Diff. between E-locker and limited slip differential?

What is the difference? I want the TRD Off-Road edition, but I'm not sure the diff of these two.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. How much do 2005 AC 4X2 TRD Off-Roads run for around you?

 

actually.....you can run the locker up to whatever speed you want too.......that little "up to 5 mph" is toyota's way of saving their own ass. just gotta be careful with it. i've ran mine locked,in a field, up to 35,40mph, with no ill effects. actually.....its kinda fun.

 

Just a note that hasn't been mentioned yet...

The e-locker can only be used in 4lo range (from the factory).

 

yeah, sorry about that........i was thinking of prerunners.

 

Yes, that is why they have the locker mod...and man what a difference that makes.

BTW - I've had my truck over 45 fully locked in the snow and on fire roads. You just have to remember that when ever you turn, the ass end is still going straight...great way to learn about drifting!
<insert legal disclaimer here>

 

E-locker is an open diff when not activated. You push a button to turn on/off. Better for serious off-road especially when an axle is off the ground. When locked, rear wheels spin at same speed no matter what is encountered.

LSD is always 'on', helps transfer traction for take-off in rain, snow, dirt. Good offroad until an axle is in the air or on two traction extremes (like uphill start when ice under one wheel, pave the other) It can only send a 'limited' amount of torque the traction wheel.

 

Also, one thing to note with BOTH of these...

If you are using an Limited Slip Differential in the rear end or an engaged E-Locker in the rear end and you break traction, then you have lost traction on BOTH REAR WHEELS.

I have already been in a situation where I (purposely) broke traction with my LSD rear end, and ended up spinning the truck completely around. I was on wet/algae covered pavement and purposely punched it to see what the effect would be. It was fun, but I could see it being a problem when accelerating through a turn on a slippery surface.

I was doing this to show my friend why his open differential isn't so bad on the wet San Antonio streets. I love my LSD rear end, but I just want to give everyone a heads-up when it comes to using one.

 

I still get the e-locker if I just get the 4X2 PreRunner, and not 4X4, correct?

 

Yes, you can. You either need to request it separately, or look for a TRD Off-Road PreRunner which already comes with the E-Locker.

 

Alright, thanks for the quick replies. And I look forward to being able to say I own a Tacoma. Do you guys have any events or meetings down here around Central Florida?

 

Alright, I'm a bit confused now. Wouldn't it be easier to lose traction with an open diff then with an LSD? It seems like if you ever lost traction in an LSD then you sure as heck would lose traction in an open diff setup under the same circumstance. What am I not understanding correctly, I'm an idiot like that some times.

 

True - it is easier to lose traction on an Open Differential, but if you do lose traction it is only one wheel. The traction you lose affects forward (or backward) momentum. Usually the other wheel will keep traction side-to-side. That will keep you from fishtailing.

However - if you lose traction with a positive traction system (LSD or Locker) on a flat surface, then you lose traction on BOTH wheels. This means you have nothing that prevents you from sliding side-to-side. That is what makes it dangerous as when you do lose traction it can send you spinning around.

Of course with enough power you can fishtail ANY rear wheel drive vehicle.

 

Ahh OK, I see what you're saying now. Thanks for clarifying.

 

I started typing out my explanation, and before I got finished I was confusing myself.

I guess next time I should draw a diagram (for myself).

 

My experience goes along with that explanation. A couple of weekends ago I found myself on a curvy dirt road and had some fishtailin' fun. With the young 'uns in the truck no less. I was quite impressed with how easy it was to get back under control when I needed to. A lot easier than with those '70s land yachts I drove as a teenager, even though they were open diffs too.

 

tacomas suck...sike..... when is it safe to use a diff lock?