| Author |
Message |
    
Mark
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 01:28 pm: | 
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Does anyone have any experience with the new "soft" Detroit locker? I am weighing pro's and cons of installing one in the rear of my '96 Disco. My concerns are:
1. Drivability in snow/ice
2. Off-camber mud situations
3. Drivability in daily use.
Would appreciate any input |
hendrik
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 01:55 pm: |
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hi,
please let me add another question:
I knew a Range Classis which had this locker installed. On Occasions it did not unlock and let the tires make cumbersome noises on pavement. We thought that the one-piece rear halfshafts of that Range could have been slightly bent - maybe the way they came from the factory (Range had not been off road) - not enough bent to be noticed with open diff, but enough to disturb the detroit.
That`s one point why I personally favour the TrueTrac (besides many other advantages).
? Has anyone else heard of that too ?
or was that car just unlucky ? Unfortunately it was the only installation I have witnessed - so that can`t really be counted.
regards, Hendrik |
Bill Bettridge (Billb)
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 02:14 pm: |
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FYI - except for a couple domestic apps - all the Detroits are "soft" now.
Anyway - personally have only run mine for about 3K now and have no problems and no regrets. My wife drives it also with no issues. I've used it in snow and ice, dirt, rocks, water, etc. On slippery stuff it does want to walk you one way or the other, but so far it's nothing that I wasn't expecting or could'nt deal with. Been driving full size p/ups with limited slips for along time now as daily drivers, so to me it is normal for the rear to "walk" a bit on slippery stuff.
I have NO on-pavement noise except for ratcheting when it unlocks in a tight turn. I can only hear it if I'm moving slowly with the windows down.
Anyway - no regrets at all
Bill |
Mike M
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 03:05 pm: |
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I've been running a Detroit in the rear of my RR Classic for several years now and basically it was an "install it and forget" deal. Daily drivability wasn't affected in my case hardly at all. I did notice it reduced the turning radius somewhat on gravel when the traction was not enuf to get it to unlock. Driving on snow and ice wasn't bad, it took some getting used to. The off camber slippery mud can be a trick at times, that's probably the biggest negative.
Mike |
Ho Chung (Ho)
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 03:17 pm: |
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mike, try unlocking the center diff next time you are in those tricky moments. |
Mark
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 05:14 pm: |
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Hendrik,
You say that you prefer the tru-track. Where is it insalled, and how many miles do you have on it? Any troubles? |
Matt Rigby (Mrigby)
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 05:30 pm: |
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Have put about 400 miles on my Detroit (96 disco). Been off road twice now to test it and I can't believe the difference. It should have been my first mod. As for on the road, I don't even notice it. I have heard a few small clicks in my driveway when backing or turning sharply with windows down. That's it! I love it and can't wait to put the True-Trac up front.
Matt |
ErikNC
| | Posted on Friday, May 10, 2002 - 06:08 pm: |
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Hey everyone,
I am also gathering some feedbacks about lockers (yes Ho it's me again... I follow every diff thread I see ;-)
Mike M said that with a DL :
"The off camber slippery mud can be a trick at times, that's probably the biggest negative."
Nobody around here in my country as a DL, but a lot of ARB lockers. All of them say that it is better to be unlocked for off camber slippery mud stuff.
My point is : how would a rear TT behave in such a case : it is right in the middle between open diff and locker... in this case would it be closer to open or locked behaviour ?
rear TT user feedback welcome.
Would the center diff unlocking trick Ho suggested necessary with the TT ?
Yesterday we went with some mates on a sliperry mud off camber trail, and even with open diff, the back crabbed anyway :-)
Regards to all of you.
ErikNC
New Caledonia. |
Bill R.
| | Posted on Monday, May 13, 2002 - 08:59 am: |
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Something to keep in mind about the Detroit locker, is that if you break a halfshaft - you are likely to break the Detroit as well. Survival rate for the Detroit is about 25% with an axle break (ARB's are good for about 3-4 axle breaks). If you have a Detroit, I strongly suggest you pull the rear shafts and monitor them for twist (my spare Ashcrofts are at about 360 degrees, the mains both broke at about 720 degrees). A rear axle upgrade to Ashcroft or Maxi-Drive is also suggested.
Bill R. |
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