By ZPukajlo on Tuesday, November 20, 2001 - 10:13 pm: Edit

Say your vehicle is cross-axled. All four wheels are touching the ground. The vehicle is going up a very slight incline. Surface traction varies a little bit. No matter what the Disco won't move another inch forward. Stuck! Now would a DL or an ARB keep the LR moving forward in this predictament? Would dual TT's be as good or better then a locker to keep you moving? Any and all advice on this is welcomed!

Zane

By PerroneFord on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:00 am: Edit

DL or ARB would help. And it would help because it would use the 2 wheels with the best traction to assist rather than the stock system which lets torque escape to the two wheels with the LEAST grip. This is EXACTLY where the traction aids help, electronic or otherwise.

Lockers are better for ANY traction-based stuck, than a limited slip. If the ElectTrac locker (from the people who make the detroit) lives up to the hype, especially for durability and reliability, they will corner the market. It basically acts as a limited slip, giving you MUCH better street traction, but you can then lock it if you want off-road like an ARB, but with 12v electronics only. No air-pressure. I wish they would get this thing done!

-P

By ZPukajlo on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:32 am: Edit

Aren't they taking orders for it yet? When locked it would act more like a spool right? Anyway, how would the dual TT's fair in that situation? Thanks again!

Z

Ps I'll have to keep my eye on their website. Might be worth while to keep tabs on it.

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:47 am: Edit

Depends on how much pressure is on the wheels with less pressure. In theory, you can end up cross-axled with diagonal wheels in the air with dual TT's. However, a tap on brakes "tricks" the TT's into engaging.

Dual TT's are not as good as a Detroit rear/front TT combo. Detroit/ARB vs. Detroit/TT combo is a whole different debate.

Personally, I wouldn't fool around with the TT in the rear, I'd just go with the detroit and HD axles in the rear and add a front locker later if you feel the need.

Tom

By Axel Haakonsen (Axel) on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:51 am: Edit

I agree. Start with a rear Detroit/HD axles combo, that will take care of 85% of the situations you get into. Then take your time and make the decision on TT or ARB up front later. Or just leave the front open and get a kick ass winch......
(Actually I would get a winch before I get a locker, but that's another story.....)

By John Lee on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 11:26 am: Edit

I concur with Ax. Get a winch before getting a locker. A locker is a tremendous traction aid and can get you more stuck than with open diffs. With open diffs, you really can't get stuck that badly because your vehicle isn't that capable. A locked vehicle can go much deeper into a harder trail than an open-diff vehicle can, and can get stuck much worse than an open-diff vehicle. Get the winch first.

By RVR OVR (Tom) on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 03:54 pm: Edit

John,

On the winch vs. locker debate, I can go either way depending on the person, who they wheel with, and where they wheel. For a guy like me who has little or no chance of getting time to go on a big expedition to Moab or anywhere else but local trail spots, a winch is the last equipment I am adding. I always go with other folks with tow straps/winches. They pretty much have more capable trucks and there are ways to get to different parts of the trail to get me out of a jam. I have yet to have been in a situation in my wheeling parameters that I needed to personally own a winch. However, if I wanted to play on the tougher trails with my buds, I did need a lift and lockers.

Tom

By Chris Browne on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:02 pm: Edit

I've gone for the winch and for now live with open diffs. Thats only proven to be a problem once where not even light left foot braking to fool the diffs was enough to get me going.
Light left foot braking takes a little getting used to, but its proven its effectivness by getting my truck places, with minimum drama when other rr/discos and d90's have struggled despite similar lift & tires
When its my turn to get lockers, its ARB despite the extra complicatinng electro/pneumatic bits and pieces

By PerroneFord on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:15 pm: Edit

Do you have a limited slip? If not, what is left foot braking doing for you?

-P

By Ron on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:24 pm: Edit

It still transfers some torque P.

Ron

By PerroneFord on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 04:27 pm: Edit

Really? I wonder how that works. I thought the weakness of open diffs was that they do not transfer torque at ALL across the axle. Does anyone have more information about this and how it works?

The last time I asked about this in a LR forum, I was assured that no transfer happened on an open diff...

-P

By ZPukajlo on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 06:20 pm: Edit

I used it in the above scenario. It started to work and then nothing. I guess it just depends on how crossed-up the vehicle is. Traction was probably my defeat. Otherwise it might have gotten me through. We may never know!

Z

By jb on Wednesday, November 21, 2001 - 06:57 pm: Edit

It just slows the tires a little for more traction and mixes up the momentum and makes you bounce a little gas/break /gas to get up and over. Call it the 'giving it hell' method for us poor open diff no winch having saps.

By Scott Hayes (Scott_H) on Thursday, November 22, 2001 - 08:51 pm: Edit

isn't that how axels are broken?