Open diff. Whats the point? drop the shaft!!

[BlitzK5]

I just upgraded my axles to a 14 bolts FF and 3/4 ton 10 bolt up front. I am running 38x15.5 radial TSL's and I have a 454 engine. I am going to be installing 4:56 gears and a Detroit in the 14 bolt and I feel that it will be a waste of money installing 4.56 gears in the front week 10 bolt to match since I am going to upgrade to a D60 when I find one. I know the 10 bolt probably wont survive long with this setup so and I don’t think its a good idea to invest in stronger axles and u-joints to make it stronger because chances are it probably will break anyways and I can use this money on the Dana 60. I am going to just leave the front driveshaft disconnected. Because if you think about it, what’s the point of even running the front axle in 4hi or low with a open diff. Technically you are only driving a 4x2 because the torque always goes to the shaft with the least amount of resistance. The rear axle will have constant torque to both wheels because of the Detroit but the front will have none, so what’s the point? If you don’t have any type of limited sip or locker in the front diff you are just wasting your time putting in it 4X, RIGHT!! I'm sure when all tires are at the same speed then you are getting equal torque up front but who cares, In that situation 2 wheel drive is enough. When your tires are spinning at different speed like most rugged terrain then your unlocked open front diff becomes useless. What are everyone’s thoughts on this topic? Am I dead wrong or does it make sense?

 

[protechk5]

if u had a locking rear and open front you would have 3 wheels turning, and it will help a ton, anyways almost every truck made has a open front

 

[4xcrazy]

oh boy,,,here comes a BIG can'o worms

 

[MattK]

the 10 bolt will do you just fine durability wise for the time being. you'll just have to remember to be smart with the throttle.

and i dont see a reason to disconnect the front shaft. even with an open diff you'll notice a significant difference in traction. just because the tire with the least traction spins the most doesn't mean its not doin anything.

pack some spare axle shafts, stay calm and have fun out there :imo

 

[BlitzK5]

yeah 3 wheels will be spinning. The two locked ones in the 14 bolt and the one thats in the air on the open 10 bolt.

 

[skelly1]

oh boy,,,here comes a BIG can'o worms

No kidding.

I have a buddy from my old Toyota/college days that used to think that a 2WD with a locker was as capable as a 4WD with one legger's. I proved him wrong many times as I pulled his truck out of the sand over and over. 4WD pulls and pushes. 2WD, just pushes. Then again, he could haul arse over large whoops where I had to crawl, but that's the nature of a straight axle in the front. You got indepent suspension up front and some good shocks and springs and you can go fast offroad, that's how Ivan Stewart made it big. But you never saw him taking his trophy truck on any Rubicon trails.

 

[tRustyK5]

As long as you can keep both front tires on the ground both will pull. When traction gets worse the one with the least resistance will spin, but it's still helping you a lot. It's only when one of the fronts gets airborne that it becomes somewhat useless, because all the power will go to the airborne tire.

If your truck is pretty flexy you'd be surprised how much you can do with an open front. My D60 is still open (lack of funds mostly) and I don't find it to be much of an issue.

Does that mean I'll never install a front locker? Hell no, it's still a 'must do'. I just wouldn't catagorize an open front as a complete waste of time and not worth hooking up.

Rene

 

[BlitzK5]

But is that little extra help worth the money to regear a 10 bolt on 37's with a 454 to match the 14bolt FF. Exspecially if you go with 4:88 because the pionion gets so small that there is a chance of that breaking aswell as the u-joints and axles.

 

[Greg72]

I'm with Rene...


I run 38's, a locked 14BFF and an open D60 front.

You're kidding yourself if you think 2WD is as good as 4WD (even with an open front diff)....I can use the brake to help stop a spinning front wheel and get the power to the tractive tire up front (Poor Man's Posi!)

It sucks to have to dump money into an axle you don't want to keep for the long term, but a well-setup D60 (with crossover, locker, etc) is NOT anywhere near the price you'll pay to re-gear your existing front axle. If it were me, I'd regear what you have (leave the diff open to reduce stress on the front end parts) and then start saving for your "Ultimate Axle D60" buildup.

 

[SkulzNBonz]

How often will you have one wheel in the air?