u2slow wrote:
Any rear traction device (except one you lock open) has the potential to kick out sideways. When it happens at speed, in a short-wheelbase rig, in 2wd... especially in the winter, you're going for a ride. BTDT with just a trac-lok. IMO, you want to use 4wd sooner rather than later. A front locker doesn't have the same effect because you're driving both axles at that point.
Agreed. In the use case I'm looking at, though, most of the benefit of an LSD would be in dry weather or on dirt - Winter tends to follow the pattern of, "stick it in 4FT and leave it there" once the weather turns. My experience has been that having traction at the front as well as the rear helps to mitigate some of the effects of a rear LSD on slick surfaces. It's not a 100% cure for it, but it does help.
u2slow wrote:
casm wrote:
Everything you just outlined is what makes it unfeasible. I agree with what you're saying, but downtime (this is a DD) and the space to work on it are the driving factors in making it a no-go. Oh, and weather. We don't have a garage; doing this in the driveway in Winter is just not something I want to deal with.
Fair enough. I pre-build and overhaul 'spares' as much as a can... specifically because it minimizes downtime for a DD. I do have a shop though... figured you did too, assuming your would-be locker install was DIY.
I hear you, and would absolutely kill for a shop, or at least a workbench. We're planning on starting some house-hunting next year and one of the items on the list is a shop or garage with enough space to convert to shop use yet still get a couple of cars inside.
Doing an LSD / locker install in the driveway isn't out of the question, but it is weather- and time-dependent, and a great way to fill the diff with whatever crud's floating around in the air. Not my first choice. When things reach that point, I'll be seriously evaluating whether or not I take care of it myself or farm it out to a shop. The DIY route is preferred, but I have to be realistic about what can or cannot be accomplished in the driveway.