Thread: Diff locks and traction control

Just to break from Traditional and wise words of locking the centre diff, I have on occasions when needing to make tight turns on slippery surfaces unlocked the centre diff pulled the hand brake on a couple of clicks , full lock and some right foot will force the front wheels to turn and leave the rear to skid and reduces the tuning circle.
Must be used with caution

Originally Posted by fitzy

Just to break from Traditional and wise words of locking the centre diff, I have on occasions when needing to make tight turns on slippery surfaces unlocked the centre diff pulled the hand brake on a couple of clicks , full lock and some right foot will force the front wheels to turn and leave the rear to skid and reduces the tuning circle.
Must be used with caution

As this will destroy the centre diff, according to Dave Ashcroft.

Originally Posted by Bohica

As this will destroy the centre diff, according to Dave Ashcroft.

Possibly

Yeah, I lock it whenever I hit dirt or consistent snow/ice. But it is a pain on cattle grids when approach and departures are bitumen.

I use my CDL pretty much the same way I used my free wheeling hubs on my old 4WD's, In winter when the dirt roads are wet and slippery and when going off road on tracks etc. I will engage it.
When the dirt roads are in good condition and dry and on the black top I don't use it.

My D2 has an ashlocker rear, CDL centre, and 4 pin open diff front. Early model slabs.

I took it up a local lane last night, Ramsden's Road near Huddersfield here in the UK - it's a shadow of it's former self due to NIMBYs but there's still fun to be had.

One section of the lane has a rocky inclined turn, with steps where either 1 or 2 wheels will be airborne (depending on the path taken), obviously alternate wheels airborne front to back axle

In short, with no CDL, TC would not get me over the obstacles, wheels spinning all over and TC going bonkers.

With CDL engaged, much wheel spinning and TC activation but successfully navigated.

CDL engaged & Locker on, the TD5 dragged me through with no throttle required, and no wheel spinning.

So, technically, the locker probably isn't required... But what I would contend is that with plus size grippy tyres on, TC & spinning of wheels could lead to a shock loading scenario and if doing a LOT of this style of driving could potentially result in component failure.

Clearly, this is just me theorising, but it sure is nice to just gracefully sail through some terrain rather than have to thrash through it.

Originally Posted by BennehBoy

My D2 has an ashlocker rear, CDL centre, and 4 pin open diff front. Early model slabs.

So, technically, the locker probably isn't required... But what I would contend is that with plus size grippy tyres on, TC & spinning of wheels could lead to a shock loading scenario and if doing a LOT of this style of driving could potentially result in component failure.

Clearly, this is just me theorising, but it sure is nice to just gracefully sail through some terrain rather than have to thrash through it.

It's ten years since I fitted the lockers. If I think back, the reason at the time for fitting them was just this. It's pretty hard to break a component SLIP-SPIN-GRIP-BANG style with lockers that won't let things get out of hand.

Originally Posted by ballbag

Yeah, I lock it whenever I hit dirt or consistent snow/ice. But it is a pain on cattle grids when approach and departures are bitumen.

The cattle grids(with bitumen approach and departure) shouldn't be a problem with the CDL still locked.
Unless the cattle grid is a u-turn where prop speeds(front to rear) can be different. But on a straight bit of road for those few meters, you shouldn't get any windup.
If the road continues on as gravel, any windup should take care of itself on the loose surface again.

That's my(limited) understanding of how the system should work.