Honestly-- I wouldn't waste money on the 7.5. Find you an 8.8. You can get one that's 3.73 LSD If you're lucky. And you would have a posi track and geared right.. If you look you can find an explorer being parted out. Grab the rear axle out of it.
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Best locker/limited slip for the money?
- Thread starter Dave18
- Start date
HsOffRoad
Member
Like I said in my last post, I'd take a spool (or welded diff) over a locker in a rear axle application any day - street or otherwise.
A spool is going to be much more predictable handling wise than a locker -allow me to explain why:
With an automatic locker (such as a lock right, detroit, etc.), you go into the turn coasting, and the locker unlocks. The axles are spinning at different speeds and you automatically account for this as you steer the vehicle into the apex of the corner. Now, as you get into the gas to exit the corner... wham!, the locker engages, suddenly locking the shafts together. So either the truck tries to understeer (push), or the back end wants to break loose. Either way, you have to immediately correct to keep keep the truck pointed where you want it to. This is something that you need to be aware of, and can be a big handful, especially in rain, snow, or other slippery conditions. The shorter the wheelbase of the vehicle, the more of an issue this is.
With a spool or welded diff, it is always locked, and therefore consistent. You go into the turn with the shafts locked. On hard surfaces, you'll feel a steady resistance in the steering wheel, and as you get on the gas, you will see that it feels very controlled and confidence-inspiring. If you get on the gas hard, the back end will want to come around in a controlled manner... the harder you get on the gas, the more it comes out. Letting off the gas produces the opposite result, the back end comes back in line.
On the street, you will get some chirping in very tight, low speed turns (again, this is worse the shorter the wheelbase of the vehicle), but this is nothing to worry about. You will also see some increase in your rear tire wear, but again, this is a small price to pay in my opinion.
I know, you're probably thinking, "But EVERYONE says spools are horrible on the street... it says right in the description that they don't recommend it for street use." To this I say the following:
You always get these people who bad-mouth spooled rear axles and say they are a nightmare on the street. I can assure you, that these people are either horrible drivers with a complete lack of understanding of basic physics and vehicle dynamics, or those that spend way too much time reading magazines and have never driven a vehicle with a spooled or welded rear axle.
I have personally owned and operated multiple vehicles with spooled rear axles on the street, and I can tell you that it really is the way to go.
Don't fear the spool... it really is a great option IMO. It's cheap, simple, easy to install, provides predictable handling, and has no moving parts to break or wear out.
Now, the bad news...
Since you have a 7.5 - to my knowledge, no one offers a mini-spool for that application. That means you'd either have to weld the spiders, have a machine shop modify a 28 spline 8.8" mini spool for use in the 7.5" carrier, or run a full spool (which adds cost & complicates installation). The only guy I have heard of machining full spools for 7.5" rear axles is Scott Spangler at Chesapeake Machine (704) 484 -0413.
The other possibility (which has already been recommended by others), is that you could swap in the larger 8.8 rear axle from a ranger - which would add strength and allow you to use readily available parts to spool the rear end for less than $100.
-Hans
A spool is going to be much more predictable handling wise than a locker -allow me to explain why:
With an automatic locker (such as a lock right, detroit, etc.), you go into the turn coasting, and the locker unlocks. The axles are spinning at different speeds and you automatically account for this as you steer the vehicle into the apex of the corner. Now, as you get into the gas to exit the corner... wham!, the locker engages, suddenly locking the shafts together. So either the truck tries to understeer (push), or the back end wants to break loose. Either way, you have to immediately correct to keep keep the truck pointed where you want it to. This is something that you need to be aware of, and can be a big handful, especially in rain, snow, or other slippery conditions. The shorter the wheelbase of the vehicle, the more of an issue this is.
With a spool or welded diff, it is always locked, and therefore consistent. You go into the turn with the shafts locked. On hard surfaces, you'll feel a steady resistance in the steering wheel, and as you get on the gas, you will see that it feels very controlled and confidence-inspiring. If you get on the gas hard, the back end will want to come around in a controlled manner... the harder you get on the gas, the more it comes out. Letting off the gas produces the opposite result, the back end comes back in line.
On the street, you will get some chirping in very tight, low speed turns (again, this is worse the shorter the wheelbase of the vehicle), but this is nothing to worry about. You will also see some increase in your rear tire wear, but again, this is a small price to pay in my opinion.
I know, you're probably thinking, "But EVERYONE says spools are horrible on the street... it says right in the description that they don't recommend it for street use." To this I say the following:
You always get these people who bad-mouth spooled rear axles and say they are a nightmare on the street. I can assure you, that these people are either horrible drivers with a complete lack of understanding of basic physics and vehicle dynamics, or those that spend way too much time reading magazines and have never driven a vehicle with a spooled or welded rear axle.
I have personally owned and operated multiple vehicles with spooled rear axles on the street, and I can tell you that it really is the way to go.
Don't fear the spool... it really is a great option IMO. It's cheap, simple, easy to install, provides predictable handling, and has no moving parts to break or wear out.
Now, the bad news...
Since you have a 7.5 - to my knowledge, no one offers a mini-spool for that application. That means you'd either have to weld the spiders, have a machine shop modify a 28 spline 8.8" mini spool for use in the 7.5" carrier, or run a full spool (which adds cost & complicates installation). The only guy I have heard of machining full spools for 7.5" rear axles is Scott Spangler at Chesapeake Machine (704) 484 -0413.
The other possibility (which has already been recommended by others), is that you could swap in the larger 8.8 rear axle from a ranger - which would add strength and allow you to use readily available parts to spool the rear end for less than $100.
-Hans
Last edited:
Hahnsb2
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If you're an idiot who can't drive, maybe lockers aren't for you. They're completely predictable, gas=locked. I've never found myself in a bad situation that wasn't caused by myself dicking around, and we get a lot of rain around here and my truck makes some decent power. I also like my tires.
Dave18
Well-Known Member
Okay that sounds promising! Thank you I'll look into it....
dla
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The single dumbest setup for a daily driver is a spool. The second worst for a DD is a Locker (LocRite, Aussie or Detroit). One of the better options for a DD is the Eaton Detroit Truetrac at about $450. The cheapest would be the Ford Trac-loc limited slip.
When I regeared my 2wd Ranger, I went to an Explorer 8.8 rear and a TrueTrac LS.
When I regeared my 2wd Ranger, I went to an Explorer 8.8 rear and a TrueTrac LS.
strvger
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my dd has a detroit locker. wouldn't trade it for any other. always there when you need it. smooth lockup. easy driving with it for sure. i live in northern minnesota where we get lots of ice and snow in the winter. the detroit works great. i've had a lock-right and a number of l/s axles in vehicles. the detroit is the only way i'll go from now on. half the price (or less) than the electric or compressed air lockers and way fewer parts to fail or break. and it does just fine in my 28 year old 7.5.
Like Hahns said, only if you suck at driving and can't adapt your driving style to accommodate the new characteristics. If you want it to drive like stock, don't buy a locker, offroading probably isn't for you no matter the type.
I DD with a No-Slip and no problems yet, but you have to adapt. If I were to drive like I did when it was stock, I'd be dead 5x over.
Last edited:
ForOffRoadDriving
Well-Known Member
im running the richmond lock rite in my 7.5" w/4.10s that i set up last month and i wouldnt go back to that trac-loc if you paid me! the only time it is semi-unpredictable is when you make a sharp turn immediately after letting off the gas (such as going into a parking spot) or if youre floating the throttle around a turn (it will tend to buck because the cogs on the axle shafts are engaging and disengaging), but once you get used to that you wont notice anything else other than pure traction! i forgot to mention i DD mine as i dont have another vehicle anymore.
HsOffRoad
Member
Have you ever driven a vehicle with a spool in it on the street? Like I said, you hear all these people bad mouthing spools and talk about how awful they are on the road.
Funny thing is, pretty much the only people who I hear say such things are folks who have never driven a spooled vehicle on the street.
-Hans
Thats a bullsheet generalization. Thank you very much.
If I had to put up "with hell 99% of the time" I would have switched back to a Ford Trac-Lok limitedd slip, oh say, I dunno like 50k miles ago.
Don't act like you know everything. I hope your opinions come from experience, b/c thats where mine come from.
I daily drive my truck every damn day of the year, mixed driving, snow, rain, traffic, freeway 60 miles no matter what. And guess what, my No-Slip has been the BEST $480 I've spent on my pickup. 100% of the time, on road or off.
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I'm in total agreement! Never knew there was a problem with having one, Mine is/was strickly a DD for the bad Wisconsin winter, 80 mile a day round trip. The "Np-Slip" is the more street friendly version of the Lock-Rite. Install was real easy.Thats a bullsheet generalization. Thank you very much.
If I had to put up "with hell 99% of the time" I would have switched back to a Ford Trac-Lok limitedd slip, oh say, I dunno like 50k miles ago.
Don't act like you know everything. I hope your opinions come from experience, b/c thats where mine come from.
I daily drive my truck every damn day of the year, mixed driving, snow, rain, traffic, freeway 60 miles no matter what. And guess what, my No-Slip has been the BEST $480 I've spent on my pickup. 100% of the time, on road or off.
Dave
Just_Randy
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That's a good idea. I was just trying to take up slack, but it does seem to work as a bit of a limited slip. How long does it last?
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