Are the Eaton E-lockers for 8.8's really that bad?

[Captain Ledd]

To anyone who's actually ran them, what are your experiences?

My brakes finally got real bad on my 7.5" so I guess I can't put off the 31 spline 8.8" with the 10" brakes any longer.

I used to have my hopes set on the Detroit Tru-Trac (Torsen L/S), but as I thought about it, I just want to get out of wherever the heck I am, with as little headache as possible. So why not just go for the gusto, lock the darn thing, and have all the traction I'm going to get, ever.

Now I'm not running your typical rig, it's a street driven 2wd, being thrashed by a stock 200k mile 4 banger with 235/75R15 AT's (though it will be getting 4.56 gears. Deathtrap is getting switched up to 3.73's so I can actually use 1st and 2nd gear, and donating it's front diff to this Ranger for the eventual 4wd conversion).

Really, I'm just tired of getting stuck in driveways and stop lights.

Has the engagement pin issue been fixed? I'm told it happens when you rock the truck, and I'll probably have to do some of that still.

Some have had the magnet melt/break off (wrong oil?)

Others have had it just not engage (who knows if they wired it correctly?)

note:
I'm NOT talking about the Auburn ECTED either, no crappy clutches for me. That is a completely different differential.

Yeah there were some threads on this but almost all were 2 years old and full of speculation still. Other threads on other boards were just as bad, ranging from "the ECTED is crap" (which is the wrong differential), "go with a Detroit", or "just weld it" as all the responses. Neither seems a good option on something that sees 98% pavement.

It has to be a selectable locker. My only other options are ARB (and I don't feel like dealing with a compressor, and the extra $$$ that entails), or OX (heard mostly bad things about them).

 

[wahlstrom1]

Detroit... I daily drove one for 3 years with no issues what so ever. They are reliable, consistant and predictable.

I have dealt with countless issues on electric lockers in every make and model of axle you can think of under several different rigs. I personally wouldn't waste the money on any selectable locker other then an ARB.

 

[4x4junkie]

I don't know anything about them, but Yukon came out with a selectable locker maybe a year or 2 ago ("Zip" locker I think?). Might be another one to look at (I think it uses air like the ARB).

I have a Detroit in my Ranger. While it's been 100% trouble-free, it does have a lot of backlash in it (just how it's designed). With an automatic, it's not all that noticeable, but it gets a bit fatiguing to drive with it clunking between each shift on a manual.

 

[Captain Ledd]

I'm open to the air lockers, it's just cost that's holding me back. I'd LOVE to have an air supply on my truck, but it's the extra several hundred dollars that just makes me cringe. I've got to completely rebuild the axle as it is (looking at roughly $1500 at the least), and the compressor would only add more. I mean I could do it, but it's painful enough as it is.

Though as I wrote the above response I guess I could just get a harbor freight 2 gallon-ish air tank and run that, just keep it charged every once and a while. Should be enough to just run the locker.

I actually haven't really ran across the Zip Locker. I'll look into that.

And yes, for those who didn't notice the sig, it's a manual transmission.

 

[wahlstrom1]

IIRC the Zip is an air locker as well, but works in reverse to 'normal' and uses air to keep it unlocked, defaulting to locked position.