuilt it myself switching the clutch and drive plates and even though i bought friction modifyeri never used it. WAS i wrong by not using it? i thought it would lock up better. Im from canada so prices may be a little different. (we havent adjusted to the dollar change yet)

I was happy with it the days i instaled it but quickly noticed it slipping more and more.. not to mention i almost went threw a set of tires the first day.. lol my dads owns a scrap car company so i get running rangers all the ... spare parts and SMOKE SHOW tires.. anyone on vancouver island need ranger b2 parts hit me up!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You could have gotten a whole new Ford Racing carrier for that much money.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=FMS-M-4204-F288&N=700+400070+115&autoview=sku

I really don't how you would get one of these for $200.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=FMS-M-4700-B&N=700+4294925134+4294839047+400070+115&autoview=sku

The stuff I found is for a 8.8, my lunch half hour is only so long to look for specifically 7.5 stuff.

Friction modifier makes the clutches last alot longer, but also makes them slightly looser. There is a different way than factory spec to arrange the clutches that make them tighter, but again decreases life (probably not as much as without modifier though) Ford recomends to soak the clutches in modifier overnight so they don't have to try to absorb it while you are driving.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/rebuild_tractionlock.htm

 

[Dishtowel]

My 0.02

Choose your weapon as per vehicle usage.
If you spend 90% of your time on paved roads then I suggest a Limited Slip. Myself, I would get an after market one, I have had poor experiences with the factory ones.

If you spend 40% of your time offroad, then I think a lunchbox locker is worth it.

The only time my rig is on pavement is driving down the highway to get to the trail, therefore, I welded it. I LOVE it for offroading, but it sure does stress things when I drive in town, I can feel the whole truck protesting.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Meh, I spend over 90% of my time on the road and have no complaints with my lock-right.