LS vs. No-slip on a daily driver

[Polk]

First, before everyone tells me to use the search function, I did, and basically everything was more for off-road.

I have a 2009 4-cyl, 5-speed Ranger that is a true DD. I have no plans for any off-road use. My wife drives it some, too, so it can't have too many quirks (she can handle some, but not too many). I mainly want better snow and ice traction.

I am debating between getting a junk yard LS axle vs. a Powertrax No-slip. Is the No-slip decent for daily street use? Is it going to last 100,000+ miles? Is my wife going to tell me it drives funny?

I like the idea of a locker for situations with one tire on ice; and I like the ease of installation of the No-slip, but I am trying to figure out if it's really a good idea for DD.

 

[bobbywalter]

i really dislike the clutch type ls. they put many in the ditch ime


a locker will take some care and respect, but actually works predictably once you learn how it affects the truck.

 

[bobbywalter]

with a locker though i would be hesitant to lend the truck out in inclement weather though.

 

[Ozwynn]

I never had an issue with my wife driving the 91 Explorer with the L/S ......... it was more predictable than her 99 Lincoln Continental (front wheel drive) with traction control is.

Believe it or not, the best stock vehicle I have ever driven in the snow and ice with the fewest driving quirks ....... 99 Chrysler Town and Country.... but the rest of the car was a POS.

I would go with the L/S if it was something my wife is going to drive.

 

[strvger]

both will have their quirks. it will take some practice in an empty parking lot to learn how to drive with either one. the good thing is once learned, it will give you an advantage on snowy, slick roads over a standard axle, imho.
the other important part of the equation are the tires. winter tires with softer compounds, little more aggressive tread, and lots of siping will help lots.
my truck is a 95% daily driver and i have a detroit locker in the rear axle. wouldn't trade it for the world when driving in snow, mud, on ice, or in the rain. and my tires compliment it perfectly.
just my $.02.

 

[bobbywalter]

i have a beat ls right now....its open for all intents.


i used to modify the ls tight all the time as the lockers for a long time i thought are a pia on a daily. and they do wear the tires much faster.


thing is, i spend allot of time on the road crossing allot of territory. i see more ls in the ditch then anything else, and the descriptions of the event that led to the extraction is almost always the same.

then, using lockers for a period i did notice the difference over jacking with my posi's all the time.

best was the selectable locker. rig is much better in shit conditions on the freeway.

 

[dla]

First, before everyone tells me to use the search function, I did, and basically everything was more for off-road.

I have a 2009 4-cyl, 5-speed Ranger that is a true DD. I have no plans for any off-road use. My wife drives it some, too, so it can't have too many quirks (she can handle some, but not too many). I mainly want better snow and ice traction.

I am debating between getting a junk yard LS axle vs. a Powertrax No-slip. Is the No-slip decent for daily street use? Is it going to last 100,000+ miles? Is my wife going to tell me it drives funny?

I like the idea of a locker for situations with one tire on ice; and I like the ease of installation of the No-slip, but I am trying to figure out if it's really a good idea for DD.

I'm anti-locker for a DD. I think the choice is either a Ford traction lock, which is about $250 new, or a Detroit TruTrac which is about $425 new. Both are limited slip, they just differ in the design. The TruTrac will go 100K miles easily. The trac-lock will probably still work good enough to get you moving on ice after 100K miles if it hasn't been abused.

The TruTrac is the better limited slip, but the traction lock is good enough if the goal is just to get moving on a slippery flat spot. You are being realistic about the needs of a DD.

How you want to go about obtaining a traction lock is somewhat personal - if you have the know-how to setup gears versus swapping a complete rear end. The downside to the TruTrac is I'm not sure they are available for a 7.5" rear end. They are available for 28 & 31 spline 8.8" rear ends.

Lockers certainly have their place, but I personally feel that they are the wrong choice for a true daily driver. What you gain from a locker can't overcome the quirks in the DD environment - unless "DD" takes place in the confines of a muddy cow field

 

[Polk]

No muddy cow fields in my DD, but I do often get to drive though the unplowed neighborhoods of Detroit...

My Miata has a Torsen differential and the problem with that is on ice it does not create enough torque to start locking. Maybe the Detroit Truetrac locks a little easier.

As bobbywalter pointed out, LS can put you in the ditch easier. I suppose anything that makes the rear tires want to turn together will have that effect. And the short wheelbase of my standard cab already hops around a little bit on Michigan's tortured highways. Maybe I should just get some snow ramps and call it a day.

Oh, and strvger, I am a BIG fan of modern snow tires! On all four corners. I am getting through this winter on the original tires since they have plenty of tread, but by next winter I will have a second set of wheels with dedicated winter tires.

 

[dla]

No muddy cow fields in my DD, but I do often get to drive though the unplowed neighborhoods of Detroit...

My Miata has a Torsen differential and the problem with that is on ice it does not create enough torque to start locking. Maybe the Detroit Truetrac locks a little easier.

As bobbywalter pointed out, LS can put you in the ditch easier. I suppose anything that makes the rear tires want to turn together will have that effect. And the short wheelbase of my standard cab already hops around a little bit on Michigan's tortured highways. Maybe I should just get some snow ramps and call it a day.

Oh, and strvger, I am a BIG fan of modern snow tires! On all four corners. I am getting through this winter on the original tires since they have plenty of tread, but by next winter I will have a second set of wheels with dedicated winter tires.

Have you ever tried applying the parking brake on the Miata? That's a common trick.

 

[fratermus]

Maybe I should just get some snow ramps and call it a day.

Is this what you decided to do, or did you pick some kind of LS?

This thread has been exceptionally helpful in clarifying my thinking. I am sad to hear the TruTrac is not available for 7.5" Ranger diffs; I spent a couple of weeks researching LSDs for uses similar to the OP and had settled on the TruTrac. This was before I got the Ranger.

I did some quick googling and found this page listing a TruTrac which claims to be for Ford 7.5", but I don't know if it's the same as in the base 2wd Rangers.

 

[4x4junkie]

AFAIK, there's only one Ford 7.5" diff, used in Rangers, Mustangs, Aerostars, and I suspect many other Ford vehicles.