Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register
for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.
What is the maintenance factor? All I've ever done to mine is change the oil ever 6 or 8 years
I have had 3 of them, 2 of them I rebuilt with new clutches, slighlty better than an open diff when rebuild but not that great. I certainly wouldn't spend money on a new one or swap a used axle just to get the limited slip. I would rather have an axle with an open diff in it, so I could install a locker.
The Explorer axle isn't wider than the Jeep axels it is actually about 1/2 narrower. F150 axles use a different bolt pattern than the Jeeps or Rangers, that's why they aren't used as much. Grand Cherokees never had a real Dana 44 rear they had a Dana 44A which has an aluminum center section and is much weaker. I am in the process of putting an Explorer 8.8 in my Grand Cherokee right now.
The clutches will wear out
Is there like a notable warning prior to that happening? Is it only due to time, or is it mostly due to heavier use?
As with a regular clutch.. not really. The more it sees use the more it'll wear, and the more aggressive the use the quicker the wear.
I never had a limited slip that wore out. I've never owned a Ford, but i do believe that LS wears out gradually. You would notice that you are getting less and less traction, slowly returning to one wheel drive in slippery spots.
Doesn't matter how much 4x4 was used, every time you make a turn you are slipping the clutches and putting wear on them.
That is basically what I expected and this has been rarely used and never (knowingly) abused. The front one gets the worst because like recently I made some marks in the grass to show and explain to someone what the limited slip did
Is the rear axle engaged no matter what? I'm beginning to believe it must be
What do you mean by "locked in"? The limited slip isn't a locker so it is never "locked" however there is always pressure being applied to the clutches.
Like 00t44e said, the axles aren't locked together. Pressure is applied to the clutch packs that limits how much they slip. Most limited slip systems increase pressure as more slip happens to a certain point. Typically somewhere around 50%. This is a simplistic explanation though. There is much more to it and more than what I can explain. Ronny Dahl did a video or two on the subject comparing open differentials, limited slip differentials, and locking differentials. Now, he is going at the subject from an off road driving perspective. So, for an only on road driver, the information is going to be a bit skewed but useful none the less. I'm sure there are other youtube channels that cover the subject as well.
Yes. Thank you. There are a number of videos and tutorials out there well worth watching and reading. Here's one. https://www.carthrottle.com/post/engineering-explained-the-best-kinds-of-differential-and-whats-most-suitable-for-you/
For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.
