Thread: Anyone used a Detroit (Eaton) TrueTrac?

Originally Posted by 98-110

SO if you fit say Truetrac to the front and NoSlips to the rear, is the transfer case lock obsolete?
........

No. Still needed for the case where neither wheel on one axle has any grip, although these occasions will be a lot fewer than the ones where one wheel on one axle has lost grip, which is where it is needed with open diffs.

John

I have had Detroit Lockers or No-spins, the names are interchangeable, in a HT Monaro GTS350, a Dodge Challenger, and three way No spins in a Rockwell SSHD tandem drive. They work just fine and are infinitely preferable to the simple limited slip diffs that just disconnect the spinning wheel and drive the other one. I have never owned or driven a Tru-trac (Gleasman Torsen) but the principle sounds good. The only drawback with Detroit Lockers is the clattering sound when turning at low speeds. The three way installation was in a road train prime mover and was brilliant in the loose stuff or heavy mud, but did have a tendency to want to keep going straight ahead in mud, so a little judicious throttle and brake control was used.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

I have had Detroit Lockers or No-spins, the names are interchangeable, in a HT Monaro GTS350, a Dodge Challenger, and three way No spins in a Rockwell SSHD tandem drive. They work just fine and are infinitely preferable to the simple limited slip diffs that just disconnect the spinning wheel and drive the other one. I have never owned or driven a Tru-trac (Gleasman Torsen) but the principle sounds good. The only drawback with Detroit Lockers is the clattering sound when turning at low speeds. The three way installation was in a road train prime mover and was brilliant in the loose stuff or heavy mud, but did have a tendency to want to keep going straight ahead in mud, so a little judicious throttle and brake control was used.

Now this would have been fun to watch

the inherent problem with a Detroit Locker/No Spin is that being locked in a straight line, they tend to create corner entry understeer (car tends not to turn)
This will be worse in wet/loose/soft conditions.
The new ones are a lot quieter (called a 'soft locker') the old ones clanked and clunked as they ratcheted between locked and un-locked. In light cars with reasonable power, (eg. XU1) they made the back end jump around a fair bit.
They also have the tendency to create crabbing in low traction/off camber situations.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

The only drawback with Detroit Lockers is the clattering sound when turning at low speeds.

Never hear mine - but mine is a newer softlocker as Rick says.

LRH

Originally Posted by LRHybrid100

Never hear mine - but mine is a newer softlocker as Rick says.

LRH

a couple of historic race XU-1's I drove (raced one, test drove another when the regular driver wouldn't drive it in the rain and it needed sorting for a race meeting) noisy as all hell. In the wet it was really disconcerting as the locker cycled back and forth mid corner as the power was fed in. In the dry it was OK as you just got the thing pointing in the right direction and nailed it.
It was a really clumsy feeling after open wheelers.

The only drawback with Detroit Lockers is the clattering sound when turning at low speeds.

ive had one of each, and let me tell you, thank god they made a quiet one
the one in the disco usta make you jump threw the roof wen it let go....
the one in the 90 is.... well i think its there?

cheers phil

Originally Posted by rick130

a couple of historic race XU-1's I drove (raced one, test drove another when the regular driver wouldn't drive it in the rain and it needed sorting for a race meeting) noisy as all hell. In the wet it was really disconcerting as the locker cycled back and forth mid corner as the power was fed in. In the dry it was OK as you just got the thing pointing in the right direction and nailed it.
It was a really clumsy feeling after open wheelers.

A Detroit Locker should lock up and drive both wheels. a limited slip diff will cycle back and forth driving alternately one wheel at a time and thus cause interesting handling in a powerful car or in the wet. That is why I put a No-spin in my HT GTS350.

LC/LJ 6cyl. Toranas always had excessive understeer caused by the Holden six being mounted over the front cross member and consequent front biased weight. No real solution other than cutting the firewall and moving the engine back a good bit. CAMS homologation rules precluded modifications. GM lowered the mounting holes for the upper control arm which helped a bit.

Perhaps the way to drive a race Torana in the wet with a locker is to treat as a speedway midget or sprint car. Get the tail out, aim the front wheels where you want to go and power slide, steering with the throttle.