Detroit Locker Input Wanted

[orcus420]

I would much rather go selectable (E-Locker or ARB) but I'm seeing used Nascar Detroit Lockers on Ebay for around $250 and moey is an issue for me. I'm concerned about tire wear and intersate/highway driving especially on wet road with a full time locker. Are my concerns warranted? Right now it's a daily driver, since the wife is afraid to drive it and laid claim to the Explorer but I'm looking for a cheap 4-cylinder car and hope to make it just an occasional driver soon.


87 BII
5.0 HO
Dana 44
9" Ford
NP 435
NP 205
35" Pro-Comp MT's on Eagle Alloys

[stevenf]

I plan on running a mini spool up front and a stock non-posi unit in the rear on mine. I plan to keep mine road worthy also and dont want the tire wear. The spool up front will help ATON with off roading. Should suit my light off roading really nice.

[Phillippi]

Are you talking about the front or rear diff? If in the rear, the Detroit is great. I ran one in my b2 for years as a DD without much problems and only a little more tire wear. If you dont gun it all the time around corners it should be fine.

[orcus420]

Yes, the Detroit would be for the 9" Ford rear. I plan on (when funds allow) going with an E-Locker for the Dana44 front so I can unlock for tight turns on the trail. I would just do the E-Locker in both ends, but they don't offer a unit for the 9", and the ARB with compressor is about $1000. Used Detroits from race cars are plentifull and cheap on Ebay. I could Detroit the rear AND E-Lock the front for the same price as doing an ARB rear only install. If money was no object, I would go ARB in the rear and hope to do so at some point down the road.

My concern are road manners and tire wear. If my $200+ tires were gonna wear out alot faster, it might make more sense long term to bite the bullet and go ARB initially.

[vabronconut]

a little advice watch buying other peoples junk ! diff parts are very expensive to replace so once you have it installed and its on its last leg your going to have to pay to get the whole thing rebuilt again. a nine inch is easy to remove and replace the pumpkin but a real pain to set the ring gears side play. have you thought about a trac lock? they are extremly easy and cheap to rebuild, and you can pick them up real cheap on ebay. i have wore out detroits before, but it was some serious abuse. not knowing exactly how a used one was treated i would be weary of buying someone elses. just my worthless two cents

[orcus420]

I thought about just buying new, but in the end I want a selectable locker and thought since it wasn't going to be permanent that I might go with a used Detroit. I seen alot of them on Ebay that are listed as Nascar etc. for about half-price. Speaking of that..I have seen many people talk about letting off the throttle in turns to allow unlocking while cornering. Aren't the circle track guys doing it on pavement at high speed under heavy throttle?

When you say trac-Lock are you referring to the limited-slip units Ford used from the factory? My 9" already has the factory limited-slip (whatever brand they used in the '74 full size Bronco with 31-spline 9"). I'm interested in going with a true locker, but I have some concerns about road manners and tire wear with a full time locker. I've had a LS in many 4x4's over the years, but never owned a vehicle with a locker and look forward to wheeling one. :-)