hey guys,
i have an 8.8" rearend with 3.73 gears and an open differential, but ive been considering upgrading to a limited slip differential. i was looking in the summit webpage and found this: t-lock LS . to upgrade to a LS, will i need any other parts? Thanks!

 

donate,

have you looked at the lockers? i had a powertraxx (i forget the old name) in the rear of my last 2 trucks and liked it a lot. cheap and easy to install. i believe people call them lunchbox lockers. they say you can install them in about a 1/2 hr. my first one took longer than that. my second around the same. not much to them, but good traction. good luck, Rich.

 

are they streetable? i want to be able to take corners and switch lanes at high speeds without a problem. ive always heard that lockers are a problem fore the street. how do you like tha powertrax? i think it was 98screamer that told me theyre fully streetable. any problems with it on the street?

 

Donate54

With regard to your first post, the only thing you would need to make sure is that ls diff you are looking at is machined to fit the ABS excitor ring, or you will be driving without ABS.

I have had a chance to drive a truck with Powertrax in the rear, finally. Completely streetable. Do remember that it is indeed a locker, not a limited slip. It is just designed so well you don't get that racheting from a locker. Anyhoos, in turns only one wheel with have power so you can spin out even easier than with limited slips. I purposefully spun out in my buddy's truck just to see how easy it was to do, and it wasn't hard at all. Just be careful when rounding corners after a quick Florida shower (quick ones are the worst cause they bring the oil to the surface of the road).

 

donate,

cpadpl is right on about the turns on wet, or roads with any slick surface. the rear will push the front making you plow straight. not a big deal after you've had it awhile. just remember to get off the gas in a turn. anyway, yes they are fully streetable. even moreso than the first one i had. they are much quieter and smoother now. considering you have the open case already install is a snap. some will only fit the open carrier like you now have. you will be shocked at the traction gained by this locker. i had a 2wd that went places i never would have dreamed of before the locker. i am planning one for my f150 now, i am waiting to do gears and locker at the same time. it all comes down to money. know what i mean? anyway, good luck, Rich.

 

hikerrich

You happen to know whether Powertrax has completed a version for use in the front axle of Ford's? I noticed in the Ford Performance catalog I just got it shows Powertrax lockers available for front and rear axle, but there was another post on here (I believe Screwdriver) stating that when he contacted Powertrax asking detailed questions about the one for the front axle, they told him that they were improving the current version, because the one they currently had had no way to retain the axle shafts. Randy's Ring and Pinion said they had a fix for the problem using springs to hold the shafts in place, but I think everyone decided to hold off on the quick fix until Powertrax redesigned the product.

I have a clutch ls in the rear and would love a Powertax in the front....

 

cpadpl,

you're a braver soul than i am. i have run lockers in the front before and didn't like it. to answer your question, nope, i haven't heard anything about front lockers from powertraxx. sorry i can't be of more help to you. you are right though, with a LS in the back and locker in the front, the traction should be pretty good. for me, the LS in the front with locker in the rear would suit my needs better. good luck, Rich.

 

Well, Powertrax sells them for the front, and claims that they won't affect handling at all while in 2x4. Let me put in this way, I'm the sort of person that wants things the way I want them (as far as handling and having a ls in the rear), but if I can't tell any difference in handling I would like to have the insurance of a locker in front. Seems like if the Powertrax unit (if it operates as it claims) has no negatives and only positives.

I do know the front axle is purportedly much weaker than the rear, etc etc. and I dont' do serious rock-climbing off roading, but I do get in situations where I need 4x4 and would not be able to get out if I didn't have it. If I was going to drive around with a ls in the rear, why wouldn't I want a Powertrax in the front if it isn't going to be noticeable, and only add to my 4x4 capabilities?

 

cpadpl,

my gripe with a locker in the front is this: when off-road (i know you wouldn't be in 4wd on the road) the locker makes the truck very hard to steer, thus the plowing. i am thinking of putting my LS in the front and adding a locker to the rear. i've had several vehicles with front lockers and found the steering much harder when locked in. an ARB is the ultimate choice, when making a tight turn simply shut it off and make your turn. i've only noticed the problem with tight turns, but how many trails offer a nice wide path to turn for a full-size truck? ARB's are more money than i want to spend; however, they are the thing to have in my opinion. talk with others and see what they think of the front locker. you may try it and really like it. let me know what you decide. later, Rich.

 

hikerrich

Good points. I like the ARB too, but a like similar to the like of Lotus' and Ferrari's, great to dream about but I'll never have one. Too much this and that and drilling and whatnot.

Now the Powertrax claims full wheel differentiation, so I wonder if it would be more steerable in 4x4 offroad. As far as a limited slip up front (or at least a clutch ls), that's an impossibility. Klaibs27 was contemplating a gear driven ls up front, like Detroit or Torsen-Gleason, I told him in 2x4 mode the drag to the left would be too noticeable, but the techs he talked to at TracTech told him drag would be minimal...At the end of the day, the only thing we could all agree on is that Powertrax probably would work up front, although I can't figure out how there would not be drag, but the techs there said that the unit would not lockup in a fashion that would prohibit the center disconnect from going through the normal reverse range of motions it would just as it does in 2x4 with the stock open diff...
Must lockup when the front driveshaft starts spinning the pinion gear shaft is my only guess...

 

The trac lock is the standard Ford LS that comes in LS equipped trucks. They seem to work for most applications, but I've heard them called "crap locks" by the more serious offroad crowd.

I know people that run the trac lock units in 9" rear axles on their desert prerunner trucks. They add an extra clutch disc to make them a little tighter. I'm really considering one for my F-150. I don't go offroad with this truck, and it's a V6. I'm mainly looking for something that'll keep me from burning the inside tire while making a turn from a stop. My dad's 99 F-150 (SC, 5.4, 4x4) has the trac lock, and it works well for him. I've also been considering an Auburn LS, but I can get a used trac lock for about $120 with new clutches vs. $350 for the auburn.

Mitch