Is TRAC as good as a locker?

What exactly are you wearing to cause imminent damage?

 

Not sure about A Trac.
I was surprised how well rear Locker perform with Cooper AT3 in slick snow. Nephew 4wd Chevy doing fish tail but my Prerunner still going straight.

 

Seriously? Tire wear, axle shafts wear, axle bearings wear, ring gear deflection, pinion deflection, u-Joint wear (due to axle wrap)...when you run a locker on a hard dry surface, you are loading that drive line by hundreds of percent more...something will break/fail. There is a reason they tell you not to run lockers on the street.

 

If there was no downside to being locked, we would all save the money and just weld the rear end.

 

What wears on an axle shaft? People run stock Toyota axle shafts with 40's and they don't break. They are beef.

Ring gear and pinion deflection? Do you really think there's more stress on the R&P turning into a parking spot with a spool than there is when off roading in low range? Non issue.

U-joint wear from axle wrap? I don't think you even begin understand axle wrap and when it occurs that can damage u-joints.

You must be smoking something good to be this paranoid.

I acknowledged that the tires will wear more with a spool, which is why people run lunchbox lockers. Plus driving around in a spool sucks with the body roll and chirping tires.

 

The exponentially increased torque (rotational forces) try to 'twist' the axle. The common breaking point is in between the splines, or where it may be necked downed for bearing/seal fitment.

Yes.

Then why do locker and auto manufactures stress not have your locker/spool on when on the road? If it a 'non-issue' as you say, why all the stout warnings not to?

Really? I was an ASE certified mechanic for 15 years. I build high performance engines, and can tune chassis. Ive been off-roading for 40 years...I *know* axle wrap combined with the added stresses at the u-joint when running a locker/spool.

Im not paranoid, I just understand basic mechanical physics, and have direct experience drive lines, and the mechanic properties that change when a locker or spools are ran on hard dry surfaces. Why do you think wheelers break u-joints and axles while off-road?

How long have you been off-roading? Do you have any certified mechanical skills? This is really drive line 101 here...everybody knows the exponentially increased wear on drive lines when lockers/spools are ran on hard dry surfaces.

 

Exactly.

 

Do what makes you happy in your theoretical certified mechanical, driveline 101 world and just ignore what guys have been building for years then.

 

[sigh] It not 'theoretical' or in 'my world'. These are known and understood facts that have been documented for years.

Serious/experienced builders do not build that way, but I not saying less experience/less knowledgeable would build that way, and Im sure there are some out there, but what I am saying (and has been proven), is running a locker or spool on the street causes exponentially more mechanical wear on drive line components, which can result in premature failure of said drive line components.

I ask again, why do you think its more common to break an axle or u-joint off road, rather than on?

 

Dana 44

 

Perfectly stated

 

Spider gears, pinion bearing, axle shafts, axle shat seals at the diff., spider bearings, wheel bearings, in the case of Tacoma's the e-locker mechanism.

 

Additive in 2005-2008 TRD Sport Models explained.

What the additive does is allow the proper 'slip' of the clutches. With no additive, the clutches will prematurly engadge when do something as simple as making a hard 90 deg turn or a U-Turn, which wares out the clutches. Worn clutches result in the LSD not 'locking' when you NEED traction and one wheel is either free spinning or completely bound up.

Too much additive allows for toooo much slippage, in which the end result is basically the same as worn clutches.

I have tried all sorts of combination of oil and additive. To be completely honest, there is NO set receipe!

Everytime I have to 'guess and check'. If it gets to the point where there is too much additive... i drain and start over again...

If properly prepared, a 2005-2008 TRD Sport LSD will lock!

If you have a 2005-2008 TRD Sport and are REALLY interested, put strait gear oil with no additive, drive around town for a few miles. Make notes. Now, drain the oil, put fresh oil, leave enough room for lets say 7oz of additive... (way too much!)

Pull out your driveway and try to 'power brake' the wheels will not lock up.

 

Armchair off-roaders.

 

Yep, never wheeled before. Must have no idea what holds up and what doesn’t.

 

^^^^^^ Great pic! Awesome ride!

 

I doubt you were, but just checking... you weren't referring to me right?

 

No not you, rather Snowy.

 

10-4 good buddy!