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Front Dana 60 Lockers

pomai

pomai

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What's your opinions of the Detroit locker, grizzly locker or Spartan locker.
I read a lot about the Detroit lockers breaking, I thought they where the best locker on the market.

Thank you,

Ed
 
I know I have read lots of guys have good luck with lock-right in 60 front and hold up good.

my buddy even blew a stub shaft in his with just 38" tsl/sx tires and its still going good today . he had and still does stock 30 spline stubs . even had to get a plastic dial for the spicer locking hub it blew out .
 
I broke a ring and pinion and still kept the lockrite for a few seasons after that. Now I have a full detroit. Wouldn't know the difference between the two by how they work. Full detroit has my vote every time.
 
I wanted a Detroit but was scared away by the breakage stories. I ended up going with a Power Lock and restacked the clutches/steels to the point it's locked up, works great and no slippage.
 
nvrenuf said:
I wanted a Detroit but was scared away by the breakage stories. I ended up going with a Power Lock and restacked the clutches/steels to the point it's locked up, works great and no slippage.
Click to expand...
Thank you, at this point I'm deciding between the Detroit and grizzly.
 
Ed, what is your driving environment going to be? Tire size?
I had friend with a Spartan in a D60 front, in snow it worked well going in straight lines, or open fields. On snowy/muddy forest trails and on snow/icey streets, it was hard to steer on turns and wanted to plow straight ahead. He ended up removing it after the first winter for that reason.

I myself am thinking of maybe an D60 E-locker for my D60 front. I was considering an ARB but if the E-locker is just as reliable I may go that route. I haven't found too many reviews on the D60 E-locker so far.
 
I have broken 3 Detroits.

Planning on pulling my working one selling it and getting a grizzly
 
IIRC, Matt Norby had a lockright in his 60 for over 10 years without problems and he wheels alot. I've had one in mine for 5 years now, I don't wheel alot but I've had no issues either, all stock GM 60 parts in it except for the lockright (on 39.5's)
 
I've had a Detroit in the front of my GM D60 for ~10 years now, not a single issue. Been beat pretty hard, on 42's virtually the whole time. From last weekend:



she'll get more, leaving for Blazer Bash in the morning :D
 
I was researching the same thing yesterday. Most of the reports of a blown detroit are the result of another part breaking first, like a stub axle breaking and the detroit breaking bc all the torque was on one side. I was looking at the spartan mainly bc of the cost, the people you where having issues steering with one where they crossover or push pull still? Hows the spartan and lock rite compare as far as steering and how they behave (like a spool or easier to turn)?
 
His was still push pull. The ability to actually turn the wheels was ok, but the truck tended to plow straight forward, even with wheels turned.
 
I could be wrong but I would consider axle shafts and u-joints in this discussion as well. Most of the broken Detroits you hear about are always found after some sort of axle breakage, if you were running stronger aftermarket axles and u-joints that are less likely to break this may not be an issue.

To the people that have run a Detroit trouble free for a long period, how many of you are running aftermarket axles? How many have experienced a broken axle and/or u-joint and know for sure the Detroit was unharmed?
 
I have broken 3 axles and 2 hubs.

If you have chromos and drive flanges you run substantially less risk of breaking your Detroit as a result of breaking another part.

The design of the grizzly specifically addressed this issue.
 
I just broke a set of 35 spline chromo short side and no detroit issues. 44" tires and a crap load of weight above the front axle.

I also steer just fine with hydro assist and twin sticks. Non issue for me.
 
I've ran a Lock-Right for probably 12 years or more now on 38's and then 39.5's and have broken a couple of the factory 30-spline stubs. Granted I don't have a ton of power and have an automatic transmission. It works great.

I know two different guys that have broken a front Lock-right in a D60. Both were full-size trucks (one Ford, one Chevy) with 42's, moderately built big-blocks, and heavy right foot. Both of them switched to a Detroit and have ran for many years with no issues. Haven't seen the Chevy guy for many years but the Ford guy has put the truck through serious abuse with no issues. As mentioned above all of the Detroit locker failures I have heard about revolved around something else breaking first. Breaking an axle shaft, especially an aftermarket stronger version, will put a shock wave back through the locker. I do know a Toyota guy who broke the front Detroit after taking out a chromo axle shaft.

For steering with a front locker I think any of them will tend to make a rig plow straight ahead. It's not whether you can physically turn the tires side to side or not but with them locked together they want to slide forward.
 
Someone mentioned the E-locker. I believe that's a limited slip even when off. I had LSDs in my truck before my axle swap, and even those are a bear when driving in snow/ice, especially on side hills. I think a full selectable is the only way to go in front if you need to drive around a lot with the hubs engaged.
 
eaton e-locker is open/locked full .

there is auburn ected locker that is limited and locked . some are now showing options for open/locked .
 
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