If no CDL - why not just leave the diff locked?

[p m]

Since the roads are nothing but ice here I don't think leaving the diff locked is going to hurt it very much.

Oh yes it is going to hurt very much. A patch of black ice in a turn, and you're in the ditch.
Mr.Schattenjager, get some thicker hide. What was said about being able to tell whether or not your CDL is locked is completely true, no need in sarcastic comments to a correct response to a completely dumb question.

BaldEagle - it doesn't look like there's a lot of ice in SC. Here in the mountains in winter, a CDL left locked by mistake has a great damage potential on switchbacks.

 

[Badfysh]

IF NO CDL, and little to no money, just make a mechanical lever to switch. yes its a pain to get out and switch but gives you CDL with option to relativiely easily turn it off.

then next time you have $100-150 to blow, buy a DI/RRC linkage

 

[BaldEagle]

pm

no theres not alot of ice in sc, but i also dont only drive here. i travel frequently into the appalachians. without the difflocked, one tire can break free and with only one tire spinning in a turn it is very easy to spin out. with it locked, atleast a front and rear tire will get power. i've done plenty of experimenting. diff lock is better on any slippery condition. the manual also states this. one time i started to spin sideways and noticed the lock wasnt on, i moved the lever and it straigtened itself out on its own.

 

[p m]

OK, to each his own.
I know that on iced-over switchbacks I need as little traction assistance as possible. I have noticed increased tendency to spin with only a rear TT, and locking the CDL often makes a possibility a certainty.
If one wheel spins, the others have traction - and your truck stays put. Transfer torque to other wheels, and you may cause them to spin - then none will have traction, and you slide.

diff lock is better on any slippery condition

I bet Muskyman will sign under that, too.

 

[BaldEagle]

if one wheel is spinning doesnt that mean that all of the power is going to that wheel (less limited slip diffs etc)? therefore the others dont have traction?

 

[p m]

yes it does (with the exception - other wheels do have traction and don't spin, it just doesn't help you to move from standstill).

But power distribution issues are not what concerns me on ice. Having the same torque on all wheels (open axle and center diffs) minimizes the chances of one or more wheels lose traction and skid.
A little argument in favor of locked CDL on ice - Disco carries 55% or so of its weight on the rear axle, so the rear is less likely to lose traction. Forcing the front wheels to spin at the same average rate as the rears may help some.
But the rear can lose traction due to weight transfer in a turn.

 

[Ol'Drippy]

:banghead: I still want to re-iteate that if you have "NO CDL", you could not "leave the diff locked" in the first place.

 

[BaldEagle]

:bs: theres so much i wanna re-iterate about this thread but i give up