Thinking about installing locking rear differential (2 Viewers)

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lunch box in the front, auburn lsd in the rear, have never been disappointed with this setup.
 
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I installed a lunch box in the front (never notice it unless in 4wd) and ARB in rear.

I drive my 40 almost every day 8 months of the year but then also (used to) do some pretty serious rock crawling. The ARB has been flawless for almost 20 years. The only issue was a broke driveshaft catching an air line, so I started carrying spare air line.
 
I'm a fan of the Aussie locker in the rear of the 40.
I very rarely notice it's there. Only tight turning in car parks it may clunk, but I'm expecting it too.
Off road it's incredible. Once I've aired down my tires, I drive some pretty hard tracks and it barely spins a wheel.

I've had arb's in my 80 series and had lots of dramas with air leaks. I don't think I'd ever do them again.

I would be hesitant to put an aussie in the front though. I like my front unlocked for tight turning. My dad had a lot of dramas snapping cv's going steep down hills and turning sharply with an Aussie in the front.

I couldn't recommend an Aussie locker more. But being in Australia we don't really have ice on the roads.
 
I consider all of this great information an excellent source for guidance . I may be wrong BUT…from all of your experiences and descriptions I am currently thinking Harrop/Eaton. however, I am reading several install manuals and re-reading the comments you all have posted a few more times. There’s a lot to compare and I have learned more here than ANY manufacturers materials.

I wish you all lived nearby…..Toyota fun should be enjoyed as an in person group…

@plink01 I have a good friend in Heidelberg Heights, Victoria and another in Perth. Both offered to pick up some spare parts that is haven’t found in the US ….but, the shipping is NUTS !
 
I have to be careful shifting on icy roads it has a tendency jeck sideways when pressing to hard on the accelerator.


Something I learned with my current pickup. I'll likely never buy another pickup with a limited slip just because of this. At least not one that gives driven on icy roads.

I'd choose an air locker over an e-locker, just because I hate how slow they are in my 80, but they could be tired too. My pickup has a factory e locker in the rear, it's plenty fast.
 
Something I learned with my current pickup. I'll likely never buy another pickup with a limited slip just because of this. At least not one that gives driven on icy roads.
Ice is one of the areas an LSD has an advantage over a locker. They transfer power to the wheel that has traction, but maintain a differential action, where as a locked rear has a propensity to crab walk a vehicle on ice. A selectable might as well be an open diff on ice/snow.

From Motor Trend:
Cons of a Locking Differential
• Wears tires out more quickly
• Front locker makes steering difficult
• Occasional banging/clunking of automatic lockers could give your grandma a heart attack
• Can make snow/ice driving more difficult
Advantages of a Limited-Slip Differential
• Enhances traction in all weather and road conditions, including ice and snow
• Tires won't "chirp"
• No accelerated tire wear
• Silent operation (unless servicing is required)

Quick google search shows this had been discussed elsewhere a lot
 
A selectable might as well be an open diff on ice/snow.


That's the point. Far less prone to oversteer with power only being applied to one side. Especially in a pickup where the weight balance is so far off.

A few years ago, it had been butt ass cold for weeks. Like never got above zero Fahrenheit, lows in the negative thirties. A freak front came through, warmed up to 33º, and it started to rain. Rain hit the ground and froze instantly.
It was aholes and elbows doing 20mph to keep a work truck and trailer straight in the wind. Wouldn't have made it incredibly better having an open rear end, but the limited slip was doing me zero favors though. 😆
 
I can only add my experiences living in northern Vermont and traveling in monster storms for 396 miles to rescue my in-laws…..especially that the 6 other brothers and sisters living within 15 miles were too pre-occupied to take an interest. 🤬

Ice is just one of those special entities where caution above caution is the better option. I have had our Tahoes, Pickups and Suburbans over the years go into uncontrollable slides , all 4WD…some with positraction. Eye openers for sure but we always made it safely by going slowly. Fun too, as that 8-9 hour ride became 12-14 hours starting in Albany, thru Whitehall, Ft. Ann, Vergennes and past Burlington.

another fine memory🙄
 
Auburn makes a select a lock. Combination LSD and E locker. Not available for any Toyota. Open and E locker is available for 9 1/2" Toyota but only 32 spline which is the 100 series.
 
Power Trax no slip in the rear since Y2K. No issues and I really only hear noise from it coasting around corners in flat parking lots. Open front, definitely not ideal for traction but I've been lucky and haven't broken a birfield in nearly 3 decades of wheeling. Have a winch in case I get stuck anyway. Works great off road but does get unpredictable on the ice, learned my lesson by nearly rolling it on an icy side hill once so I usually just park the 40 when it's below zero rather than risk wrecking it. Unfortunately I have seen too many pictures here on mud of flopped 40s and don't want to join that club!
 
bad link or it sold already. anyone know the asking price and shipping for that unit thanks just curious
 
Auburn makes a select a lock. Combination LSD and E locker. Not available for any Toyota. Open and E locker is available for 9 1/2" Toyota but only 32 spline which is the 100 series.

All Auburn makes for a 40 is the cone-clutch LS. I've been on them for a few years to make the Select-a-Lock but they act completely uninterested.

Eaton makes a Detroit for the old 9.5" but not much else. IMO Detroits are the best auto locker around (Yukon Grizzly is basiaclly the same) but I wouldn't run one on a short wheel-based vehicle that sees snow and ice on the street. Way squirrelly but awesome offroad on snow covered trails.

Neither company makes a torque biasing locker for 40s which would be my first choice (Truetrac/torsen). Lunchbox lockers function like Deroits/Grizzlys but are less strong and have all the same handling drawbacks. The Powertrax model seems to be the least offensive from the reports here. If you call Powertrax they'll tell you to be very careful when winter driving so nothing is perfect.

Selectable lockers like ARB or Harrop turn open diffs into spools. They will get you unstuck but you can't really run them on blacktop until you are.

There just aren't a lot of options any more. To me an Auburn in the rear and a selectable up front for getting out of problems makes the most sense for a four season daily driver that sees light to medium-ish trail use.
 
Also put a Powertrax No-Slip in my rear axle. Been very happy with it. Also put an FJ80 elocker the front axle. Made my own "cpu" switch out of two relays. I'm sure I've posted about it elsewhere on mud...
 
All Auburn makes for a 40 is the cone-clutch LS. I've been on them for a few years to make the Select-a-Lock but they act completely uninterested.

Eaton makes a Detroit for the old 9.5" but not much else. IMO Detroits are the best auto locker around (Yukon Grizzly is basiaclly the same) but I wouldn't run one on a short wheel-based vehicle that sees snow and ice on the street. Way squirrelly but awesome offroad on snow covered trails.

Neither company makes a torque biasing locker for 40s which would be my first choice (Truetrac/torsen). Lunchbox lockers function like Deroits/Grizzlys but are less strong and have all the same handling drawbacks. The Powertrax model seems to be the least offensive from the reports here. If you call Powertrax they'll tell you to be very careful when winter driving so nothing is perfect.

Selectable lockers like ARB or Harrop turn open diffs into spools. They will get you unstuck but you can't really run them on blacktop until you are.

There just aren't a lot of options any more. To me an Auburn in the rear and a selectable up front for getting out of problems makes the most sense for a four season daily driver that sees light to medium-ish trail use.
I enjoyed reading your thoughts on this as well as so many others. Thanks for taking the time to post it. My primary need will be snow…so far we’ve got nothing. My Chevy pickup may be the best option 🤷🏼‍♂️
 
Studded tires are a seasonal acceptance…it’s just that I have great tires for mud snd snow, not that great on a highway and I don’t want to be switching …it wears me out at my age… having the right differentials may have made the difference for my need
 

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