Thread: Detroit lockers

which ever locker he goes for tell him to up grade the axles or he will just end up breaking axles

I had one in a 77.
I found it good but not completely civlized.Mine was the first Soflocker,but the later ones are supposedly better.
It had several quirks which were OK on my old 77 but I put Maxidrive in my 92 as it was unobtrusive and more in keeping with the car.
1 Occasionally it would give a VERY LOUD clunk as you took off from lights, particularly on a slight curve. This was the side dogs slipping into place.
2 On accelerating in say thrid gear around a curve, if you changed gear he car would dive inwards.
3 If going up a steep muddy track , it would not disengage in a corner which made you go straight ahead, which was often not wanted.
4 If on a muddy road with a side slope the back would always go down the slope as both rears would spin a bit.I got very adept at driving sideways , looking through the side window.
5 If turning slowly around a roundabout or in a carpack, the back would clunkety clunk as it engaged and disengaged.

In all I was very happy with it. I broke an axle as I was wheel spinning and the long side picked up traction, and after the Nissan Trial both back axles had about 1/4 turn on the splines. I then had it broached and fitted Jacmac axles, and it was OK.
Considering that you really have to factor in stronger axles, I think the Maxidrive is the way to go. they cost about $2400 or so, but in the end the Detroit wil cost you almost as much, for a far inferior level of civility.
There are quite a few Maxis around second hand now.
Regards Philip A

alot has changed since then.

i had one in the back of my s1 v8 disco and it was really unpredictable, scared the crap out of me on more than one occasion. but i liked it

so i decided to stick one in the rear of my 90. so i can now comment on the differances between the old detroit and the new one(soft lock) they are like chalk and cheese.
honestly i dont even know its there in the 90. no clunks no darting off in another direction, even in the wet!
i cant even hear the ratcheting sounds the old one made.

if it were the same as the one in the disco the 90 wouldnt be safe to drive on the road. i ve dont over 20 000k's with it in and not a problem. only thing is that tyre diameter is critical, within 10mm for my short wheel base.

as for a fit and forget locker, ide never buy anything else.
price 2400 for the maxi+fitting??
around 1000 for the locker, im still out on the whole axle thing, thats all down to your driving style. i still havent broken one.

cheers phil

I have a soft locker in the rear of my Stage 1 V8 and I have found its performance to be very impressive.
They are not always civilised but once you get use to their peculiarities they are fine, certainly not dangerous.

Don’t floor it when going around a round about and beware of the front end swinging in if you change gears while accelerating around a long corner.
I think the key with their noise is to do with using nice heavy 85-149w with 20% Moreys. Most of the big bangs and clunks disappear after changing to this oil mix.

I'm with DiscoWhite - I have a Detroit in the rear of the Rangie, top piece of equipement. Never heard a noise from it - mine about 3 years old now.

Going to put a Detroit Truetrack slippery in the front soon also.

LRH

Leave them in Detroit...... Get a Maxi

Detroits are great. I'm pretty sure I'm going back to a Detroit in the rear of my 110. And a tru trac up front.

Maxi's are great too, but cost alot more and theres more involved in fitting and there are more bits and hoses and switches and blah blah blah.

The saving of $1400 over a maxi has convinced me, when the budget allows it i reckon i am going for the detroit after reading all this.