Have any of you ran a detroit locker on a driver? Can anyone relate any personal experiences with one of these? This is one of my choices for the chevy cpe. I need something that is absolute bombproof but a little forgiving at the same time.
We use to use them on school buses, In certain situations they can get a little clunky in the corners .Traction wise in slippery conditions they flat out work.
As Hilo said, they can be clunky. I've run them with both manual transmissions and automatics, and they seem to be smoother with an auto. With a manual, the ratcheting can be pretty violent, and they tend to twitch a bit between shifts. With an auto, you still notice the twitch when you're on a off the gas, but it seems less pronounced. And the ratcheting seems far less violent. Probably because the converter cushions the loading. Also sometimes they bang pretty hard, makes you worry that something broke before you get used to it. And be prepared for people both inside and outside of the car to react to all the noise. Despite all that, I love them.
I put one in a buddys 76 C10 with 3.73. The truck is a 4 speed and it dosent clunk but it does hook and is very strong I have to agree with the other guys they are really good.
X2 on thinking something broke when they bang. Had an ot 4runner and thought I blew a ujoint it would scare all my passengers who didn't know. That being said they're bullet proof and will take a beating. If you're worried about clanking popping and noise I think Detroit also makes the tru-track which is supposedly a smoother version of their original locker. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
As close to bulletproof as you can get short of a spool, but they are noisy. Don't wear out like a clutch-pack posi either, no special lube needed. A bit harder on your rear tires. Did I mention they're noisy?..... LOL
i have one in my falcon. its been in there for awhile now. street driven, highway driven and countless passes at the drag strip and still works like its new. i hardly notice the noise or clunky feel anymore, just used to it i guess.
Had one in an OT car and it was good not too noisy. Heard more clunks in parking lots at very low speeds. BUT in snowy weather in normal open diff reared cars the non-spinning tire held the car from going sideways with a locker and both rear wheels spinning in snow or ice if the road has any crown the car WILL slide toward the lower side. Spent many a night going home sideways on snowy streets.
Have an OT daily driver, with a Detroit locker, scares the hell out of people when I take a corner they are standing on... It's usually ok if you have coasted about 100 yards... Know some dudes that run the trutrac and they like it a lot... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
My '68 Mustang GT 390 came with one that was just rebuilt when I got it. It was fairly quiet though. The car was loud, may have drowned out the bulk of the noise. Mine tracked pretty good in snow, but get caught on a slick piece of ice in a parking lot and I was stuck until 2 people sat on the trunk lid for traction. Bob
Run them before on OT Mustang... they work great, and have that certain cool factor, like a whining Muncie 4-gear.... Tom
I think they're great in automatic transmission cars but will take a tad getting used to with driving habits. On a large turn radius such as a highway interchange, you can definitely feel it pushing you toward the outside curb since it remains locked. It takes a rather sharp corner to disengage the locker. As far as manual transmissions go, they can unlock during gear changes and cause some VERY interesting experiences as you engage the next gear.
The reason for the clunk is the play in the parts.On and off the accelerator.Those parts are moving until the play is taken up. As mentioned ,they will push you at times.They have a tendency to allow you slide sideways on no traction conditions. The Trutrac is a great device for a street car because it is quiet,gives you the traction you are looking for,yet retains the differential aspect that you need on the street.They also quite strong.
Had one back in the day, I believe the nascar cars and all race cars that don't run a spool use them. exspensive, bullet proof unit, but as other people have pointed out, they are noisy, mine would chirp rear tires going around corners. are you "racin" or "cruisin", there several different units available today,far cheaper and plenty good enough for street use . John
had one in 57 ford, took some to get used to. local drag boys ,stretched the springs, never failed to hook - up . first tight u-turn scared the hell out of me.
Why would you put that in a street car that isn't just going straight down the track? There are so many better products on the market that are better for everyday applications. Posi tracks, limited slips, electric lockers, ARB air lockers. Tha last 3 can be locked up simply and still have street manners. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
If your running a quick change there isnt much of a choice. I dont want to run a spool on the street, and you cant run an open diff, so a locker of some kind is really the only choice right?
Reportedly Even the first clutch type limited slips noticeably effected normal and winter driving. Twin Traction was Studebaker's version of a clutch type limited slip. It was Big news in in 1956 when it was adopted by Packard. "Positraction" was GM's flavor. Studebaker quickly migrated from the initial cone clutch to the more modern multi-plate in Jan 1957. In 1959 some folks from DANA Corp presented an SAE paper "Limited Slip Differentials. " As was common back then at the end several comments are provided by folks from Studebaker, GM, Ford and Chrysler. Everyone using them said finding the right lube (to prevent chatter) still was difficult. The Chrysler guy said it is debateable that they are more than a convenience for a few drivers. The guy from Studebaker said they currently were selling TT in 52% of their V8 cars and about 13% of the sixes. The guy from GM said that instability on ice (probably when both wheels spin), the tendency to increased dry road understeer (of which 50s cars already had a boatful) were somewhat problematic, although the inside wheel drive that caused the understeer "is advantageous in my opinion in a drift or slide type turn." A guy from Pure Oil said in their fleet tests had showed tire diameter variation > 0.25 inch causes noticeably increased steering effort. I think the clutch types are more refined today. My Volvo Turbo came stock with a locker (not LSD) that uses small vicious clutches and is engaged centrifugally when the left/right wheel speeds vary too much. I normally like sashyin' around in the snow with FWD or RWD, but on snow or ice, or even when slightly abused in the rain with all season tires it can become a BIG handful real quick.
The TruTrack is a bit different than a Detroit locker. The TruTrac is a gear driven limited slip. No clutches to wear out. So it is smoother than a Locker. I've heard from my off-road friends that a Locker can be tough on axles.
Have been running a detroit locker from Mark Williams in my '37 since the mid 90's with zero problems and very little noise. A friend bought a new version 2 years ago and it made so much noise he took it out. Don't know if there was a design change or he had a problem? I originally had 4.56:1 gears then changed to 3.89:1 and there was no noise change at all. Very strong unit.
Your correct a locker is different .trbomax said a locker was a option ,I was just throwing out another. :0
Have a locker in an OT truck. I would swear by it...but the first time I felt it on the street, the truck lurched and I thought someone had hit me. Scared the shit out of me. It is noisy, it clunks, and chirps the tires going around tight corners. It is like having my brother around - loud, boisterous, and could use a few more manners, but a totally welcome sight when things go to shit!
One factor in the harshness and noise of a locker, is the diameter/stiffness of the axle shafts. A thin whippy shaft will wind up before the locker ratchets, then the axle unwinds and releases the energy with a bang. Large diameter, stiff shafts will be smoother and quieter as the locker will release before the axle winds up much.
I had heard they were noisy too, but I bought a '69 torino cobra (428cj/4 sp) had 47,000 miles, and raced alot. It had been sitting outside for 15 yrs. Took it on a 3,000 mile vacation to Calif. On the way out (drove straight through from Ks.) When it was my buddies turn to drive, I crawled in the back seat for some shut eye, I could not beleive it was NOT noisy. Never even heard it chirp around corners like my Vette always did. It was how ever some times tough to unlock after a hard launch. I geuss it was just abnormal? ? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Not too bad for a daily, you'll get used to the quirks. They are tough, and they stand behind the thing if there's ever any issues. Go for it.
The Detroit Locker in my 68 Bronco is over 40 years old...they are TOUGH!!!! The same basic design is used in construction and mining equipment and many off highway trucks run Detroits too. Damn things are one of the few aftermarket parts that are truly bullet proof.
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