This Limited Slip Differential smacks!!

[TowPro]

Which Tracrite is in our trucks that come with Limited Slip? Click Here the LK or the CC? I see they sell electronic lockables also, wonder if they make one to fit the rear they make for our trucks?

 

[GaryCarter]

This thread Link says it is the GT.

I changed the lube in mine today and that's what it resembles.



On edit- it is the GT according to AAM's 2001 annual report (it's a big download 1. 8 MB) Here.

Quote from page 7 :"Advanced technologies—AAM continues to develop

advanced technology products, including the following:

• TracRiteTM GT limited-slip differentials deliver

enhanced handling and traction. The 2003 heavy duty

Dodge Ram is the first application utilizing AAM’s

TracRiteTM GT. "



Looks like a knock-off of a TrachTec True-Trac to me. The True-Trac was a modification of the original Torsen; uses the same principles- worm gear torque bias.

Gary

 

[cerberusiam]

Still the same in 05, page 3-337 in the FSM. From the descriptions it is the GT model. Continual torque bias using a set of "shoes".

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

Trackrite,...torsen,....

Is there some type of stamping or numbers or some identifier that's one this assembly that definitely makes it a Limited Slip? And where exactly is it located? Tks.

 

[FOXY005]

Thought this might be of interest to all 3rd Gen Owners with LSD's









The following is a S. T. A. R. Center Case Report:

Report created Jan 6 2004

Updated Jan 13 2004



Customer says his trac-rite rear diff is not working?

GCK1: 01/06/2004

Recommendation/Solution

Review AAM Trac-rite diff characteristics. Rear diff is working or truck wouldn't move. It will overrun like standard diff if operating on extreme differernces in surfaces. (Ice under one rear tire with other tire on dry pavement. ) No further action.

:GCKI:01/06/2004

The 2003 heavey-duty Ram uses and American Axle helical differential or Trac-Rite. The Trac_Rite differential is different then Trac-Lok in that it uses helical gears (Trac-Lok uses clutches) to transfer power to the opposite wheel when slippage occurs. The transfer of power from wheel to wheel is torque sensitive and must have both wheels spinning (not stationary) to function. It is possible for the Trac-Rite differential to not send power to a wheel if is not spinning. Example: Accelerating from as stop and one wheel is on ice and the other on dry pavement. If accelerating to fast, the wheel on the ice may spin and never send power to the whell on the pavement side. A slower start may be necessary to start the vehicles momentum.

A written test procedure for Trac-Rite is not listed in the repair manual and the following points should be noted:

Testing the Trac-Rite differential while the vehicle is lifted and turning one wheel by hand, the opposite wheel will turn in the opposite direction. This is normal.

If the Trac-Rite assembly has and internal failure it will lock axles 100% side to side.

To test the Trac-Rite process, raise vehicle on appropriate lift, place into gear and accelerate quickly (hard launch). A second technician will witness both wheels turning at the same speed at the start of the acceleration.

Another test for Trac-Rite is to slowly drive vehicle in an open area and completely turn wheels to one direction and accelerate hard. . The vehicle will experience tire hop or shudder. This is normal. Trac-Rite differentials do not require friction modifier and should be used only with SAE75W-90 GL-5 synthetic fluid PN 05102232AA.

The Trac-Rite differential found in the American Axles may look like the helical gears have ground away the case. Six small half circles are noticable on the side of the differential opposite of the ring gear. These openings are desinged for oil flow and are not the result of the helical gears grinding through the differential. Please do not replace the differential case or any other part of the axle due to these openings.

Note: All American Axles require Mopar lube part# 05102232AA synthetic and does not use a friction modifier.

RAB40: 01/13/2004













Looks like both rear wheels must be rotating for it to operate properly , so not much help starting out on a slippery surface in 2WD.



Nothing like the old positraction with clutches the way I read it.

 

[GWBourne]

My 04. 5 leaves 2 strips also, are you sure you have the ls?

i dont have to do a boost launch, i can clutch it out as well... thing will leave 2 stripes as long as it possibly can, by the time one tire starts to let up the other one is grabbing traction as well. unless i have not let off the brake, then it will go with both till i say otherwise.



it does chirp a lot around corners and sideways is always a factor if traction is anything OTHER than DRY CLEAN pavement. Oo.

Grant

 

[KWinterborne]

Not that you would want to do this when you are trying to launch off the line, but back when I was into off roading I seem to recall those that had limited slip rear ends would touch their brakes when one tire was spinning and the other was just sitting there. This would get the other tire to start spinning they said. I always had a solid detroit locker so didn't ever get to test this theory. I wonder if that works in these limited slips?

Ken

 

[RHildreth]

The AAM website does show a TracRite GT that says it uses brake shoes. It also says they have a 1150 TracRite GTL that is either a computer or driver selectable locker.



Up to this point I heard there were no lockers available for AAM axles. So does the GTL work in our trucks?

 

[TowPro]

This even works in open rears (and front wheel drives). What you doing is making the spider gears "think" there is equal load allowing both of them to spin. In fact my A5 Jetta uses ABS to apply the correct brake when one front wheel starts to spin, causing both wheels to spin. THey call it differental lock or ESP or something. It really works.



I have used the brake pedel idea many times. I will stop when I see someone stuck in a snow bank (If they look safe). they jump out glad to see a truck, thinking I am going to tow them out. I say "let me try it first", I jump in, apply the brakes, give it gas, let up the brake until both wheels start to turn and drive the car out. I love it when its a guy stuck and I do this is front of his wife/girl friend. Makes them feel about 3" tall. :-laf

when I was into off roading I seem to recall those that had limited slip rear ends would touch their brakes when one tire was spinning and the other was just sitting there.

Ken

 

[HDaniel]

I am still confused about mine. If I power brake it, about 99% of the time only 1 wheel will light up. (kind of weak looking, but whatever) However, if i am taking off slowly, on dry pavement, and hammer the pi#* out of it, it leaves 2 strips. ???? If I am on snow, both spin if i am going straight and giving more than enough to get going. If i baby it usually only 1 spins. ??? Also, if I am moving along slowly and get on the binders while getting on the gas both light up. I know that's not healthy for it, but I have tried everything except put it up on jack stands..... will try that this week sometime.

 

[rjohnson916]

I am still confused about mine. If I power brake it, about 99% of the time only 1 wheel will light up. (kind of weak looking, but whatever) However, if i am taking off slowly, on dry pavement, and hammer the pi#* out of it, it leaves 2 strips. ???? If I am on snow, both spin if i am going straight and giving more than enough to get going. If i baby it usually only 1 spins. ??? Also, if I am moving along slowly and get on the binders while getting on the gas both light up. I know that's not healthy for it, but I have tried everything except put it up on jack stands..... will try that this week sometime.

Sounds like the way mine works, however if I powerbrake mine. I typically get 2 marks every time. But the rest is the same. The most annoying though is when I am off road. If I get the truck in any kind of flex situation, Im a fish out of water. I had a really embarrassing situation with my girlfriend. She's really into outdoor stuff, wheelin etc... And we went out when we were first dating and found some fire roads. Nothing hardcore at all, but it was a small dirt canal looking thing you had to go over to get onto the fire road from the gravel road. Well as I turned to go over it at an angle, again it might have been 2 feet deep at the most dry, it flexed my left rear off the ground about 2 inches and compressed the right front into the fender. End result was the LT rear spinning aimlessly, I shifted to 4-High with a smirk, again I'm already red in the face, as I should have been able to do this in 2wd no prob w/ 285 BFG All Terrain Ko's but no. Anyway after shifting into 4wd, the RT Front Wheel starts spinning along with my LT Rear that is still up in the air? I tried applying all sorts of brake pressure, blipping the throttle. Shifted to 4-LO same thing. Since we were about 10 miles back up in the hills, about 7K feet up, I did what any man would have done in front of his girl. Got some rocks and old timber and rocked her out very carefully. But man did that suck, whish I had the Powerwagon setup in that case.



-Ryan

 

[GaryCarter]

I will have to amend my earlier answer and agree that this differential will not grip in circumstances of extreme difference between the tires, such as Ryan describes above.

I tested mine the same way, with all the rear weight transferred to one wheel. The unloaded wheel just spun. I had to apply a considerable amount of parking brake to engage the differential- when I did this it would spin both tires.



I concur that in ice or extreme off-road twists this diff is not the best performer.

If I could have exactly what I want, it would be a torque biasing diff like this one with an electric locker to lock it up hard when wanted.



Gary

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

AAM Limited Slip

I've just been zipping a few e-mails back and forth with AAM regarding the Limited Slip. Someone posted that they are making an electric locker for the Power Wagon. That's true, but it's a 10 1/2". Rats!!! I told them they're missing the boat on not building one in 11 1/2 and that they should tune into TDR and DTR and see what guys are saying. It would help if some of you would e-mail them and support the cause.