Here is the part number for the Detriot True-Trac EAT913A477. avg cost is from 480-580 depending on where you go. I have had one and it has seen 70k miles and no issues...

 

Another option to take a look at is teh Auburn Pro. I am currently running one in my front axle, and will be adding one to teh rear if I do a gear swap.

 

I have a Detroit locker in the rear of my F150. I have also had aussie lockers (same principle) in the front and rear of a sport trac.

Personally, I love the Detroit most of the time. Mine is nowhere near as loud as those videos. I almost never hear it click around corners. The aussie locker did a little, but not bad. The only complaint I have is that there is more backlash in the Detroit than the Aussie Lockers had. This means that it can be rough if you go from coast to throttle abruptly, or shift from drive to reverse. I find it is significantly quieter and smoother if I pop it into neutral just before I'm stopped, then shift it to the opposite direction. To some people, it is not worth it.

In the snow it is awesome. I hear SO many people badmouth lockers and say they are dangerous when the fact is, most of them have not owned a vehicle with an automatic locker. If you are on ice with a good limit slip, both rear tires are going to spin the same. So what is the difference? The Detroit is PREDICTABLE. You learn how much throttle it takes to lock and unlock. A limited slip on the other hand is much less predictable on varying surfaces. With limited slips, I find that they will spin both sometimes in the snow, other times only one. I never know for sure what it's going to do. With the Detroit, I know if I get on the throttle hard it will spin both, if I coast or I'm light on the throttle it will unlock. I can very predictably powerslide through a tight corner, or just cruise through like anyone else. It does require more attention for the average person though. My wife doesn't mind driving my truck, but I don't send her out in it when there is snow and ice. She is not that comfortable with oversteer/understeer and I don't think she would handle it as well if it got sideways on her. What I love it when there is patchy snow and ice on a hill, with dry patches. A limited slip will spin up the tires off and on constantly and lose momentum as it unloads the tire on the ice. My truck with the Detroit just powers right up like nothing. I lived in Oregon for years with the Aussie lockers, had the truck in the snow and ice constantly.

What some people don't like with automatic lockers it the way the truck will push through corners on dry pavement, and steer back into the corner when you get off the throttle. For some people it is unnerving. For me it's just something I got use to. Sure it's noisy sometimes, sure it wants to push through dry corners on the throttle a little, but when I need traction it is there and it's solid.

Everything is a trade off. If you like having a smooth truck with a fairly quiet drivetrain, just get a good limited slip and be happy. Something like the true trac will work for 99% of what most people use their trucks for anyway, and do it smoother. There is a small chance that I may give up my Detroit locker for a true trac in the future, but I doubt it at this point. I'm buying a small slide-in camper for the truck, and if the detroit seems to push it around more than I like I may swap it out. For now I'm happy.

 

thanks brian, so during everyday driving you will become accustomed to how the locker handles? do you notice anything out of the ordinary with the detroit? how bad is the pushing, if any?

 

I don't even think about it any more. Same way with my last rig. My driving habits do change a little bit. I tend to carry speed and coast more while turning through intersections, and get back on the throttle softer (initially) afterward.
It doesn't really "push", I don't know... If you are steady on the throttle on the highway and make a good turn you won't feel much if anything. If you let off and get back on again, you'll feel it steer into the corner when you let off, and steer a little wide when you get back on. It is a little more noisy and clunky.
It's definitely not for everyone. Some people truly hate them, some people love them. It will change your driving habits though, no question. But it is totally tolerable to the right person. They can be obnoxious with a manual transmission due to the locking/unlocking between shifts, but I know a lot of people with manual transmissions and detroit lockers in daily drivers. To a lot of people, it is worth of for something that is simple and very effective off road, and gets great traction on anything. I'm sure you wear out tires a little quicker with a locker, but again that is another sacrifice. I've only got about 13k miles on the detroit in my F150 but I couldn't say that I've noticed the tires wear faster than they were before. Same thing with my sport trac. Sure the tires scrubbed if I accelerated hard from a stop while turning, but at least I wasn't burning up the inside tire every time. I didn't notice any "accelerated" wear with it.

Still, a truetrac will work well and be much smoother and quieter. As long as you're not lifting a tire off the ground it will probably do what you want. Even then some people claim that they will "act like a locker" if you apply the brakes to slow down the spinning tire. This hasn't worked well with clutch based limited slips for me, but people swear by it on the gear driven units.

 

Still, a truetrac will work well and be much smoother and quieter. As long as you're not lifting a tire off the ground it will probably do what you want. Even then some people claim that they will "act like a locker" if you apply the brakes to slow down the spinning tire. This hasn't worked well with clutch based limited slips for me, but people swear by it on the gear driven units.[/QUOTE]

+1

HYPO

 

The only other thing I figured I would add...
I've given several different people rides in my truck, when it's dry, rainy, snowing, freezing rain, etc. Not a single person has said anything about noises, clunking, harshness or anything. Same story for my sport trac with the Aussie locker. You can certainly adjust habits so that passengers wouldn't even have a clue.

 

thanks brian, i think i might just save up a little more for the detroit locker. i just dont want to buy the tru trac and get in a off camber situation where it wouldnt perform like i need it to and i know the detroit locker would have.

i have been thinking of keeping the stock LS in the rear and getting the tru trac up front for more of a true 4wd system.
glen R, how do you like the auburn diff in the front?

 

If you do that you would be better off with an e-locker up front.

 

would any elocker work for the reverse 8.8? does it even matter?

this one?

http://www.jegs.com/i/Eaton/362/1966...0002/-1?CT=999

 

Love the Auburn. Haven't really had it any super challenging enviroments yet, however. Worked great in the snow and ice. Takes a little getting used to, when it is slick.

 

The differential cases are all the same. The reverse rotation gears are cut different from standard gears in that the axle is turned around for front drive. Eaton also makes a limited slip that can be beefed up for serious off-road work without some of the issues of the tru-trac.

I had a Detroit locker in a short wheelbase Bronco and it does take some getting used to. If you spend a lot of time off road, it's probably the route to go, but if you're a weekend warrior and it serves duty as a daily driver, you would probably be happier with a limited slip. If anyone else drives your truck, that might also be a reason to avoid the Detroit locker. My wife quit driving my Bronco because she was scared of the way it handled. E-lockers aren't a bad choice for the rear axle either.

 

i think i might just save up for the eaton e locker up front and just rebuild my rearend with more clutch packs to make it tighter.

anybody know where to get the rebuild kit for the 9.75?

 

I have an aussie locker in the rear of my OBS. Being a stick I had to get used to driving it all over again due to knowing when to coast, throttle, or put the clutch in. I personally love it and wish I did it sooner. It isn't loud, but sometimes it will bang when it does lock but it is rare. For the price of the Aussie I don't think you can go wrong. Brian gave some great feedback and info. Like he said, nobody can tell my truck is locked in the rear. In the rain due to being on Boggers, you can lose the back end if powering through a corner, but that all has to do with knowing how to drive with it.

-Curtis-

 

After looking around and crunching the numbers the aussie locker is a huge winner. It is cheaper than any other locker and I want a locker over the DTT anyway. Unfortunately for the rear I have to find an 8.8 open diff carrier somewhere.
Are you locked in the front too curtis? I probably will go locker up front especially since I have the lock in lock out hubs so the front freewheels most of the time anyway.