Tatsadasayago wrote:Glad to see you back Sir!
I agree that the Detroit is not a very good idea for a front axle on a full-time rig. I would go with an OX or ARB or even a Powr-Lok before the Tru-Trac.
If having an extra cable and lever or two on the trans hump the OX isn't a bad choice against the ARB which is higher maintenance overall.
I dunno about the need to go full floater in the rear unless you are planning on running overloaded and pulling a trailer with more than 500 Lbs on the hitch. A properly lubricated D44 in good shape can handle way more constant weight at highway speeds than most realize. It's the worn out and neglected Dana 44s full of water or running without gear oil/bearing grease that has led many people to think it can't handle road trips with a load on.
Anyway, it's good to know you're still around!
I've read conflicting stories about auto lockers in the rear in FT 4wd. Maybe I should throw a lunchbox in mine and see what I think. Need to find some snow to play in though.Stuka wrote:With full time, you don't want an automatic locker in either axle. You also don't want a limited slip in front, as it will impact your street driving. The biggest impact is understeer, but can also pull straight if you accelerate.
What kind of off roading are you planning on? For most trails, an ARB in back would be more than enough. In my J10, I am open up front, and detroit in back (but I have a manual trans). It has gone on every trail I have taken it on.
As for axles, what is your final tire size going to be? With 4.56's, I am guessing 35's, maybe 33's. With 35's, the D60 would be a better option in the long run. But, you will also end up with tires sticking out the side of the vehicle, as a J20 D60 is 9.5" wider than a NT D44.
The TrueTrac is a limited slip differential, not an auto-locker.rainman wrote:I figured a trutrac (or any other auto locker) in the front would not work well for me.
The problem is they dont unlock with fulltime. There is always tension on the driveshaft because of the difference in axle speeds front to rear. Yes the center differential allows for them to be at different speeds, but only because of the drive shaft speeds wanting to be different. Automatic lockers lock when they have torque applied to them. And with full time, there is basically always torque applied, unless you are going perfectly straight.rainman wrote:I've read conflicting stories about auto lockers in the rear in FT 4wd. Maybe I should throw a lunchbox in mine and see what I think. Need to find some snow to play in though.
If you guys end up with any hard pack, this is where a front limit slip will be more noticeable. In deep snow I doubt it will be. But on hard pack, it can cause a lot of under steer. Although in my experience the vehicle wont crab walk like it would with a locker up front. A front auto locker (or spool) on hard pack snow is a nightmare. Going in the direction that you want to go in is nearly impossible.derf wrote:I have an XJ with the NP242. I put TruTracs in front and rear. I don't have much experience with them yet as I just got the Jeep up and running a couple weeks ago. And I haven't had them in the snow/ice yet. Though this weekend promises a day of snow so I'll be out playing around in it to see how things go. I can say with certainty that for normal driving day to day on dry pavement you can't tell that they're there. The Jeep rides and drives just like it has open diffs. But that's what a limited slip does. It really doesn't kick in until you start to lose traction.
Reading all of the discussion about TruTracs on various forums, I have basically uncovered that there are two types of people who respond.
1. People just repeating what they hear about stuff. From these people you get a great variety of what driving it might be like. But when pressed, all they can say is "that's what I've heard". And what they have heard varies from person to person.
2. People who have actually installed and used them in their own vehicles. What you get from these people is pretty consistent. First is that off road, they are just like every other limited slip. They help more than an open differential but aren't true lockers so they only help so much. So they're not good for heavy rock crawling and the like but decent for mild/moderate trails. Second is that they work great in snow and ice so long as you're not driving too fast for conditions. i.e. they won't suddenly make you be able to take hard corners fast on ice. They're only good for helping you get moving. They can't make you stop or turn faster on snow and ice.
Assuming the snow forecast holds up and we get enough for it to accumulate, I'm going to be out playing around to see how well they work.
I would believe that this would be more of an issue with a clutch type limited slip over a torsen style like the TruTrac.Stuka wrote:If you guys end up with any hard pack, this is where a front limit slip will be more noticeable. In deep snow I doubt it will be. But on hard pack, it can cause a lot of under steer. Although in my experience the vehicle wont crab walk like it would with a locker up front. A front auto locker (or spool) on hard pack snow is a nightmare. Going in the direction that you want to go in is nearly impossible.
So if the clutch style is tight, it can act more like a spool on low traction surfaces like hard pack snow. This is obviously bad for turning, as it will cause massive under steer.derf wrote:I would believe that this would be more of an issue with a clutch type limited slip over a torsen style like the TruTrac.Stuka wrote:If you guys end up with any hard pack, this is where a front limit slip will be more noticeable. In deep snow I doubt it will be. But on hard pack, it can cause a lot of under steer. Although in my experience the vehicle wont crab walk like it would with a locker up front. A front auto locker (or spool) on hard pack snow is a nightmare. Going in the direction that you want to go in is nearly impossible.