Off Roading got a detroit locker & 31 spline axles in my 77 bronco

[emarsh]

We should get snow here this weekend, cant wait to try it out. Anyone had experiance with these? This one does not seem at all as bad on the street when making sharp turns as the one in an old dodge 1 ton that I remember. I was tired of getting stuck, I also have an milemarker 12k winch, just in case!

 

[tarussell]

It might have something to do with good weight transfer to the rear of the Bronco. From what I have seen most Trucks with an empty bed are very noticeable w/ a D/L in them .



If the vehicle is an automatic the D/L usually has some pressure applied to it in the corners and is not as violant as a stick shift application.



D/L equiped vehicles do drive different but they are extremely durrable. Thomas

 

[JFitzgerald]

My Jeep has Detroits front and rear. They make it a totally different vehicle to drive off road - in a very good way. This Jeep is used off road only, but the times I've had it on country roads, it doesn't seem to handle really wierd or anything. Jeep details are in my profile & pic album.



By the time you're stuck with lockers, you're stuck bad, so a winch is a good thing.

 

[Speedo]

Detroit locker

I used to have D/Ls in both ends of my hunting rig but I had

to take the one out of the front end because of the negative

impact on the steering and the fact that I could break axles

too easy (Dana 60F 1. 5 inch axles). The D/L is a great addition

for traction but take it easy on the road until you know how

it is going to react.



Gus

 

[JFitzgerald]

I had the same thing, Speedo, which explains why I've gone to hydraulic steering and 35 spline Dana 70 stub axles. Now it steers with one finger, and the front end hasn't broken since. (fingers crossed)

 

[Speedo]

D/Ls and broken axles

The 70 stubs wouldn't help with my problem, I'm breaking the

inner shaft, newer style larger than spline diameter, and the

hydraulic steering doesn't cure the steering problem but it helps.

I'm running 45 inch tires on 16 wide wheels with 4. 5 in. back-spacing.



Gus

 

[JFitzgerald]

Sounds like you need to go to Rockwells with wheels & tires that large.

 

[tarussell]

SPEEDO - What in the world are you doing with that front axle. You must post some pictures of this rig.



When I started breaking Dana 60 stock outers I up-graded to the Dana 70 outer stubs and than started breaking the yokes of the axles when the snap rings would pop out under extreme pressure. Full circle snap rings has curred that and no more breaking. To date I have not broke anymore axles as of yet. The truck is a full size chevy with a healthy solid roller BBC and 5. 86 gear's with 44" swampers.

The only guy I know that is still breaking 35 spline inner and outer axles with the full circle snap ring is running 7. 17 gears and he is unbelievabely hard on parts. What are you doing to break those axles?????Is the larger axle that you speak of the stock fatter inner axle as opposed to the necked down version or what ?



Thomas

 

[Speedo]

Did you say something about 7.17s?

Yeah I run 7. 17s and I never take it out of low range in the T/C.



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Gus

 

[tarussell]

Gus - That is so ugly that it is COOL !!!!! I understand about the axle breaking now; 7. 17's are a lot of gear. It seems to me that most of the people breaking the fat 1-1/2 35 spline stuff is running a five plus gear ratio and very large tires.



If you don't mind , I would like your opinion on the 7. 17's. My buddy is going to that gear on a truck that will see a limited amount of road use. Looking at the teeth on the pinion stem the valley of the tooth is into the body of the stem - Have you ever lost ( broke ) a R/P set or wish you had gone with the 6. 17's ???

I went with 5. 86's for added gear strength and an extra tooth contact compared to the 6. 17's & 7. 17's-- but Ya' never know if enough people are having good luck with the real big gears I just might go the distance and step up to the maximum gear. I would really like your opinion on the 7. 17's - there is not a lot of people running those gears so your opinion matters to me... ... .



TIA Thomas

 

[Speedo]

7.17s

You're right about the pinions on the 7. 17s, you could take a

pinion from a 4. 10 gear set and remove all the teeth and then

cut a 6 tooth for a 7. 17 out of whats left. Highway usage would

be ridiculous but for what I use mine for they are great and I

would go lower if I could. There is an awful lot of pinion speed

compared to axle speed and they will build a lot of heat if you

run them very fast for very long. I rarely see 15 miles per hour

and most of the time I am running under 5.



Gus

 

[Speedo]

More 7.17s....

My wife and I each have a hunting buggy, so we have 4 sets

of 7. 17s.



Gus#ad

 

[JR2]

Had to add this pic for you Gus. . show them them what Alaskan Mud looks like... . heheh







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[Speedo]

Alaska mud...

JR2, you need to go out for a ride next summer to see how they

work. Thanks for adding the picture.



Gus

 

[emarsh]

got a chance to try out the old bronco with the new DL today, went up same rocky section in 2WD that it used to require 4WD!

These things are awesome! I wish I had not waited so long to get one.

 

[Speedo]

D/Ls

They work, and they are just about unbreakable. They can

be somehwat noisy at times and they can feel harsh when they

lock in on a corner but once you are used to those little quirks

you can sit back and enjoy.



Gus

 

[JFitzgerald]

Cool buggies, Speedo. If you don't mind, what drivetrains do you use? Engines? I like the Warn 8274 out front of the blue one. Hard to believe they are rated at only 8,000 lbs, since they pull like a much bigger winch. Mine has done some amazing things.

 

[Speedo]

Buggies

The blue one is my wifes and it is motivated by a 350 Chevy,

TH-400, 205, 60F with a Powr- Lok and a 70 rear with another

Powr-Lok all in a Suburban frame. Mine is pretty much the same

thing with the exception of a 305 and D/L in the rear instead of

the Powr-Lok that she runs. She uses the Warn 8274 on hers

and I use a 10,000 lb. Ramsey PTO on mine. We both have 2

gas tanks and during hunting season we both carry 4/15 gal.

gas cans and our camp is over 110 trail miles in from the

highway. Our rigs not only have to be capable off road but

reliable as well. When I say 110 trail miles, some of those trails

have never seen anything but our rigs.



Gus

 

[JFitzgerald]

Cool, and wow does that sound fun! 110 miles from ANYONE, I'll bet.

 

[CUMAPART]

Cool buggies Speedo----Very cool!:-laf