Quote:
Originally Posted by shovel
The only locker that engages by centrifugal force is the Gov-Lock, it has a clutch that ramps up to a full lock when wheel differentiation occurs in excess of 9mph, and combined speed does not exceed 20mph (assuming 30" diameter tires) . They take a bit of driver education to use effectively, and the need for wheelspin does suck, as does the sudden slam when it ramps into a full lock. But these are relatively expensive full carrier replacements, so I can't imagine anyone installing one aftermarket. They're the OEM de-facto locking option on GM pickups.
Lock-Rite and similar "lunch box" lockers engage before wheelspin has an opportunity to occur, and remain engaged any time torque is applied to the axle. If you apply power through turns they behave mostly like a spool - the advantage being that you can learn to coast through turns to avoid the tug on your steering wheel and the scrub of the tires. The other advantage of course is you can cram 'em into your existing open carrier without having to set up your gears again. Half hour start to finish install on non-3rd-member axles.
The tendency of any type of locker to be "hard on the truck" depends entirely on the driver's attitude. Some drivers consider off-pavement vehicle enhancements an excuse to drive more aggressively, push their vehicle harder, and those drivers will break more parts and blame everything but themselves for the breakage. Other drivers consider such enhancements to be safety devices which allow them to get from A to B with less fanfare, allowing them to choose a safer line rather than necessitating a risky line because they believe it'll have more traction. When used in this way, no locker will be hard on the vehicle.
So now this thread is 5 pages deep consisting of you telling all comers why you're sticking with your original plan. Cool I guess, but why post in the first place?
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Because it is a site for people who are into making there cars more fuel efficient than stock. There are people on this site who know a lot more about that then me. I posted on this site to get lots of great free information on this subject. Thanks for the info on the lockers, my knowledge of them was purely seat of the pants, before. I had experienced a lock right 'wind up' and then let go, I prefer the slipperier but more predictable spool. But everyone is different.
I have gotten some great info from people on this thread about fuel efficiency, and a surprising amount about lockers.
One thing I learned was about how they dropped the 5th gear ratio, when they swapped to fuel injection, I was sold on the earlier carbed models, but if the fuel injected ones get the same mpg with a lower tranny gear, and slightly more power, I now plan to get a fuel injected one and swap in an earlier tranny with higher gearing, if I can make sure it will bolt up.
I never would have thought about that if it weren't for a post here, great site, even if some people can get a little crabby. No one is holding a gun to your head and making you check out this thread, if it is so lame, why is a cool kid like you here?
