Limited Slip Differentials

[naphtali5725]

everything i've heard, and researched, seems like the truetracs are the better solution out of the 2

some videos on youtube show some folks changing to the truetrac and giving reviews

[Jeepwm69]

Biggest issue with the truetrac is installation. It replaces the carrier so you have to reset up the ring and pinion.

Clutches wear out. The factory limited slip in Jeeps was a trac lok, also known as a trash lock, because the clutches would wear out (sometimes really quickly) and then you end up with an open diff.

If you want a limited slip, either buy a whole used rear end with the limited slip already installed, or install a truetrac in your existing rear end.

Doesn't make any sense to me to put a lesser LSD in a rear end when installation is the biggest expense. The truetrac will hypothetically last the life of the vehicle. The clutch models you might have to go back in and replace clutches after time. Buy once, cry once.

[Bigstevex4]

Those easy lockers are still available under adifferant name they take nothing to install in the rear. What i have in the front jimmy and the only hard part is you have to pull an axle there like 350 bucks.

[Jeepwm69]

Yeah you can go with a lunchbox locker like a Lokka, Spartan, or Lock Right. They replace the spider gears and do not require resetting the ring and pinion.

They also provide a true 50/50 split to each wheel.

The drawback is they don't behave well on pavement. You get a racheting sound when taking corners, and they tend to wear tires faster, and click and bang as they lock and unload during cornering.

I have a Truetrac in one Jeep, Lockright in the other. The Truetrac is invisible on the pavement, and pulls as well (from what I can tell) as the Lockright. Keep in mind I only use in mud, no rock crawling. When rockcrawling if one wheel goes in the air that is when a true locker will out-do a Truetrac, but for my uses they are about equal in performance.

The lunchbox lockers are cheaper than a truetrac, and much easier to install, but there are drawbacks to having a locker in the rear end.

[GRADYS Performance]

Originally Posted by Jeepwm69

Biggest issue with the truetrac is installation. It replaces the carrier so you have to reset up the ring and pinion.

Changing the carrier only requires checking and setting the backlash for the ring gear. The pinion is not removed while changing the carrier. So "reset up the ring and pinion" is not needed.

[Jeepwm69]

When you remove the ring gear from the factory carrier and bolt it to the truetrac, depending on how much different dimensionally the OEM carrier is from the truetrac, it might require moving the pinion in our out as well as changing the shims on the carrier, so like any locking differential that replaces the carrier, expect to have to reset up the ring and pinion when you start the process.

You might get lucky and have it bolt in place, but it's not likely.

I didn't do the installation on mine because I had never set gears up, just going on what my friend told me who did the installation.

[GRADYS Performance]

Originally Posted by Jeepwm69

When you remove the ring gear from the factory carrier and bolt it to the truetrac, depending on how much different dimensionally the OEM carrier is from the truetrac, it might require moving the pinion in our out as well as changing the shims on the carrier, so like any locking differential that replaces the carrier, expect to have to reset up the ring and pinion when you start the process.

You might get lucky and have it bolt in place, but it's not likely.

I didn't do the installation on mine because I had never set gears up, just going on what my friend told me who did the installation.

Changing the carrier Does NOT require resetting the pinion. Only setting the backlash and carrier bearing preload.

[Jeepwm69]

Guess he did some extra work then. Oh well, I paid him in beer so worked out well for both of us.