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Welded Diffs and Lockers

Moto2four

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I know this is an old thread, but ive been doing some searching and I cant find the answers im looking for.

I know welded diffs cause premature driveline wear, but if I welded the rear diff in a bobbed truck, would it not wear stuff as bad? Do you all think that the lower weight and less traction of a bobbed truck would make a welded diff an option?

Thanks in advance
 
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doghead

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Short wheelbase and a locked rear axle on blacktop are a bad combination.
 

steve6x6x6

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I'm working on an M820 right now. I have been to boyces website and have asked about the lockers. They even sent me a pic. Good stuff, but @ $900 each delivered, I was looking at other options. I've got more than a few axles to do.
Guess i should have bought those new 5 ton DT. lockers at the 2011 GA SS meet, $400.00 ea.
 

steve6x6x6

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My USMC m928 has lockers are they just detroits? Havent really looked into it. I do have the Locker Data Plate on my door.
There is only one detroit locker insert for that, about 15 years ago on the civi side the soft DT. locker can out. I bought one 10 years ago for my rockwell rs145, F650.
 

Excuse Me

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We always called the welded diff a "lincoln locker" as most were done with the old lincoln buzz box welders.

On asphalt the lincoln locker would be devastating. Even the detroit will wear tires worse as the inside will do the driving and outside has to free wheel faster than the ring gear speed.

I'd like to know how some of the Tatra trucks differential works. Seems like when get hung up, by stabbing the throttle they get some sort of heavy diff action. Dunno, but it would be nice to have some options for the 5tonners.
 

Moto2four

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For the guys that don't off road often, but would like the added off road capabilities of a locked diff, would welding the diffs and running 1 desplined hub while driving on pavement be an issue?

From what I've read, even having a Detroit locker is rough on tires/drivetrain/etc.

I'm starting to think that welding my diffs and running desplined hubs when on road and splined hubs off road is the way to go.
 

doghead

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That is a terrible idea.

If you weld it, you need to trailer it to an off road area.
 

swbradley1

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If you have ever been around a vehicle that has the differential welded and they are driving through a town you can hear them from blocks away as the tires scream around every corner. My friend had one in my hometown (Jeep) and you could practically watch the tire money fly out the window as he drove by.
 

doghead

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Control on blacktop(highway) with only one or both wheels driving on one axle, would be unsafe.
 

doghead

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Yes, but it does not "open"(transmit 100% power only to one wheel) at speeds while your driving.

With only one side driven at all times, the vehicle will tend to pull to one side and be unsafe when traction differs from one side to the other.

Turning to the direction of the driven(100%) rear wheel, will be very adversely affected.
 
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rickf

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I think a lot of you guys really need to learn how differentials work. The key word here is the name, DIFFERENTIAL! An open rear splits the torque evenly between the two wheels up to the point where one wheel loses traction and at that point all of the torque goes to the wheel with the least resistance. A limited slip works in many different ways depending on what type it is but the basic principle is this, even torque to both wheels while driving straight and if one wheel starts to slip there are clutches or cones that provide resistance and therefore traction to the slipping wheel. You will not get 100% traction but you will get something. With a Detroit locker and the similar lunchbox lockers neither tire can rotate slower than the ring gear. If you are in a turn all of the power will be going to the inside tire because it will be th slower tire and the outside tire will be ratcheting around the gear. If you are off road and you lose traction on one wheel the other wheel will spin at the same speed since it is now locked to the ring gear, remember, it cannot go slower than the ring gear. In this scenario you get 100% traction to both tires. With welded spiders or a spool the tires turn the same speed all the time no matter what. If you are a couple pounds low on air on one side you will have an unbelievable pull to that side. Going around corners you will hear the tires screaming. Going around corners on a wet road can be very tricky because it may kick out the rear or it may just go straight.
There it is in a nut shell.

Rick
 

Excuse Me

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I think a lot of you guys really need to learn how differentials work. The key word here is the name, DIFFERENTIAL! An open rear splits the torque evenly between the two wheels up to the point where one wheel loses traction and at that point all of the torque goes to the wheel with the least resistance. A limited slip works in many different ways depending on what type it is but the basic principle is this, even torque to both wheels while driving straight and if one wheel starts to slip there are clutches or cones that provide resistance and therefore traction to the slipping wheel. You will not get 100% traction but you will get something. With a Detroit locker and the similar lunchbox lockers neither tire can rotate slower than the ring gear. If you are in a turn all of the power will be going to the inside tire because it will be th slower tire and the outside tire will be ratcheting around the gear. If you are off road and you lose traction on one wheel the other wheel will spin at the same speed since it is now locked to the ring gear, remember, it cannot go slower than the ring gear. In this scenario you get 100% traction to both tires. With welded spiders or a spool the tires turn the same speed all the time no matter what. If you are a couple pounds low on air on one side you will have an unbelievable pull to that side. Going around corners you will hear the tires screaming. Going around corners on a wet road can be very tricky because it may kick out the rear or it may just go straight.
There it is in a nut shell.

Rick
Likely it will push straight unless enough speed is had to transfer weight from the inside, to the ouside. The longer the wheelbase with heavier front axle, the less push will be occur.
One of the best analogies for a welded diff would be riding an old honda atc three wheeler. It had a straight axle, no differential action and was very short wb. If you just sat straight up in the seat and turned the front wheel, it would just push straight. You had to transfer from the inside wheel so it could loose traction in order to get it to turn. Later londer wheel base atvs came about and had better turning manners.

The detroit lockers to those new to them, can be very nerve racking at first. They have very bad street manners and are noisy and unpredictable in their action. Once a turn is made and the outside ratchet disengages from the carrier part, it does not always just click back in when going straight. It can stay disengaged for a bit and engage when accelerating. This is when, until you have some time with them, it can scare you as the engagement will be vary abrupt, with a loud clank and the vehicle, depending on the weight of it, will shift slightly to the opposing side of that that was disengaged.

Like this rig, you can hear the noise I mention. I have one in my 3/4 ton 2wd pu and one in my Steiger tractor. The pickup scares people on the sidewalk when it clanks into posi. The tractor works awesome on the soil, and sucks bad down the road and in the farm yard.
 

TacticalDoc

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My USMC m928 has lockers are they just detroits? Havent really looked into it. I do have the Locker Data Plate on my door.

My 923 also has this. Why not 3 Detroit lockers? I understand and ARB can be switched on when you need it but is there a down side to having Detroit lockers in front?

I drive mine on and off road. I don't go in deep mud but have been in at least 2 feet of it. I never had to put it in all wheel drive for that. The 2 rear locker did fine at a slow crawl
 
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