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I will be doing a product review each month or so. Sometimes it'll be a Jeep related product, sometimes not, but I will try to stick to products that will interest fellow Jeepers.
This month I'll review the Detroit Lockers.
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The Differential - the Key to 4WD
The primary function of a differential is to transfer power to the wheels while allowing them to turn independently at different (hence the name) speeds. What this means is that when going straight equal traction is supplied to all wheels, yet while the vehicle is turning, the inside wheel, which has the most resistance and a shorter distance to travel when taking a turn, is able to go at a slower rate than the outside wheel which has the least resistance, a longer travel radius, and must turn faster.Where this becomes a problem is when off road. If one wheel is on nice, hard packed ground, and one wheel is in the mud, snow, ice, sand, or what have you, the power is routed to the wheel without traction. This is simple physics, energy is lazy, it'll take the path of least resistance. So, you just sit there, spinning one helpless tire. The next step is a "Limited Slip", or Posi. As the name implies, tire slip is limited, but not prevented. On the street, a limited slip differential is great, but when wheeling get tough, it acts like an open differential. |
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Detroit Lockers in a Nutshell:
For Serious off-road performance nothing even comes close to the combined effectiveness delivered by Detroit Lockers installed in the rear. The real key to traction is found in the differential, the piece of hardware that distributes the torque to each axle shaft allowing differences in wheel speed when the vehicle turns or travels on uneven surfaces.
With a locker, when power is applied, you have power to both wheels, and this is a mechanical engagement, no clutches. While traveling you have 50% of available torque to each wheel. If one tire is in the air, or on a loose surface, you still have the other tire to pull you through.
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A thing of beauty. |
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A locker in action.
My Jeep has a locker in both diffs. Here you see a wheel lifted, what you can't see is a rear tire lifted as well. With a locker you just keep going. Unlike a open differential, or limited slip, the two axle shafts are mechanically locked together. IF you have one wheel completely off the ground, you'll keep on going, it's great. Off road, it will astound you. I recently took a hill in 2WD that I had a lot of trouble, almost rolled, in 4WD with open diffs.
You may be wondering what a locker is like on road, that's what people worry about before buying them. I can't comment on the characteristics in the winter, but on dry, or even wet roads, they are fine. I get the "bang!" once a month or so. I have never had the Jeep try to drive itself away from me due to the lockers. The one trait you can't escape is the tire howl. Any time you are trying to pull into traffic, you will make the tires howl. But just driving around, they are mostly transparent.
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The little Jeep that could |
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