Is it really necessary to have a limited slip diff in a 4wd truck? I can see the bennys on a rwd for obvious reasons (stuck in snow, ice, mud, etc.) but on a 4wd truck, why not split the power evenly to the rears all the time? If you get stuck, drop in 4. Especially where trucks now usually have electronic sotf and you don't have to get out and lock your hubs (Man how I miss being a foot under in mud and reaching in to lock the hubs on my 86 F-250 HD! lol) Anyhow, any feedback on this topic? Thanks, Ryan

 

http://fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=89110

 

I would want limited slip in the back. What happens if one rear wheel is in a no-traction situation and the other is okay? Without limited slip, the no-traction wheel will spin and the other won't do squat. Being that the front will do the same thing, you may just have one wheel at each end uselessly spinning. With limited slip, that other back wheel may just be what gets you unstuck.

 

Exactly. I used to have an open rearend in my 4wd , but when I blew it I replaced it with a LS. Although the difference may not be huge, I can definitely tell that I've got another tire pulling. I will never own another 2wd truck, and I will never own another 4wd truck with an open rearend.

 

Well, I have no need for a 4wd truck, I don't drive offroad. I do like my limited slip in bad weather.

 

I can see that. Myself, I have owned an 86 F-250 HD 4x4, and a 99 F-150 2WD. The F-250 was open diff, the 150 was l/s. I didn't own the 250 long enough to get winter use out of it, but any time I went muddin or off road, the hubs were locked: i never had an issue with lack of traction. The 150 I owned for 3 years and it was a good ride, I definately felt the l/s working on ice and in the snow. But it was a 2WD, and was needed. I live in MA, and we can get some pretty rough winters here, so I will always go 4WD on trucks now. Planning on picking up an '08 150 SC 4x4 5.4L in a couple weeks. I just wasn't sure if I'd want l/s being that if I was in a situation, I could go into 4.

I did love the 250: it had a semi built 351W. Edelbrock high flow chromed air cleaner, Eddy 4bbl carb, Eddy intake manifold, bored 30 over, ported and polished, custom long tubes, no emissions whatsoever, no cats, just a Flowmaster 40 series out the passenger side, and nice low 4.56 gears. I could drop it in 4 and do a nice 4 wheel burnout and leave patches from all 4 wheels. Can't really do that in an l/s! And what did I do? I sold the thing cause it was killing me on gas

 

Well the way I see it is I want the most wheels pulling as possible. I don't know how much Ford charges to upgrade to a LS, but it can't be that much. Maybe an extra $75 or $100? It would be worth it IMO.

 

I have had both i a 4x4. I will never buy another without the LS. To me that would be a deal breaker. My truck with rear LS would go many places my truck without could not go or no go easily.

 

I have had both,open diffs and l/s diffs. I currently have a Detroit Truetrac which works pretty good. i do some occasional light off roading. the limited slip really helps out with gettin through some stuff. highly recommend a limited slip for either 2 or 4 wheel drive applications.
How many times have you ever pulled off the road in some wet grass, only to be stuck by that one wheel spinnin wonder
it sucks!! and with a limited slip, that little situation has little chance comin around to haunt you. and if you pull a boat, comin up off the boat ramp when that one wheel starts to spin? Again, another chance for a l/s to help out.
Just my $.02- hope this is some info you were lookin for

 

To be honest, I would want as many powered wheels as I can get. I got the limited slip mainly because of snow but also for doing awesome fishtales. One wheel peelin sucks. But truthfully, when I ordered the truck, I optioned almost everything to see first what it would cost then go from there. It was good, so order her up. I wasn't in the "Well, I don't really need" mood.

 

Its a $300 option.

With an open on a 4wd, if you lose traction, you will have one front wheel pull and one rear wheel and it would be pretty easy to get stuck because the one without traction is going to get the power. The front on a stock 4x4 is open. LS is not even offered front diff.

For the ultimate in 4x4 traction, an electric or air locker front and rear would give you the most flexibility. If you already have a non-limited slip you can upgrade it several ways.

 

That's insane. I thought I saw somebody on here say it was only like $50. Maybe that was to go from 3.55s to 3.73s. Either way, the Ford LS only costs like $60 more than the factory open carrier, so that's crazy that they charge that much. The only other thing different is a $4 bottle of additive.

 

From ford vehicles dot com. Today. See for your self the MSRP. This is from the power section when you build and price your ford.

 

My first truck when I turned 16 was a 1989 F250 2wd, that thing sucked in the snow even a couple inches and I was done if I stopped. My truck now is a 2003 f150 4wd with a l/s. I have never really had a chance to test it out but it does seem to help a little in the snow. The one time I went offroading the only time I got stuck was when I hung it up on the differental. My first time at a true offroad trail so my driving skills sucked bad.