Limited Slip or Locker

[THubbard]

I have a 2001 Ram 2500 that I purchased without any kind of anti spin in the diff. Has anyone got any suggestions on whick is best, no spin or locker, and where you might find these.

Tom Hubbard

 

[Rob Thomas]

Detroit Locker's are supposed to be the best,try this #(888)432-7656,If no luck try any four wheel magizine, there's ton's in there.

 

[Chipstien]

Unless you do major offroading then I would stick to the limited slip. Lockers tend to lurch in corners and make alot of racket. IMHO of course.

 

[Ted Constantine]

I am with Chipstien. A detroit is a great strong locker for off roading but It is not fun for a daily driver. I would go for a power trax LSD. They are much more aggressive than a stock LSD for these trucks but still nice to drive. I have also resently heard that OX has a locker in the works for the 80 but no projected release date. They are building one for a person that asked for it and using that as a prototype. .



Ted

 

[Puff]

The best option is an ARB. ARB's allow you to be 100% locked when you need to be, and open when you want to be.

 

[DavidD]

Tom, I have had some expireince with lockers. If you live in snow country a locker will help you go staight when you want to turn! ii am not sold on lockers of the permanent type for a road use truck. If you plan on serious off-roading i might suggest a jepp or some of the sort. If you have been off road with the Dodge you'll notice its way to big for much of anything. believe you would be best served by a limited slip dif. they work for what most of use do. An ARB is a great locker but very expensive and limited to occasional use not sutable for on the road use of any type. My 3cents worth, Dave

 

[Puff]

"An ARB is a great locker but very expensive and limited to occasional use not sutable for on the road use of any type. "



ARB's are not that much more than Detroits. And they are the BEST option for "on the road use".

 

[Jeepthing]

Detroit Locker I've had two. One in a 75 Dodge 250 on 37" swampers and a 87 Jeep cherokee on 32's. The truck was the older locker and a little harsh but the Jeep has the newer "soft" locker and is very streetable on a daily basis.

 

[DavidD]

DBP, I do you have an ARB in your truck and if you do I would be very interested to know where you use an ARB on the road. I do have an ARB in my jeep as you can see from my sig. I have never seen occasion to use it on road. Off road the only time its useful is in extreme stuff like the Rubicon Trail here in the sierras. I have used it there on the 5 times I have been on the Rubicon and ran it through to the end going through the tuff spots not around them. I personally would not want an ARB in my truck. A LSD is something that is on all the time and useful in any hard road situations. Just my 4cents worth , Dave

 

[Puff]

"I would be very interested to know where you use an ARB on the road





Dave,



That's the point: you don't! When you don't need a locker you have a 100% open diff; and when you need to be locked, you are 100% locked. An ARB is the best of both worlds... as long as your air compressor is working.



- Don

 

[rspinks]

Locker for street use

I put a detroit in my '94 Ram 4wd and drove a fair amount off-road and in snow. The locker is great off-roading, nearly as good in 2wd as in 4wd with open diffs. A limited slip doesn't work nearly as well, and usually won't work at all as one rear wheel comes close to losing contact with earth.



On the street the locker was a nuisance. You couldn't apply any throttle in turns without squawking the inside rear tire, and due to the relatively loose locking action (1/2 a wheel revolution of free play) the truck would get the "lurches" when turning sharp corners under neutral throttle. It would start bouncing back and forth until you stabbed the clutch to stop the harmonic motion.



With no differentiation action from spider gears the truck will tend to push straight forward on loose surfaces as DaveD pointed out. This makes for rather unpleasant severe pushing handling characteristics.



I'd say don't get a locker unless you are really into off-roading and don't mind sacrificing steet manors. Also note that the bucking problem will be not so apparent with longer wheelbases and/or automatics. I had a regular cab longbox 5spd.



RS

 

[HC]

I've got the ARB.



Cons: Cost; minor weepage of oil from air connections at the differential, finding a good location to mount the compressor (I removed the stock air box to make room under the hood, and now use the AH-1141 with an outerwears cover. )



Pros: I've used the air compressor to fix flats in the woods more often than I've used the locker. Tires lasted 80k because on the road, the ARB is fully open (will make up some of the cost difference over the life of the truck). Performance is driver controlled - fully locked when you want or need it.



Would I do it again or get a different Locker or LSD? I'm fully split on the decision. I like my ARB, but hate the cost and the oil weeping.

 

[KPhillips]

This all depends on how you plan to use the truck... . if your truck is going to be strictly used for road use and towing you would probably be fine with a good after market limited slip (no hassle, no switch flipping, etc. )



However if you are going to be towing a heavy boat out of boat ramps, or taking your truck into fields to haul hay where there might be mud, or any kind of wheeling that might require a fully locked axle, then a locker might be a good bet,,,,



Detroit makes the best full time locker, but as stated there is a little chirping around corners, etc. if you take corners quickly, but since most of our trucks aren't sports cars, that shouldn't be an issue most of the time...



detroit also make a soft locker as mentioned above that gives better streetability, that an option...



ARB's are good lockers, but I personally am wary of them because first off it take a really skilled tech to install one properly, the differential has to be drilled for the airline to enter, the copper airline has to be installed properly in the diff, and then you have airline that runs back to your compressor to activate and de-activate the locker... . to me, just too many things to go wrong



Ox Locker makes a cable actuated locker that requires no special drilling etc, their system is built into their very heavy duty diff cover and a heavy duty cable runs into the cab, and you shift into lock mode when you need it... . only issue, is that I don't know if they make them for any diffs bigger than the dana 60 yet...



Then there are other brands out there that are pretty good, but not as popular as the ones listed above... lock right, eaton, etc. this doesn't mean that these are bad lockers ( I have lock rights in my Jeep), they just aren't as popular as the big three...



First step is to decide what you will do with the truck and the next step is to decide how much you want to spend and the last step is to take into consideration whether you are planning on a gear change, you will need to take this into consideration, because there may be different carriers for the lower gears, and that will mean a different locker, if you decide to change in the future. .



anyway, just a few thoughts,

 

[DavidD]

HC, I agree with you ! I have a leak in my Jeep rear end and I hate oil leaks. I guess after owning the Dodge now for 4years I cant imagine 4-wheeling in it. We use it to tow a 10,000lbs trailer and we do drive often on bad dirt or muddy roads , it is so easy to put in four wheel drive that I can't image using a locker very much. I like to four wheel but I have a Jeep for that the truck is just to BIG,and STIFF. I like the LSD in it and I do think it helps in slippery conditions like lose dirt ,mud,wet grass ,ect. Again i totally agree with you and yes I would put another one in my Jeep but not a 7000lbs truck. Dave

 

[Okie-Go]

I have the power-trax from locrite. I would do it again so far. If you get use to it my truck rarely bucks. I think the secret is pressure on the rearend. I have a long bed which also helps.

 

[Puff]

I've got ARBs in my Jeep (front and rear) but not in my truck. I've got the stock limited slip in the truck…it is worthless. I've never had a leak, either oil or air, with my ARBs in the Jeep. I've got 35,000 street miles on the Jeep, so I know how nice it is to have an open diff when you are on the road.



For what it's worth, if I were putting a locker in my truck it would be an ARB…without a second thought. I'd either put an ARB in or nothing at all.



I know you are looking for opinions and perspectives…That's mine.



- Don

 

[THubbard]

Dana 80

A big thank you to all who answered my post. I have not made my decission yet because of what is out there to buy. I have how ever located a page at "Geno's" that answered one big question that I had. That is where did this Dana 80 come from. It turns out it is a hybred. If you have one of these units you would do well to look in on Geno's under 1994 - 2001 Dana 80 applications and specifications. This is not your "everyday" Dana 80. Sure wished I had found it earlier.



Thanks, Tom Hubbard

 

[SmokinJoe]

Originally posted by Puff

I've got ARBs in my Jeep (front and rear) but not in my truck. I've got the stock limited slip in the truck…it is worthless.

With the ARBs can you have the tcase in 4wd and both lockers unlocked and still drive on pavement? Will the jeep still hop when making tight turns on pavement? Here in Michigan it is safer to run in 4wd but it is VERY hard on the drive line. The roads here can change from dry to ice covered. I do like to use my Pacbrake even in the winter...



I am thinking about lockers front and rear if it will help me not destroy the truck. Our RAMs are so heavy on the front that for most situations just the front would have to be locked...

 

[rspinks]

I think you will still get the frontend hop in 4wd with the ARB unlocked. It should be no different than an open diff in the front.



Somewhere I saw a device advertised like a coupling for the front driveshaft that had enough play in it to allow for the different front wheel speeds. I thought this was a good idea and should be affordable as well.

 

[Puff]

Joe,



When I’m in the on/off snow/ice situation I leave it in 4WD until I have to make a turn, pop into 2WD for the turn, and then back to 4WD.



For the truck: If you are presently open in the front and rear, then if you run 4WD with ARB lockers unlocked the truck will handle just like it does now; if you presently have a limited slip in the rear, then the truck will handle better with ARBs unlocked than it does now.