new detroit owner (1 Viewer)

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Apr 24, 2003
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just got my detroit in my spare 3rd, about time to install it soon...

do i have to use a special diff oil or additive? or regular diff fluid? it's a second hand one, so i don't have any documents

also how do you have to alter your driving style, coast round corners? not put the foot down round corners?
 
normal old gear lube....special stuff is only for LS applications, like an Auburn.

power around the corners, and the Detroit is like a spool...."relax" around corners and it will unlock and drive a bit more normal....a bit....lol
 
that's what i was lookin for

i guess there goes my fun mountain passes

how crazy do they get in the wet?

hmm, would it be worth pulling a longside axle and replacing it with a short side axle (full floater rear) to keep it sealed up, hence 1 wheel drive
 
IMO, you learn to drive with it, and will love it pretty quick....it's not bad, just different, and once you learn the tricks, it'll be way more fun than an open diff ever was.

"fun mountain passes" = more consistent corner slides :D
 
I always roll in to a corner while gently letting off the gas, and then go through and gently roll it on coming out. No corner drama this way.

The main thing I learned from driving with one daily on a short wheelbase with 38's was to be gentle. I even drove it in the ice and snow daily. It was not half as scary as some would have you believe. I liked it.

FWIW
 
awesome, i already had plans of pulling it and selling it without driving it, i was that worried about driving performance...

hmm, i'll give it an open mind.

how about high speed (well 3rd/ 4th gear) gravel? this will be the first thing i drive on i think
 
Like all auto lockers, the Detroit hates shifting back and forth between acceleration and deceleration while turning. Drive with steady, even pressure on the ring gear (either acceleration or deceleration) around curves and you won't notice it is there.
 
thanks. ive never driven anything other than open diff, will remember the even pressure.

3 more days...
 
I agree about constant pressure through corners having it lock in the middle of a sweeping corner will probably force you to compensate the steering wheel as the detroit will have a tendency to push you straight. Having it engaged at the start of the bend makes it hardly noticeable.
 
On occassion, it will unload in an acceleration mode going straight. You'll think you dropped your rear end, but it's pretty rare. That may only be true of the pre Softlocker Detroits. I have 2 of them, in the rear of my '40 & CUCV military truck.
 
has anyone got a good link on how these actually work? i can't figure it out in my head... and i like to know the concept behind something, it helps me use it more effectively

also am i locked in reverse??? or does that unlock???

does it ever "unlock" or does it just let one wheel increase wheelspeed for cornering
 
someone should have just told me to shut my whingin up. mine drives awesome on road, dont notice it's there 95% of the time, and it only gets funky when i try to provoke it (to convince myself it's still there).

that and a slight ratchet during U turns, which sounds quite cool.

and offroad it just makes terrain a whole different ball game... best mod yet
 
bad_religion_au said:
has anyone got a good link on how these actually work? i can't figure it out in my head... and i like to know the concept behind something, it helps me use it more effectively

also am i locked in reverse??? or does that unlock???

does it ever "unlock" or does it just let one wheel increase wheelspeed for cornering


The concept is simple, although explaining it is fairly complicated because it works in both directions.

Here is the logic:

The only time both wheels are "locked" is when one wheel is slipping.

At all other times, one wheel is "locked" (eg driving) and one wheel is free to ratchet.

Which side is driving depends on the which face of the ring gear teeth (and therefore the carrier centerpin) is driven by the pinion.

In forward acceleration, one wheel can ratchet faster than the ring gear and this is the outside tire in a turn.

In forward deceleration, one wheel can go slower than the ring gear (the inside tire in a turn).

You can see that in going from deceleration to acceleration (or visa versa), the drive wheel changes sides. This is the cause of the noise, tail wagging and bad behavior that people erroneously interpret as "locking", but it is really just switching which side is driving.

The logic is inverted in the reverse direction.

To sum it up in one sentence: it allows one wheel to ratchet faster in the direction of rotation of the traction acting on the wheels, but neither wheel go slower than the other wheel in the direction of traction.
 
Last edited:
got it.

the detroit was 300 australian... mmm bargan
 

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