Mileage and limited slip differentials

[Lefty]

Very helpful! I've combed the U Pull yards only to find badly rusted relics, often with leaky differentials. Rangers are very common up north here, but i have yet to see something which I could pull with some degree of confidence. I would rather buy the whole assembly new, not just an entire limited slip differential. but just the limited slip parts.

 

[Lefty]

So I think I am looking for something like this.

​ LSD Limitted Slip Differential...​ $33.88​

 

[don4331]

Absolutely change all bearings and seals while it's apart. That includes the axle bearings and seals at each end by the wheels.

I understand limited-slip clutches are a wear item, so that is a potential issue over many miles.

I hear what you are saying about changing the bearing, but I don't necessarily agree. Rear carrier bearings rarely go bad - Rangers don't really have enough power to tax the bearing, Rangers are rarely loaded heavily enough (they were mostly purchased as 2nd vehicle as they were cheapest thing on lot, a truck is handy). And 99% of time, you can just swap a carrier from one axle to another and the pattern will be close enough. I've seen more gear sets ruined by people not installing bearing correctly/not getting setup correct with new bearing (that includes me) to recommend it to someone just starting out.

So, I pull the carrier in the yard, and look at bearings, if they look good, I take it to the till. If they are scored, I move on to the next truck. It's not like Rangers are unicorns.

Limited slip clutches can be ruined in as little as 50 miles by driving with mismatched tires e.g. compact spare (yes, Ranger came with compact spares, and a 235/75R15 would count and compact if you were running 31x10.5R15s). My kids have explicit instructions - if they had a flat on the rear, the spare when on the front, and the front replaced the damaged tire. More work at time; but less than replacing differential clutch plates.

@lil_Blue_Ford 's suggestion of a complete axle is probably the best for someone with limited experience.

@Lefty What it devil is that Honda part; that's just wrong. Let me go into the parts bin and get some pictures for you.

 

[Lefty]

Agreed. Mine is a more complicated way, but I have a friend who did this conversion for his Ford Mustang.

And yes, this is why I am highly suspicious of ebay vendors who put up a picture of anything and say it's for a Ford.

Thanks for the flat tire tip. My tires are oversize.

 

[Blmpkn]

And yes, this is why I am highly suspicious of ebay vendors who put up a picture of anything and say it's for a Ford.

These online retailers carry hundreds or thousands of different parts for just as many different applications.

It's unrealistic to expect a seller to upload pictures of everything instead of just using an example photo.

Say you were a vendor for.. any brake pad company. You sold their full line of pads. I bet you'd give up taking model specific pictures of all them pads for your online store before you even made it all the way through what you offered for vehicles from one manufacturer from the last 10 years.

Holy run on sentence.

 

[dvdswan]

Rockauto does a pretty decent job of specific parts...

 

[don4331]

Flat tire tip applies to your buddy with Mustang too, although if he has different tires front to back he might be screwed.

So you currently have a carrier in your different that looks like this (this one is actually 7.5" but was the better picture for what I'm describing).

At top right/bottom left are locations where the carrier bearings are pressed on. And they have to be seated correctly, so they don't shift after installation when you're applying power, but not forced so hard they are damage during installation, i.e. you need a press to install.​

In the lower left of the center, you will note a hole which the side gear goes in.​

There are 2 different side gears: On the left is the standard, on the right is the limited slip Left is actually from Ford 8", but the difference we are discussing is the exterior splines.

And the splines engage into the corresponding limited slip clutch plates

You will also note the tabs on the clutch plates which need a corresponding slot in carrier.
Limited slip carrier with bearings & side gears with clutches.

Between the bottom and top picture, you note the difference and why you can't just make your existing carrier limited slip.

 

[Blmpkn]

Rockauto does a pretty decent job of specific parts...

Yeah you got me there lol but they're definitely the/an exception. Not the rule.

 

[dvdswan]

Yeah you got me there lol but they're definitely the/an exception. Not the rule.

But you're not lying about the one picture fits all.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Flat tire tip applies to your buddy with Mustang too, although if he has different tires front to back he might be screwed.

So you currently have a carrier in your different that looks like this (this one is actually 7.5" but was the better picture for what I'm describing).

At top right/bottom left are locations where the carrier bearings are pressed on. And they have to be seated correctly, so they don't shift after installation when you're applying power, but not forced so hard they are damage during installation, i.e. you need a press to install.​

In the lower left of the center, you will note a hole which the side gear goes in.​

View attachment 77841
There are 2 different side gears: On the left is the standard, on the right is the limited slip Left is actually from Ford 8", but the difference we are discussing is the exterior splines.
View attachment 77844
And the splines engage into the corresponding limited slip clutch plates
View attachment 77845
You will also note the tabs on the clutch plates which need a corresponding slot in carrier.
Limited slip carrier with bearings & side gears with clutches.
View attachment 77846
Between the bottom and top picture, you note the difference and why you can't just make your existing carrier limited slip.

Well, you can... add an extra shim or 2 behind the side gears. It works. I've done it on a 9" and on a d-28.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So I think I am looking for something like this.

​

​ ​ ​ ​ LSD Limitted Slip Differential...​ ​ $33.88​

That… monstrosity… and I’m trying to be as generous and polite as possible… is not at all a limited slip. Might be snake oil, might make like a spool. Neither of which is what you’re after. You would be better off doing a ”Lincoln Locker” by welding the side gears to the spider gears than whatever that thing is.

At any rate, if you are looking for something with decent street manners, some off roading, that kind of thing, a real limited slip is the ticket. Either what Don posted or something like the TruTrac.

Lockers (“lunchbox“ style like the LockRite that replaces the side gears and spiders, or a true locker that is the entire differential chunk), spools, and welding are great. You will pretty much always spin both tires. But that also means turning on pavement one wheel moves faster than the other so you get binding and scrubbing. And you tend to get lousy road manners. The exception to this is the air lockers or e-lockers that use air or electric to activate the locker ability.

Depending on how bad the rust is on an axle or where it’s leaking, I would still consider it. Differential covers on these have a tendency of rotting, which seems pretty crazy considering one side is always soaked in oil. Rust is part of life in the North.

This is more what you are after…

 

[Lefty]

Unrealistic yes, but then I bought some things on line and got the wrong parts. It happens. I like talking to a human being at least

Flat tire tip applies to your buddy with Mustang too, although if he has different tires front to back he might be screwed.

So you currently have a carrier in your different that looks like this (this one is actually 7.5" but was the better picture for what I'm describing).

At top right/bottom left are locations where the carrier bearings are pressed on. And they have to be seated correctly, so they don't shift after installation when you're applying power, but not forced so hard they are damage during installation, i.e. you need a press to install.​

In the lower left of the center, you will note a hole which the side gear goes in.​

View attachment 77841
There are 2 different side gears: On the left is the standard, on the right is the limited slip Left is actually from Ford 8", but the difference we are discussing is the exterior splines.
View attachment 77844
And the splines engage into the corresponding limited slip clutch plates
View attachment 77845
You will also note the tabs on the clutch plates which need a corresponding slot in carrier.
Limited slip carrier with bearings & side gears with clutches.
View attachment 77846
Between the bottom and top picture, you note the difference and why you can't just make your existing carrier limited slip.

Very helpful!!!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

The link I posted at the bottom of my last post should take you to all locker/limited slip options that Summit Racing carries for the 8.8” 28 spline rear that your Ranger has. There are some other options out there and other companies that sell them other than Summit, just Summit is within reasonable driving distance for me so I often buy from them

 

[Curious Hound]

So I think I am looking for something like this.

​

​ ​ ​ ​ LSD Limitted Slip Differential...​ ​ $33.88​

WTF is that????

Weird.

 

[Lefty]

I wish I knew.