Thread: D2 with rear auto locker - what's it like to drive on road, particularly tight turns?

If you do go down this path, I'm in the market for the ATB diff.

Detroit Locker is more of an "unlocker". Remains locked whilst no differentiation is needed, unlocks when it is. I have a D1 with one fitted. Drives absolutely as normal, with the major difference being if you accelerate in a corner, you will induce some understeer,. Not really a problem, and you soon get used to it. I also have a Tru Trak fittwd in front, and have no issues with that, either. Always ready when needed with no switches or wires/hoses needed.
The horror stories you hear are usually from lead-foot larries , accelerating into a roundabout, then getting out of shape, blaming their lack of driving abilities on the Detroit.

I am toying with the idea of fitting lockers to my D2a and although the ATB and Detroit lockers are good units I am leaning towards fitting air lockers or E-diffs preferably.

I had one in the rear of a HJ60 way back (20 years now) and can only comment that it would drive as normal on road etc, only time I’d notice it unlocking was in tight turns in car parks etc and would clunk unlocked

Cheers Lemo

I had a Detroit locker in the rear of a D1 and it drove as normal, except it unlocked on tight turns.

I had one in a 77RRC. It was an "interim" Detroit locker so may not be quite as civlised as later ones.
1 would clunk in and out when turning slowly as in a carpark
2 would occasionally give a big BANG if taking off from lights with a slight curve as the dogs meshed.
3 would tighten line on gear change if loaded by hard acceleration on a curve when changing gear say second to third.
4 if driving on a greasy wet surface will follow the contour downhill. I once spent a day driving through the drivers window on a wet day from Wannaring to Bourke.
5 If driving on wet greasy surface say uphill then wanting to turn, may not unlock and give mucho understeer.
6 Broke a rear long axle but that was driver error. Twisted 2 half a turn on Nissan Trials but that WAS the Nissan Trials.

I found it a bit uncivilised and so fitted a Maxidrive to my 91 RRC.

I would fit a selectable diff to my D2 if going that way, but loved the transparency of the Quaife I had in the front of the RRC so I will probably go 2x Ashcroft ATB on my D2.
Regards Philip A
PS , If competing in a competition that requires full lock turns, the Detroit will increase the turn radius quite a bit, as I found in the Nissan Trials.

Be stuffed just go manual locker and be done with all the BS

What BS? - the modern detroit is install and forget - all the old information that Philip provided might have been relevant 20 or 30 years ago but is not valid now.

When driving you will never know it is there.

Garry