Lock-Rite in the snow??

Les.

Edited by smfulle - 06 Nov. 2017 at 5:16pm

I had a 71 Ford F-250 4x4 truck that I installed Dana-Spicer Trac-Lok diffys in both front and rear. It didn't do bad in mud or deep snow, but was down right dangerous in light snow and ice. I had better control on ice in 2wd than 4wd. Because in 4wd all wheels were turning the truck had no "reference point" in the road to operate against and it would tend to go sideways. In 2wd while the rear tires were both turning, they had the front tires of the truck holding the truck in position. I considered putting the open diffy in the front again, but never got around to it. My oldest daughter asked me to give it to her for a wedding present in 2002, so I did. It was the truck she learned to drive in.

Anyway, that my experience with limited slip differentials. Good offroad, but can be hazardous if you don't know what you are doing on light snow or ice on pavement.

HTH

Les,

I had a Ford 4X4 with AWD and 4WD. It was treacherous in AWD in light snow and ice. It was OK with 4WD, but I don't really like lockers in the front. I had a FJZ80 (TLC) with front. rear and center lockers. I almost NEVER ran it with the front lockers dialed in. My CJ2A has rear LockRights installed, but an open front. I avoid permanent (always on) front axle lockers - especially on snow and ice.

Unkamonkey wrote: I have a Power Lock in the rear of my 3B and a V6. It is pretty much undriveable on snow and ice unless you put it in 4X4. It works great offroad. I usually revert back to my'86 Volvo in the winter. It will go through 12" of snow. Huh, 2 wheel drive?

Yeah, but an '86 Volvo ain't got flat fenders!

My choice is to go with a selectable locker like the Eaton E locker allowing a stock normal differential operation or fully locked up like a spool.

Having driven on very slick surfaces a lot in cars and pickups as well as buses and trucks I do not like being shoved in a straight line when the Posi/Limited Slip Locker what ever does not allow the differential to work. I used to teach school buss drivers how to drive on snow and Ice. In Oregon we do not have the same kind of snow they do in the mid west. It normally has a layer of Black Ice under it and we do not use Salt here so you get VERY slick conditions without studs or chains.

And for the last 14+ years I have driven Construction Dump truck for a Paving and Site development co. And have a lot of hours on wet slick muddy work and dump sites and we only use our lockers to get us out of the trouble we get into with only one axle in normal operation.



Edited by Mark W. - 07 Nov. 2017 at 1:24am

Running NDTs on slick hard surfaces can be a problem in and of itself.   My Dad's old '47 Chevy 2 ton wrecker had NDTs on the rear (he got a deal on them when he was building the wrecker).  I went out with him on a call once on icy roads and the rear was trying to slide all over the place.  I was driving, but handed it over to him as he was more used to it's being treacherous on slick surfaces.  Putting the rear axle in low did help some.  

I thought I had replied to this but I don't see my post anywhere...

Are we all on the same page with differentiating lockers from limited slip units?

I get that lockers rock for trails, and LS units aren't usually as capable. The catch is that I'm hoping to be able to drive mine year-round. It'll see a lot of packed snow and ice.

If you watched the two videos Stan posted, understand that ALL of the forest service/logging roads out here are like that ravine where the sand rail went off the road. The mountain sides generally range from 30 degrees to near-vertical.

During hunting season, there's enough traffic that it takes less than a day for any snow on the road to be packed and glazed. From what I'm hearing here, I don't know that I want to drive those kinds of roads in the snow on lockers. 

Tires of choice, once I get them will likely be 30-31 inch narrow A/Ts as opposed to M/Ts, unless I end up on Super Traxions...

If I ever end up with a set of NDTs, they'll be strictly 'summer' tires.

We had an early snow this year. Two weekends ago we all went on the St. Joe river cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene. It was a beautiful fall day. Last weekend we got hit with 14 inches of snow, most of which is still on the ground. The last thing I need is to be caught out hunting 50 miles into the mountains in a snow storm with the wrong tires.

The only phone service you'll get is satellite, and there are many places it's not reliable. Not that I have a sat-phone - too expensive for my blood.


Edited by LesBerg - 09 Nov. 2017 at 1:25am

I have Lock Rites front and rear in my 1945 Willys. They provide excellent off road traction but make for very wide turns in 4WD. I removed the interlock in my Browne Lipe model 18 transfer case so I can select 2WD low range to make sharp turns easier off road. Take it easy in 2WD low or you will snap an axle. No big deal in the Willys with rear floating hubs, but big deal in a CJ2A.