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Tuff Country 4" lift

wheels87k5 said:
Fair enough, AJM.....you are 100% correct. :wink1:

What exactly is a locker? Are you talking about the Eaton Detroit EZ locker or a Powertrax Lock-right?

What do you mean by learning to drive on road with a locker?

School me on this, Brothers......I smoked a heck of a lot of reefer in the past but I still have a couple brain cells left for a concusion or two. :haha:
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A locker locks the differential so that both axle shafts (i.e. both tires) spin at the same exact speed...

Yeah the Detroit, Powertrax, ARB, etc...

By learning to drive he means if you don't have a selectable locker (like the ARB where you can turn it completely on or completely off) the locker will want to engage when you go around turns (because the outside tire spins faster when turning)...so it'll want to chirp the tires and it just feels a little funny... You can get some Detroits (the tru-trac) that won't lock up when turning (as long as you coast through the turns) but as soon as you torque it (by giving it throttle) it locks back in place...
 
Avery4jc said:
You can get some Detroits (the tru-trac) that won't lock up when turning (as long as you coast through the turns) but as soon as you torque it (by giving it throttle) it locks back in place...
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arent tru-tracs lsd? lsds dont actually "lock up" but do offer more traction than a standard open diff.
 
wheels87k5 said:
Are there 3/4 ton 14bsf axles with 4.56 gears and 6 lugs? If so, would that be a straight swap with the 10b's? And will the TC lift install without any modifications on the 14bsf axles?
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There are 6 lug 14bsf but rarely are they 4.56.

I recomend doing a search on the 14bsf. There is a lot of tech out there. I could go on forever but I honestly don't feel like typing it all out when the info is already in a thread. :o
 
The TruTrac is a limited slip, not a locker. Lift a wheel and it will stop spinning in short order.


Automatic lockers have quirks and aren't as user friendly as an open diff. That said my wife has driven my Ranger and Big Ugly, both with locked rear ends, and never noticed one odd thing about them. If you drive your vehicle with your full attention, you shouldn't ever have trouble with a locker. It's all about how they act, how the truck acts with them in various conditions and situations, and knowing how to anticipate and react to this stuff. Really easy to get used to.



Not sure if the 6 lug 14SF's ever got the 4.56's...or if the 14SF's ever got 4.56 gears at all. I know 4.56 gears are available for them in the aftermarket but I don't know if they were around from the factory with that ratio. 3.73's and 4.10's were the common ratios.
 
In all the specs I've read I don't remember them every saying it was a limited slip... the only thing they always mention is the tru-trac series is great for on-road driving b/c it'll unlock when you let off the throttle and that it engages smoothly once back on the throttle so its not "jerky"...

I googled it and saw a few places that described it as a limited slip so I guess you're right...if you have to go limited slip its probably the best option then. Although in my book ARB's get the thumb's up... plus it gives you an excuse for OBA ;)
 
If I was building a hotrod I'd definitely go with the TruTrac...for a 4x4 though, gimme a locker.
 
Yes, Chevy305, I know all about doing searches.......sometimes, after reading for a couple of hours, I get a little delisional and will miss what it is I'm trying to find.
You are 100% correct....there is a ton of info on here. And if you ever get the time, then please, type your heart out. I enjoy getting different input from everyone.
After doing more searches, it seems the Detroit locker makes quite a bit of noise when turning. I might end up getting the Powertrax Lockright No Slip. Should be good for what my Blazer will be used for.
Only 8 more days before the 4" lift gets installed. :D
 
I've NEVER heard my Detroit. I have felt it occasionally but never heard it. That said I drive a diesel without any sound proofing and large tires so I probably couldn't hear it anyways.

Are you regearing?
If you regear than a Detroit is the best option as the whole diff will be apart anyways. If you aren't regearing a NoSlip will be a good alternative as the diff won't need to be pulled apart to install the locker. I put a NoSlip in my Ranger's 8.8" and loved it. Did hear that thing a few times but it was a rarity and that truck was MUCH quieter than Big Ugly.
 
I was told to regear it to 4.56 from 3.42. I have the 32's on it now but going to 34's. The 350/700R4 runs too low of rpms' at highway speed with the 3.42 gears.
Will the 30 spline pinion work with my stock 10b? I haven't opened it up yet to see how it works.
Understand this, I am new at 4x4 mechanics. But there isn't anything I can't fix or replace on this Blazer. I have replaced the motor, tranny, sensors, etc. myself without any physical help from anybody. I've spent some bucks on a hoist, stand, leveler, air tools etc. so I can do all this myself.
The CK5 family has helped me by answering any and all questions on what to do next, what to expect, what to look for and so on :bow:
This Blazer was suppose to be a DD when I bought it, so I could concentrate on restoring my 1978 Gold SE Trans Am. And since I needed to pull the motor and tranny in the TA, I knew I was going to need all those (toys) tools anyway. But I was lied to and the Blazer ended up being a lemon. NOT FOR LONG. It's almost a cherry. Just want to add a little more spice to it.
So if some of my questions are a little off the wall, it's because I really don't know.:wink1:
And to help show my appreciation for this site and it's members, I will continue to buy a membership every year.
I have pics of this Blazer in my album and I will add more as I do the install, especially the steering arm :D.
Thanks for all the help!!! And I promise, the questions WILL keep coming.
 
wheels87k5 said:
Yes, Chevy305, I know all about doing searches.......sometimes, after reading for a couple of hours, I get a little delisional and will miss what it is I'm trying to find.
You are 100% correct....there is a ton of info on here. And if you ever get the time, then please, type your heart out. I enjoy getting different input from everyone.
After doing more searches, it seems the Detroit locker makes quite a bit of noise when turning. I might end up getting the Powertrax Lockright No Slip. Should be good for what my Blazer will be used for.
Only 8 more days before the 4" lift gets installed. :D
Click to expand...

Here ya go, this thread will have all the info you'll need on the 14bsf :D:

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=135125&highlight=14bsf
 
AJMBLAZER said:
AVOID THE GRENADE LOCK!

On road in icey conditions they're about as bad as a locker. All limited slips are because if it's so slippery that your tires will slide/spin the LS won't be able to differentiate between the tires anyways so both will spin just like with a locker.
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I hate to get in on another traction aid discussion, but don't you contradict yourself here? A gov-lock is probably the best behaving traction aid on ice because it is an open diff until you spin a tire (which is mostly avoidable). It also prevents all locking at higher speeds, which is safety you can't get from an LSD or locker.

AJMBLAZER said:
It's hard to beat a locker. You can learn to drive onroad with it easily and offroad it won't be anything but good.
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No, think about it.
Most limited slips don't lock up, they are giving you even torque distribution 100% of the time both wheels have traction and then "unlock" when you get different traction on one side.

This means that on slippery stuff where a locker would have both tires spinning furiously a limited slip will likely do the same. Now if one tire is on dry pavent then yes, the limited slip will behave like an open diff and the tire with no traction will spin like mad.

I've had LS's in DD's before figuring that they'd be better in the winter than lockers. Frankly I'll only ever have lockers anymore. If anything they're BETTER than LS's due to their predictability and dependability.
 
There are different types of Detroit lockers. EZ lock, no slip, etc.... Which do you recommend for a DD?
 
wheels87k5 said:
There are different types of Detroit lockers. EZ lock, no slip, etc.... Which do you recommend for a DD?
Click to expand...

The EZ locker & Detroit soft locker are full lockers. The main difference between the two is the Detroit soft locker replaces the entire carrier. This means you need to take the carrier & axles all apart & set up the ring & pinion. The EZ locker does not require you taking the entire carrier apart. They simply require you to take off the diff cover & replace the spider gears. The Truetrac is a limited slip. I had a Detroit soft locker & liked it. They are super strong & had far more benefits over an open differential.
 
The EZ-Locker is as mentioned above Detroit's version of the Powertrax Lock-Right and the LR's later development, the NoSlip. They go inside the carrier and can be installed, usually, without disturbing the gears or having to get into all the complications of setting up gears.

The Detroit Locker (aka Soft Locker) requires the whole diff to be pulled apart as mentioned before.

My Detroit isn't that bad. I've been driving Big Ugly most of this week while the Tracker is getting worked on for the winter. Frankly I forget the rear is locked. Every now and then the rear will push a bit while turning on wet pavement or when going around a long curve at speed but the majority of the time it's transparent as you've just learned to "drive around it" and forget about it.

Okay, here's what I say:

Regearing your axles or whatever axles will end up under the truck? Then put a Detroit Locker in the rear while it's being regeared. Last word in strength, reliable as can be, and not a bad price for what you get.

Not regearing or getting axles already with the ratio you want? Throw a NoSlip in yourself. Read the instructions and it's not terribly hard. If I can do it, anyone can. Not as strong as the Detroit Locker but for what most of us do with our DD's it'll hold up just fine. Good driving manors too.
 
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