Rear locker/lsd
JK Freak
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 834
Likes: 0
From: Long Beach CA
The Detroit Locker is a great product for a rig that sees a lot of time off road but isn't always the best choice for a DD. Rigs with AT trans are effected much less by the lock/unlock action of the locker. I have run them for many years and they are perfect for what I do but some find them a bit 'twitchy' for DD use.
The Truetrac is a great choice for the moderate wheeler that sees a lot of DD time. The traction is far superior to any factory offering and is great in ice and snow. They're a great off road diff if you're not lifting tire frequently (for pretty much anything but rock crawling, they're pretty damn good). I have them in my current DD (5 years) and ran one in my old DD Cherokee. I was a beta tester for Tractech's (Detroit Locker's parent Co. now owned by Eaton) when the Electrac was developed. It was a Truetrac to full lock 12V electric selectable. I ran them in my well equipped CJ. They were a great locker and the Truetrac function was very, very capable off road. The Truetrac is a gear driven LSD that never needs a rebuild and doesn't require special fluids. There are no 'wear' parts.
Regarding the off topic lockers suggested, the Auburn Ected SOUNDS like a great option but lacks in function. The LSD portion is clutch driven. Clutches wear out as most know if they have ever had a factory Trac-Loc. If a single tire is allowed to free spin it is wearing the clutches. The Ected locks by adding pressure to the clutch pack to achieve 'lock'. The 'lock' function can be overcome by a large torque load or worn clutches. Additionally, the side gear design adds uneven loads (in the unlocked mode) to the axle opposite the ring gear and stripping the axle shaft splines is not uncommon.
The Eaton ELocker (Dana 44 and 60) is a 2 pinion selectable compared to a 4 pinion design used in both in the factory Rubicon locker and ARB. It is not as strong as the other units and should really only be used by very moderate wheelers. Aside from the inherent pinion design weakness, the ball ramp actuation method allows the unit to go from lock to unlock to lock when the rig is rocked. This motion is known to destroy the locker quickly under the right conditions. Dana 30 and 35 models are much different than 44 and 60 models and have 4 and 3 pinion designs, respectively. The ball ramp systems highly revised and don't suffer the same issues as larger models. They are both highly capable selectables that can be considered for any application.
The Truetrac is a great choice for the moderate wheeler that sees a lot of DD time. The traction is far superior to any factory offering and is great in ice and snow. They're a great off road diff if you're not lifting tire frequently (for pretty much anything but rock crawling, they're pretty damn good). I have them in my current DD (5 years) and ran one in my old DD Cherokee. I was a beta tester for Tractech's (Detroit Locker's parent Co. now owned by Eaton) when the Electrac was developed. It was a Truetrac to full lock 12V electric selectable. I ran them in my well equipped CJ. They were a great locker and the Truetrac function was very, very capable off road. The Truetrac is a gear driven LSD that never needs a rebuild and doesn't require special fluids. There are no 'wear' parts.
Regarding the off topic lockers suggested, the Auburn Ected SOUNDS like a great option but lacks in function. The LSD portion is clutch driven. Clutches wear out as most know if they have ever had a factory Trac-Loc. If a single tire is allowed to free spin it is wearing the clutches. The Ected locks by adding pressure to the clutch pack to achieve 'lock'. The 'lock' function can be overcome by a large torque load or worn clutches. Additionally, the side gear design adds uneven loads (in the unlocked mode) to the axle opposite the ring gear and stripping the axle shaft splines is not uncommon.
The Eaton ELocker (Dana 44 and 60) is a 2 pinion selectable compared to a 4 pinion design used in both in the factory Rubicon locker and ARB. It is not as strong as the other units and should really only be used by very moderate wheelers. Aside from the inherent pinion design weakness, the ball ramp actuation method allows the unit to go from lock to unlock to lock when the rig is rocked. This motion is known to destroy the locker quickly under the right conditions. Dana 30 and 35 models are much different than 44 and 60 models and have 4 and 3 pinion designs, respectively. The ball ramp systems highly revised and don't suffer the same issues as larger models. They are both highly capable selectables that can be considered for any application.
I didn't know that about the ECTED MAX locker. Just curious on what your opinion of the OX locker is. I know it's an "off topic suggestion," but you seem like a good source of information
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
From: Warner Robins, GA
running a truetrac up front only for now but I love it and cant wait to get one for the rear!! My jeep is my daily driver and I only wheel occasionally. I have video of my jeep coming out of some mud and you can see the truetrac working.....I have never had any issues on the street with it. I highly recommend it for a daily driver if you dont want to drop thousands on some ARBs. Who wouldnt want ARBs front and back..... unfortunately my wallet isn't fat enough.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
From: Dumont, CO United States
Is it likely to find a working rubi locker?
I'd think someone who replaced theirs for an ARB (I've heard a few guys doing that) would sell them pretty reasonably?
I suppose what I do is pretty crawly... but the limiteds I've wheeled with might as well have been open, as they were pretty useless. I would have spent my money on increasing flex to keep wheels on the ground instead of a limited diff but like dynatrac said it's got to do with what kind of wheeling you do of course, I'm sure the truetrac does well on most trails... it's a pretty darn cool design anyhow!
I'd think someone who replaced theirs for an ARB (I've heard a few guys doing that) would sell them pretty reasonably?
I suppose what I do is pretty crawly... but the limiteds I've wheeled with might as well have been open, as they were pretty useless. I would have spent my money on increasing flex to keep wheels on the ground instead of a limited diff but like dynatrac said it's got to do with what kind of wheeling you do of course, I'm sure the truetrac does well on most trails... it's a pretty darn cool design anyhow!
JK Super Freak
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,053
Likes: 0
From: East Stroudsburg, PA
I wore out my factory LSD and replaced it with a Grizzly locker. I have to say it is a little querky at first and is definately not as smooth on road as the factory LSD but with that said, you do get used to it quickly and I don't even notice it anymore. Mine is also a daily driver and I have the 6spd which generally makes them noisier with the locking and unlocking. The performance is great and it is solid, even when lifting a tire off the ground you won't even know it.
Sponsoring Manufacturer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 4
From: Huntington Beach, CA
Check here for more locker info-
Project-JK.com - Jeep JK Wrangler Resource » Dynatrac Presents - Lockers 101
JK Super Freak
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,031
Likes: 0
From: Riverside, CA
The Detroit Locker is a great product for a rig that sees a lot of time off road but isn't always the best choice for a DD. Rigs with AT trans are effected much less by the lock/unlock action of the locker. I have run them for many years and they are perfect for what I do but some find them a bit 'twitchy' for DD use.
The Truetrac is a great choice for the moderate wheeler that sees a lot of DD time. The traction is far superior to any factory offering and is great in ice and snow. They're a great off road diff if you're not lifting tire frequently (for pretty much anything but rock crawling, they're pretty damn good). I have them in my current DD (5 years) and ran one in my old DD Cherokee. I was a beta tester for Tractech's (Detroit Locker's parent Co. now owned by Eaton) when the Electrac was developed. It was a Truetrac to full lock 12V electric selectable. I ran them in my well equipped CJ. They were a great locker and the Truetrac function was very, very capable off road. The Truetrac is a gear driven LSD that never needs a rebuild and doesn't require special fluids. There are no 'wear' parts.
Regarding the off topic lockers suggested, the Auburn Ected SOUNDS like a great option but lacks in function. The LSD portion is clutch driven. Clutches wear out as most know if they have ever had a factory Trac-Loc. If a single tire is allowed to free spin it is wearing the clutches. The Ected locks by adding pressure to the clutch pack to achieve 'lock'. The 'lock' function can be overcome by a large torque load or worn clutches. Additionally, the side gear design adds uneven loads (in the unlocked mode) to the axle opposite the ring gear and stripping the axle shaft splines is not uncommon.
The Eaton ELocker (Dana 44 and 60) is a 2 pinion selectable compared to a 4 pinion design used in both in the factory Rubicon locker and ARB. It is not as strong as the other units and should really only be used by very moderate wheelers. Aside from the inherent pinion design weakness, the ball ramp actuation method allows the unit to go from lock to unlock to lock when the rig is rocked. This motion is known to destroy the locker quickly under the right conditions. Dana 30 and 35 models are much different than 44 and 60 models and have 4 and 3 pinion designs, respectively. The ball ramp systems highly revised and don't suffer the same issues as larger models. They are both highly capable selectables that can be considered for any application.
The Truetrac is a great choice for the moderate wheeler that sees a lot of DD time. The traction is far superior to any factory offering and is great in ice and snow. They're a great off road diff if you're not lifting tire frequently (for pretty much anything but rock crawling, they're pretty damn good). I have them in my current DD (5 years) and ran one in my old DD Cherokee. I was a beta tester for Tractech's (Detroit Locker's parent Co. now owned by Eaton) when the Electrac was developed. It was a Truetrac to full lock 12V electric selectable. I ran them in my well equipped CJ. They were a great locker and the Truetrac function was very, very capable off road. The Truetrac is a gear driven LSD that never needs a rebuild and doesn't require special fluids. There are no 'wear' parts.
Regarding the off topic lockers suggested, the Auburn Ected SOUNDS like a great option but lacks in function. The LSD portion is clutch driven. Clutches wear out as most know if they have ever had a factory Trac-Loc. If a single tire is allowed to free spin it is wearing the clutches. The Ected locks by adding pressure to the clutch pack to achieve 'lock'. The 'lock' function can be overcome by a large torque load or worn clutches. Additionally, the side gear design adds uneven loads (in the unlocked mode) to the axle opposite the ring gear and stripping the axle shaft splines is not uncommon.
The Eaton ELocker (Dana 44 and 60) is a 2 pinion selectable compared to a 4 pinion design used in both in the factory Rubicon locker and ARB. It is not as strong as the other units and should really only be used by very moderate wheelers. Aside from the inherent pinion design weakness, the ball ramp actuation method allows the unit to go from lock to unlock to lock when the rig is rocked. This motion is known to destroy the locker quickly under the right conditions. Dana 30 and 35 models are much different than 44 and 60 models and have 4 and 3 pinion designs, respectively. The ball ramp systems highly revised and don't suffer the same issues as larger models. They are both highly capable selectables that can be considered for any application.
You can't use the Rubi locker in an non Rubi D44, so that would require an axle swap for Sport/Sahara owners. Not a bad option if you can get a good deal on a D44 in good condition for cheap.
Sponsoring Manufacturer
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,136
Likes: 4
From: Huntington Beach, CA
The new model will be very similar in design to the D30 version. It should be a great new option.
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 326
Likes: 1
From: Fontana, California
The Detroit Locker is a great product for a rig that sees a lot of time off road but isn't always the best choice for a DD. Rigs with AT trans are effected much less by the lock/unlock action of the locker. I have run them for many years and they are perfect for what I do but some find them a bit 'twitchy' for DD use.
The Truetrac is a great choice for the moderate wheeler that sees a lot of DD time. The traction is far superior to any factory offering and is great in ice and snow. They're a great off road diff if you're not lifting tire frequently (for pretty much anything but rock crawling, they're pretty damn good). I have them in my current DD (5 years) and ran one in my old DD Cherokee. I was a beta tester for Tractech's (Detroit Locker's parent Co. now owned by Eaton) when the Electrac was developed. It was a Truetrac to full lock 12V electric selectable. I ran them in my well equipped CJ. They were a great locker and the Truetrac function was very, very capable off road. The Truetrac is a gear driven LSD that never needs a rebuild and doesn't require special fluids. There are no 'wear' parts.
Regarding the off topic lockers suggested, the Auburn Ected SOUNDS like a great option but lacks in function. The LSD portion is clutch driven. Clutches wear out as most know if they have ever had a factory Trac-Loc. If a single tire is allowed to free spin it is wearing the clutches. The Ected locks by adding pressure to the clutch pack to achieve 'lock'. The 'lock' function can be overcome by a large torque load or worn clutches. Additionally, the side gear design adds uneven loads (in the unlocked mode) to the axle opposite the ring gear and stripping the axle shaft splines is not uncommon.
The Eaton ELocker (Dana 44 and 60) is a 2 pinion selectable compared to a 4 pinion design used in both in the factory Rubicon locker and ARB. It is not as strong as the other units and should really only be used by very moderate wheelers. Aside from the inherent pinion design weakness, the ball ramp actuation method allows the unit to go from lock to unlock to lock when the rig is rocked. This motion is known to destroy the locker quickly under the right conditions. Dana 30 and 35 models are much different than 44 and 60 models and have 4 and 3 pinion designs, respectively. The ball ramp systems highly revised and don't suffer the same issues as larger models. They are both highly capable selectables that can be considered for any application.
The Truetrac is a great choice for the moderate wheeler that sees a lot of DD time. The traction is far superior to any factory offering and is great in ice and snow. They're a great off road diff if you're not lifting tire frequently (for pretty much anything but rock crawling, they're pretty damn good). I have them in my current DD (5 years) and ran one in my old DD Cherokee. I was a beta tester for Tractech's (Detroit Locker's parent Co. now owned by Eaton) when the Electrac was developed. It was a Truetrac to full lock 12V electric selectable. I ran them in my well equipped CJ. They were a great locker and the Truetrac function was very, very capable off road. The Truetrac is a gear driven LSD that never needs a rebuild and doesn't require special fluids. There are no 'wear' parts.
Regarding the off topic lockers suggested, the Auburn Ected SOUNDS like a great option but lacks in function. The LSD portion is clutch driven. Clutches wear out as most know if they have ever had a factory Trac-Loc. If a single tire is allowed to free spin it is wearing the clutches. The Ected locks by adding pressure to the clutch pack to achieve 'lock'. The 'lock' function can be overcome by a large torque load or worn clutches. Additionally, the side gear design adds uneven loads (in the unlocked mode) to the axle opposite the ring gear and stripping the axle shaft splines is not uncommon.
The Eaton ELocker (Dana 44 and 60) is a 2 pinion selectable compared to a 4 pinion design used in both in the factory Rubicon locker and ARB. It is not as strong as the other units and should really only be used by very moderate wheelers. Aside from the inherent pinion design weakness, the ball ramp actuation method allows the unit to go from lock to unlock to lock when the rig is rocked. This motion is known to destroy the locker quickly under the right conditions. Dana 30 and 35 models are much different than 44 and 60 models and have 4 and 3 pinion designs, respectively. The ball ramp systems highly revised and don't suffer the same issues as larger models. They are both highly capable selectables that can be considered for any application.
JK Super Freak
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,031
Likes: 0
From: Riverside, CA
I want to get something that is going to last a long time and do what it's supposed to do.