Locking Differential?
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Tony Williams
LIFETIME SPONSOR
- Mar 23, 2000
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If you're just driving on the road, no pulling trailers, no slippery boat ramps, sand dunes, or slick muddy parking lots, you don't need a locking or limited slip differential.
What it does is make sure that both rear wheels will drive you through the slick stuff. Normally, if one of the rear wheels slips in the goo, all the power will go to that wheel, and the other one will sit there and do nothing. The locking diff will transfer power to the non-slipping wheel.
If you're pulling a trailer or heavy load, 4:10 gears might be appropriate. Or if the vehicle has a small motor, 4:10 might also be the ticket. Otherwise, stick with the 3:73 gears which will get better gas mileage.
Specifically, what vehicle are you looking at?
What it does is make sure that both rear wheels will drive you through the slick stuff. Normally, if one of the rear wheels slips in the goo, all the power will go to that wheel, and the other one will sit there and do nothing. The locking diff will transfer power to the non-slipping wheel.
If you're pulling a trailer or heavy load, 4:10 gears might be appropriate. Or if the vehicle has a small motor, 4:10 might also be the ticket. Otherwise, stick with the 3:73 gears which will get better gas mileage.
Specifically, what vehicle are you looking at?
We have a Ford club wagon with the 5.8l and 3.55 locking rear end and it pulls a light trailer very well. The later triton engines are geared lower as the torque curve is different as a rule so it that case a 3.73 would be a better choice.
In our work vans we prefer the 4.10 ratio regardless of engine selection.
In our work vans we prefer the 4.10 ratio regardless of engine selection.
Kawierider
Member
- Jun 7, 2001
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locked dif
hey, are you looking at getting a locked dif, or a limited slip? there is a big difference. The whole job of the differential is two-fold. it needs to transfer power to the rear wheels and also allow them to turn at different speeds when cornering(the inside wheel will turn slower than the outside). A locking differential will transfer power equally to both wheels all the time, unfortunatly, since it is essentially a solid link between the wheels it takes away the wheels' capacity to turn independintly of each other, so it affects handling and makes the wheels squeel sometime around corners because one wheel always is turnign slower or faster than it wants to. its positive is in snow, grvle roads, or any slippery surface you will have much , much better traction. A limited slip only allows one wheel to turn freely(jsut spin) alittle before it engages and allows the opposite wheel to be driven by most of the power, it is not as affective in addiing traction as a locked differential but it will improve you wet surface and all around traction dramatically. Another positive is that the limited slip dif, will allow your wheels to turn at the different speeds during turns and not affect your handling adversly. If i were you i would for sure go with the limited slip, but be weary of the locked dif. the traction is nice, but if it is primarily a highway or city vehicle it might now be worth the trade off. now, if the locking mechanism is part time( you can turn it one and off from inside the cab) that would be the ideal combination because you can lock the dif when you need traction and unlock it in normal situations. (tacoma trd's have this feature and is very affective). hope this helps and if ive explained someting wrong someone correct me.
Tim
sorry for the long post
hey, are you looking at getting a locked dif, or a limited slip? there is a big difference. The whole job of the differential is two-fold. it needs to transfer power to the rear wheels and also allow them to turn at different speeds when cornering(the inside wheel will turn slower than the outside). A locking differential will transfer power equally to both wheels all the time, unfortunatly, since it is essentially a solid link between the wheels it takes away the wheels' capacity to turn independintly of each other, so it affects handling and makes the wheels squeel sometime around corners because one wheel always is turnign slower or faster than it wants to. its positive is in snow, grvle roads, or any slippery surface you will have much , much better traction. A limited slip only allows one wheel to turn freely(jsut spin) alittle before it engages and allows the opposite wheel to be driven by most of the power, it is not as affective in addiing traction as a locked differential but it will improve you wet surface and all around traction dramatically. Another positive is that the limited slip dif, will allow your wheels to turn at the different speeds during turns and not affect your handling adversly. If i were you i would for sure go with the limited slip, but be weary of the locked dif. the traction is nice, but if it is primarily a highway or city vehicle it might now be worth the trade off. now, if the locking mechanism is part time( you can turn it one and off from inside the cab) that would be the ideal combination because you can lock the dif when you need traction and unlock it in normal situations. (tacoma trd's have this feature and is very affective). hope this helps and if ive explained someting wrong someone correct me.
Tim
sorry for the long post
It sounds like your looking at a gm product with the ratios specified. Most full size trucks come with a 3.73 rear end because it is a good compromise between mileage and power. The tow rating for this rear end is less than that for a 4.10 but by some small weight and do you really plan on hauling a monster trailer? My half ton truck is rated to tow 6500 lbs with a 3.73 "locking" rear end. Thats's plenty.
If the "locker" is coming with the van from the factory then you don't need to worry about any of the side effects such as chirping tires. You will most likely never notice it until you get into some slick conditions. These "lockers" are a very soft locker and most have clutches which allow a small bit of slip to improve daily driveability. They do work and are worth the cost. I wouldn't own a 2 wheel drive without some sort of locking rear end. MPG is not affected by whether or not the rear end is a locker.
Enjoy the van.
If the "locker" is coming with the van from the factory then you don't need to worry about any of the side effects such as chirping tires. You will most likely never notice it until you get into some slick conditions. These "lockers" are a very soft locker and most have clutches which allow a small bit of slip to improve daily driveability. They do work and are worth the cost. I wouldn't own a 2 wheel drive without some sort of locking rear end. MPG is not affected by whether or not the rear end is a locker.
Enjoy the van.
The only factory (true locking) diff. is made by Toyota. It operates like the ARB, electric instead of air. Chevy promotes a locking diff. on their trucks, but in reality it's a ltd slip diff. As stated above, If you were to have a full time locking rear diff. you'll have the rear tire skipping around corners. Best bet is to spend the money and get the ARB if you're looking to use the truck as a daily driver. If you don't plan to do any hard 4Xing you might as well stick with the ltd slip.
Don't worry about it. It costs WAY more and isn't available from the factory anyway. An ARB locking diff is an aftermarket item that's not necessary unless you are into SERIOUS 4-wheeling and need to be able to LOCK the differential so you have equal power to the wheels on the locked axle.
and PLEEEEZE stop calling it a locked rear end. Limited slip (or Positrac) is what it's called from the factory. It's a cluth pack like arrangement that DOES allow some slippage for street use, but does not LOCK the axles together. As Sleez has stated.......only Toyota makes a true locking factory differential.
You're getting a Van, right?? You wont have on mud and snow tires, it wont be a 4x4.....so blowing the money on an aftermarket LOCKING differential would be silly. A limited slip diff from the factory will be fine for your application.
Hogwylde --The factory refers to their limited slip diffs as lockers now. it must be a marketing strategy. Since the poster is looking at factory literature, use of the term "locking" is only to be consistent.
The toyota electric locker is a very worthy option for a toyota but, unless you modify the factory setup it only works in 4lo and only at speeds below 5 mph. It works very well.
I agree to forget about adding an ARB air locker to a 2 wheel drive truck unless you are building a machine to compete with 4 wheel drivers and you have more money than sense. You must have compressed air to operate it. You must have your differential housing removed and replaced with the arb unit which includes setting up the gearing shims.
The toyota electric locker is a very worthy option for a toyota but, unless you modify the factory setup it only works in 4lo and only at speeds below 5 mph. It works very well.
I agree to forget about adding an ARB air locker to a 2 wheel drive truck unless you are building a machine to compete with 4 wheel drivers and you have more money than sense. You must have compressed air to operate it. You must have your differential housing removed and replaced with the arb unit which includes setting up the gearing shims.
The stock rear end on a half ton is the open 10-bolt, that's what the salesman said. If you have the only "locker" GM offers you will have a G80 code stamped on the sticker in your glove box. It is the gov-lok locker made by Eaton. Power will go to both wheels until one starts to slip. I've seen many trucks with open rear ends do 2 tire dirt burnouts only because both tires have equally poor/good traction.
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For the Chevy G3500 passenger van I got with a 5.7 liter V8, max trailer weight is listed as 5800 lbs with 3.73 ratio, and 7300 lbs with 4.10 ratio. I have the 3.73 gearing, and just calculated I get 18 mpg driving mostly around town. I don't know about the effect on gas mileage of the other ratio.
Larry
Larry
I guess I'd like to drive two identically equipped vehicles with the different axle ratios to see what the difference was like.
Even though I know I probably won't be towing a huge trailer, I sometimes think towing a smaller trailer would be that much better if you had a higher tow capacity. Plus, who knows what you might tow down the road (literally and figuratively).
I like those full size vans, but I'm not comfortable driving them because of the "hump" from where the engine comes back. Hope you enjoy yours.
Even though I know I probably won't be towing a huge trailer, I sometimes think towing a smaller trailer would be that much better if you had a higher tow capacity. Plus, who knows what you might tow down the road (literally and figuratively).
I like those full size vans, but I'm not comfortable driving them because of the "hump" from where the engine comes back. Hope you enjoy yours.
Once you get used to that engine compartment in a van, it's hard to go back.. At least, with the new vans. They are VERY comfortable.
Anything 5 years old or more, they were very uncomfortable. The new ones are just as comfortable as a truck, if not more.
Anything 5 years old or more, they were very uncomfortable. The new ones are just as comfortable as a truck, if not more.
