I tested out my front and rear Detroit Truetrac LSDs

[T A]

I've enjoyed this thread and appreciative of all the info. Very helpful to me as I was misunderstanding the best usage for lockers. For my situation (weekend wheeling / easy offroading / winter weather concerns) I think the geared LSD's would be best. I thought I needed lockers just to have lockers lol. Now that I understand the proper use of lockers better, I think i would need them maybe 5% of the time vs the other 95% with the LSD's. Also happy to save the $$.

 

[Mobusaki]

I got the powertrax grip pros front and rear on my jeep

How do you like them? Done any offroading with them?

I've enjoyed this thread and appreciative of all the info. Very helpful to me as I was misunderstanding the best usage for lockers. For my situation (weekend wheeling / easy offroading / winter weather concerns) I think the geared LSD's would be best. I thought I needed lockers just to have lockers lol. Now that I understand the proper use of lockers better, I think i would need them maybe 5% of the time vs the other 95% with the LSD's. Also happy to save the $$.

I think you'll be very pleased with helical LSDs like the Truetrac, especially if you plan on winter driving. They are just absolutely fantastic on the road in the winter time.

Lots of people who wheel their rigs pretty hard really like them too. Lockers are better offroad but unless you're throwing tires in the air often the Truetracs will serve you very, very well. I think you'll find that 5% is more like 1% or less given the terrain you'll see on the East Coast.

 

[Abrao865d]

Here's a great video showing front and rear TT's in action. They definitely got the job done, but you can see the TT often allows one tire to rotate faster than the other (ie, not a locker), even when all 4 tires are on the ground. Good examples are at 0:40 and 1:40 in the video. I think this may even be a forum member, not sure. lol

That guy is mobbin on that Jeep

 

[Leroy_TJ]

I got the powertrax grip pros front and rear on my jeep

Any issues , it’s hard to find any comparisons vs the true track.

 

[Hopper]

Had a chance to offroad this weekend. There was plenty of slick stuff to test out the Truetracs, and this time I made sure to really pay attention to tire spin. There is a hill with deep slick ruts and most rigs need momentum and wheel speed to make it up. My diffs always drag (32" tires). We hit this spot twice. First time, winch. Second time, I made it by tapping the brakes at the spot I get hung up at. The guy behind me was probably wondering why the heck I was hitting the brakes when I should be heavy on the skinny pedal (I was doing that too!).

The first time when I needed winched up I asked the guy behind me what my tires were doing. Even though I had all 4 tires on the ground, only one on each axle were spinning. My diffs would dig into the ground between the ruts, shifting weight from the tires to the diffs, and so even though all 4 tires were touching there wasn't enough traction to keep the Truetracs working.

It's not such a surprise that the brake trick worked in this situation, but I thought it was interesting to note that the Truetracs can let you down in unexpected ways, not just when you have a tire in the air.

Thanks for that. This is why I went with Detroit lockers front and rear.

 

[Mobusaki]

Thanks for that. This is why I went with Detroit lockers front and rear.

No problem. There are certainly situations where the Truetracs are better offroad than lockers (really only auto lockers), but they are rare. One I have experienced is tight trails. The guys with lockers can have trouble navigating a tight turn or maneuvering between trees and rocks while I can usually turn on a dime still. Another is going along a slick hill the "wrong" way (such that the left side of the vehicle is higher than the right, or vice-versa). Guy in front of me had lockers and his Jeep wanted to slide down. Mine didn't slide much - but did moreso (I think) than the guy with selectable lockers that was still open/open.

Neither of those situations would warrant a locker over a Truetrac if offroad performance is your only consideration, but they do happen and I'll savor them when they do. haha

 

[D M]

can anyone compare/attest to having a powertrax no-slip vs trutrac in the front? Im debating going with the two while my spare dana 30 is out

 

[TJatt]

Tru trac all the way.

 

[CharlesHS]

IF you drive in SNOW living in the SF area and the Jeep is your daily driver; the TT would be the better way to go...

 

[U8MYDZT]

Alright guys so I finally stuffed an ARB in the rear axel, can't wait to try it!! With that said I have a great TruTrac unit for the Dana 35 if anyone wants it. Free, just pay shipping

 

[CharlesHS]

Depending upon the type terrain you drive while Off Roading; be careful keeping the ARB engaged in the Dana 35... with 33's.
There is no slippage with the ARB; I have seen Dana 35 axles twist splines off inside the carrier....
Generally speaking the Dana 35 and lockers are not very advisable.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Alright guys so I finally stuffed an ARB in the rear axel, can't wait to try it!! With that said I have a great TruTrac unit for the Dana 35 if anyone wants it. Free, just pay shipping

You installed an ARB locker into your rear Dana 35? Is that Dana 35 stock and still running the factory axle shafts?

 

[Ephry73]

The TT for the Dana 35 is tempting, for sure.

 

[Cruising]

Alright guys so I finally stuffed an ARB in the rear axel, can't wait to try it!! With that said I have a great TruTrac unit for the Dana 35 if anyone wants it. Free, just pay shipping

Would like to take your TruTrac for my rear Dana 35. I have a TruTrac installed on my front Dana 30. Shipping to 28304.

 

[U8MYDZT]

You installed an ARB locker into your rear Dana 35? Is that Dana 35 stock and still running the factory axle shafts?

Nope, 30 spline Alloy USA's. After a ton of research and the cries from my wallet I decided a Super 35 would be the best bet for my use and budget.

 

[U8MYDZT]

Would like to take your TruTrac for my rear Dana 35. I have a TruTrac installed on my front Dana 30. Shipping to 28304.

Let me get a weight on the TT and a price for you.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Nope, 30 spline Alloy USA's. After a ton of research and the cries from my wallet I decided a Super 35 would be the best bet for my use and budget.

Good decision!!

 

[A2frontrange]

Jerry, I understand they are not lockers, but they should not be overlooked or underestimated for their ability to perform very well even in a situation where a locker is "required". With good driving techniques it will far outperform any other limited slip out there and achieve almost a locker capabilities. (Look up some of the military training videos from how to use the brake technique) And (IMO) for the price it is a damn good option.

I recently installed a truetrac to replace the factory traclok in my 44. I went back and forth thinking I need to regear and get the rear locker now. I decided to keep my 3.73 and put in the truetrac. Just got back from Moab and I was hanging the 35’s and locked crews on most obstacles. Hardly ever slipped. Moab is sticky surface but there are also plenty of opportunities to slip on the sand and loose rocks. Truly impressed with the capabilities of not just the truetrac but the Jeep itself. I give the jeep a lot of credit and I still have underestimated it. As long as you have a tj you’re capable of a lot more than you think. Mountain goats and sheep aren’t strong or fast but they get to the farthest and highest reaches with ease. That’s what they are designed to do.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I recently installed a truetrac to replace the factory traclok in my 44. I went back and forth thinking I need to regear and get the rear locker now. I decided to keep my 3.73 and put in the truetrac. Just got back from Moab and I was hanging the 35’s and locked crews on most obstacles. Hardly ever slipped. Moab is sticky surface but there are also plenty of opportunities to slip on the sand and loose rocks. Truly impressed with the capabilities of not just the truetrac but the Jeep itself. I give the jeep a lot of credit and I still have underestimated it. As long as you have a tj you’re capable of a lot more than you think. Mountain goats and sheep aren’t strong or fast but they get to the farthest and highest reaches with ease. That’s what they are designed to do.

Get onto uneven-enough terrain where one of the tires on the Truetrac equipped axle is up in the air spinning and the other axle doesn't have a locker or it has a TT, you'll find the major drawback to a TT. The tire in the air on the TT axle will spin uselessly and the tire on the ground won't receive enough power from the axle to keep you moving. And nope, judicious use of the brake or brakes won't help enough in that situation either... I tried that continually over the couple years I had the f/r Truetracs and it just didn't help enough to keep me moving in such situations.

That's why I replaced the front and rear Truetracs in my previous TJ with lockers, TT's just don't work on the very uneven type of terrain I enjoy wheeling on.

 

[CharlesHS]

While TTs don't have the off road performance of a locker; they work quite well in most situations.
I watched an XJ owner in Moab several years ago drive into and out of Mickey's Hot Tub with front and rear TTs.