Thread: WILDLY varying locker prices

Originally Posted by garrycol

[snip]
A lot of the bad stories are either that stories or do not apply to awd vehicles.

[snip]
Garry

As I keep saying, my experiences are with the old style Detroits, not the newer Soft Lockers.

AFAIK all production has been SL's for years now, what I drove were late eighties/early nineties versions in light weight, relatively high HP rear wheel drives.
I was mainly recounting what happened to explain that they do indeed lock under power, and not just in a straight line otherwise they would be useless in competition cars, if they didnt lock under power you'd be lighting up the inside wheel all the time while cornering and going no-where..

Yes, but the only reason it is locking under power is that you have sped up the inside wheel rotational speed to match the outer wheel rotational speed.

Originally Posted by BigJon

Yes, but the only reason it is locking under power is that you have sped up the inside wheel rotational speed to match the outer wheel rotational speed.

Actually you have applied enough force/torque/thrust/bias/yougettheidea, to get the mechanical engagement to actuate and lock the dogs, to lock the side gears, to lock the axles...once locked wheel speed is obviously at the same rotational speed, you've had to overcome the inertia of the springs and natural physics of the centre, to lock the dogs....its not actually about matching wheel speed, this happens when locked

Originally Posted by rick130

As I keep saying, my experiences are with the old style Detroits, not the newer Soft Lockers.

AFAIK all production has been SL's for years now, what I drove were late eighties/early nineties versions in light weight, relatively high HP rear wheel drives.
I was mainly recounting what happened to explain that they do indeed lock under power, and not just in a straight line otherwise they would be useless in competition cars, if they didnt lock under power you'd be lighting up the inside wheel all the time while cornering and going no-where..

Yep, different when you have three differentials in operation together, as the lose of traction, or extra force applied heads out at a loss, by spinning a front wheel...the one with the least traction, i.e. it takes the path of least resistance....there is more resistance in locking the rear locker as opposed to escaping out the front...with a rea wheel drive, it has no other path than to try spin the wheel with the least traction, which inturn makes the detroit do its thing

Lock the centre diff on the other hand





Oh, some are a able to spin all 4 with 3 open diffs, but I'm yet to witness such a phenomenom

Saw it once.In a RRC, full RH lock, rev up & dump it. All4 going plus RH circles. 30 seconds later when all the oil flung away from the centre diff it blew the rear cover off the transfer due to shearing all the c-diff bolts and it expanding.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but a True Track acts as a locker providing both wheels are on the ground. Lift a wheel and it acts like a open diff with no drive to the wheel on the ground.

Is this correct?

cheers,
Terry

Originally Posted by TerryO

Please correct me if I'm wrong but a True Track acts as a locker providing both wheels are on the ground. Lift a wheel and it acts like a open diff with no drive to the wheel on the ground.

Is this correct?

cheers,
Terry

I'm assuming (maybe naievely) that a little bit of brake will rectify that problem and transfer the power to the wheel on the ground...if not, I need to rethink my plan

Originally Posted by rovercare

Yep, different when you have three differentials in operation together, as the lose of traction, or extra force applied heads out at a loss, by spinning a front wheel...the one with the least traction, i.e. it takes the path of least resistance....there is more resistance in locking the rear locker as opposed to escaping out the front...with a rea wheel drive, it has no other path than to try spin the wheel with the least traction, which inturn makes the detroit do its thing

Lock the centre diff on the other hand





Oh, some are a able to spin all 4 with 3 open diffs, but I'm yet to witness such a phenomenom

Yeah, that's what I'd guess would happen Matt, but not having driven a no-spin with 3 diffs myself....