Lockers and Snow

JacksJeep · **Posted:** Fri Dec 02, 2005 5:32 pm

We have our first serious snow today and I had a chance to try out my Libby with the locker (Powertrax) I installed last spring. I was pleasantly surprised.

In 4x4 Fulltime it was not noticeable. So I tried it on several hills included a sharp turn, but in RWD.

Here is the surprise, the locker was better mannered in snow in RWD than the factory Trac-Loc limited slip it replaced. The locker requires a light touch on the gas pedal on a tight turn but it was controllable. When going straight, it was just great. Almost no sidewise kick. Much better than the limited slip.

Probably because power shifts from wheel to wheel with the limited slip, it was much worse at sideways kicking. I'll need to experiment more. It's a hard job, but someone has to do it! :lol:

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Fri Dec 02, 2005 9:01 pm

I've noticed more sliding out with mine. I was on this real slick ice and goosed the gas just a bit. I was surpised that it spun me completely around. I have the Powertrax also.

kevh · **Posted:** Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:45 pm

you will probably find that in snow the rear will have a tendency to crabwalk sideways since both tires lose traction at the same time and there isnt a nonspinning wheel to keep the rear inline with the front

ManicMechanicJoe · **Posted:** Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:28 am

I put my buddy's suburban into a ditch because I had no idea it had a locker (factory Eaton G80 locker). If you release the throttle before entering a turn it shouldn't fishtail. If someone else is driving you Jeep with a locker-do yourself a favor and inform them of how to operate it. Surprises suck.

JacksJeep · **Posted:** Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:17 am

Thanks for your comments. But I think you missed my point. No doubt a locker has handling issues in the snow that open diffs don't. (I also have a WJ with open diffs.) But to my surprise, the locker was not worse than the limited slip, but actually a litte better. I have lots of snow experience with the limited slip. The limited slip will crab walk especially on a slope. On a straight uphill climb the rear would fishtail left and right to point of being uncontrolable. But in the same circumstance, the locker is more stable. Remember, I'm talking 2wd here.

Our WJ is my wife's commute vehicle and it has open diffs precisely because she does not want to deal the issues that either a limited slip or a locker can cause.

QuietOutdoorsman · **Posted:** Sat Dec 03, 2005 2:56 pm

I do not have a locker, I've got the factory LSD. In 2wd that thing really sucks on the snow. We have snow on the ground here at sea level in the puget sound and so I got to play around with it this morning. I've driven my KJ in all types of snow last winter, but always in 4wd. I grew up in Ohio so I have driven front and rear 2wd vehicles in snow a lot. The handling of the liberty surprised me a lot this morning. Going around a corner from just wet road onto a road that was completely covered I nearly lost it. Both tires had good traction on the wet road, then one slipped until the LSD caught it and that cause the other to break loose and I just about spun it....doing about 15mph. I was sideways at 15mph! :shock:

I dumped the clutch (thankfully I drive a manual) and the lack of power input let it straighten out quickly. I put it in 4-Hi and she tracked straight and true.

You're right that the locker would help. That slight intermittent slipping of either rear wheel and then the LSD catching can be hard to control. With the locker at least you know you're either completely loose or have traction.

jeeplikens · **Posted:** Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:24 pm

I'm running nothing more then stock diff's. The only BIG thing I've done was switch to COOPER discovery M&S tires. I've noticed (today mostly) with our first few inches of snow is those tires don't require me to go to 4wd mode as much as the stock tires. Seems I couldn't go anywhere before. Now, it just graps and go. I can still make it spin but I have to say TIRES do make a BIG difference. In 4wd, it really kicks up some chunks of snow. :twisted:

Lockers and Snow

Who is online