it bangs/clunks noticeably in parking lots
once I get on a main road it is not noticeable except when running cruise and only then when it suddenly goes from an idle to full power while in a curve.
when not using cruise while in slow turn on the highway it will pull for a moment when getting on or off the fuel, and will then feel fine.
I will mention that it is picky about having exactly the same size rims on the drive axle and the same size tires, you also should keep the air pressure within a pound or so of being the same- the closer the better. if something is different side to side you will get terrible handling, which will make it hard to drive. at one point in time I put some junkyard used tires/rims on the truck and they were all supposed to be the same size. and it suddenly required alot of attention to stay between the lines on the road. I started looking at the rims and came to find out I had 3 that were 6.00X15 and one that was 5.5X15, I rotated the odd one to the front and the problem went away
it does seem to make the truck want to straighten out slightly while turning, but after a while you don't even notice that unless you run a different truck with open axles for a few weeks and then switch back to your truck.
I prefer the auto locker over the open axle in snow. with the open axle once it started to plow straight ahead while going around a corner I had to slow down considerably to get my steering back and there was no warning.
with the auto lockers it will start to plow straight ahead slightly quicker and loose steering, but as soon as I take my foot off the fuel it will unlock and I will have my steering back without having to slow down very much.
you just have to remember that snow&ice can be very slippery and take your time and don't get in a hurry, also you will eventually get into trouble if you run dry road speeds on snow/ice no matter what you are driving.
BEEN THERE DONE THAT with open diff/snow tires on my old ranger
with lockers front and rear and mud tires I only go into 4hi on road maybe once a year. running in 2wd I can keep up with regular cars/suv/pickups around corners without a problem on snow/ice
I was thinking the same thing as you about the lockrite. did some reading/research about them and heard what other people had to say and finally decided to try the lockrite, never been sorry I did it.
that being said I know of some people that say it is completely undriveable on pavement and that mud tires are also unsafe to use on pavement. also that you should never modify your vehicle or replace any parts with any non-stock parts; and that all work should be done at an official dealers shop.
I have a cutting torch,welder & sawzall and I have been known to make/modify parts intended for a totally different application work on ag tractors, trucks, and my rangers
if you expect your vehicle to drive like a CADILLAC you will hate auto lockers.
I repaired and test drove garbage trucks at a FORMER job and took trucks down the road with frames cracked completely in half, steering boxes so worn you could turn the wheel one complete turn in either direction without changing the direction you were headed, worn out tranny shift patterns that were at least 4 FEET side to side and 3 FEET front to back. hoods with damaged hold down straps that would fly up and block your view if you hit the brakes to hard. without any working headlights AT NIGHT and drove by flashlight/street lights, brakes with no lining on SEVERAL AXLES, SEVERAL FLAT tires next to good dual tires, roll off container frames that would start to raise themselves high enough to hit bridges/stoplight poles while going down the road, drivers doors with broken latches that you had to hold shut by hand. the newest trucks I ever saw were about 30 years old at the time and should have been scraped about 20 years before I worked on them.
I still to this day avoid garbage trucks on the road as much as possible. there are company's with good trucks but that was not one of them
after driving the trucks that outfit ran, any vehicle I have drove since then has seemed very drive able, and I probably notice the auto lockers less than someone that always has drove newer vehicles would. sorry about wandering off topic
the lockrite only takes a couple hours to install with sockets/wrenches/small screwdrivers&feeler gauges, it can also be removed without too much trouble if you want to move it to another truck or if you didn't like it for some reason.
if you are confident enough of your mechanical ability to change oil& install brakes, you should be able to install an auto locker without any trouble
I would recommend changing the bolt that holds the cross shaft in the diff as they tend to break easily and only cost maybe $3, any auto parts store should have them in stock. it is also a perfect time to change gear oil and replace wheel seals if they are leaking
like I said in my last post I will never own another vehicle without some kind of locker