Hey, anybody help out - I'm in my 1st Jeep ('08 Unlimited x) and I bought it with the the Trac-Loc option installed on the rear. What does this do? I know I don't have lockers (like a Rubi would) but if I go over some terrain and one of my tires goes up in the air - will the Jeep send all the power to the one wheel with the least traction...the one in the air? OR...does the Trac-Loc kick in to act like a locker? Just confused about the whole thing! Can someone explain? (mind you, tracloc is only on the rear...not the front)

Ahhh...to be a newb!!!

 

Cool - that's a relief! I thought I needed lockers or something! I wasn't sure what the Trac-Loc did but seems that it's got me covered. Thanks for explaining that and the Brake-loc thing...I didn't even know that existed - pretty friggin cool...!

 

Then again, NOTHING compares to a good set of lockers!

The difference is like night and day, and I can't say it enough.

 

THe difference in the trac lock and most other limited slips is that the trac lock is a torque sensing differential. In other words, the more torque you apply to it, the harder it locks the axles together. This of course is only to a point, since it is only a limited slip, as the name implies.

 

The Trac-Loc option is a very good investment

 

The limited slip STARTS with the axles locked together...and, ONLY lets GO if the Break Away Torque (BAT) is reached.

A common example on road, is when you go around a turn...the outside tire has further to go, as its arc is wider than the inside tire's arc....like runners o a track, the outside lanes get a "Headstart" to make the distances even, etc.

As you go around the turn, the drivetrain starts to wind up due to tension building from one side making more revolutions than the other side.

(Imagine wringing a towel, etc...)

With a full time locker, eventually, the tires let go, as the tension overwhelms their grip...and the result is the tires skittering, chirping, etc...as you go around the turn.

With a Limited Slip, the tension builds the exact same way...except, the BAT is typically designed to make the CLUTCH PACK SLIP to release the tension, instead of the tires slipping.

So, you and your LSD are going around the turn, locked, and the torque loading builds to the point where the BAT is reached, and the pack lets the tension go, and you sail smoothly down the road, no drama.

A typical OFF ROAD example, would be where one tire might be on a good traction surface, and the other on something with less traction, like air, or ice, loose sand, etc...

If the jeep can keep moving without the difference in traction torquing things beyond the BAT, the axle stays locked...

...If the torque builds to the point where the BAT IS REACHED, then the LSD lets go to relieve the tension, and the faster tire gets spun MORE, and the slower tire gets to sit there, on its good traction surface, laughing at you.

You see, an OPEN diff is designed to make the tire on the OUTSIDE of a turn push you around the turn.

If you were to push a grocery cart around a corner, you'd naturally push from an OUTSIDE corner, as you'd have the best leverage that way...and the open diff uses the same logic...it pushes from the outside of the turn.

The WAY it does that, is to simply assume the FASTER spinning tire is on the longer, OUTSIDE track, and push THAT ONE...while ignoring the OTHER inside track tire.

Off road of course, the faster tire is spinning because it has no traction, not because its on the outside track....So, you're screwed.

The LSD is simply a compromise that DOES keep you "Locked" as much as possible without scary/uncomfortable ON road behavior.

Combined with the JK's Traction Control, it can work pretty well.



Enjoy!

 

Don't listen to a rubi guy if they have never witnessed what they can do without their lockers! I would say there are very few situations that the open diffs and bld's on the jk can't get through that a locker would help. However a locker can make things much smoother and easier on everything. LSD BLD and lockers are some of my favorite things to talk about!

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...&highlight=bld

Scroll down to where I start talking, there is everything you ever wanted to know about BLD's and LSD and lockers and open differentials and Sarah Jessica Parker.

 

I haven't yet seen a situation that my locked yj could get over that the stock jk couldn't. I don't wheel my jk as hard as I did the yj, but have been with plenty of people that did. I haven't seen a situation yet that the bld guys couldn't get over that the locked guys could. Of course many times the locked guys have a much easier time doing the same thing.

First a rubi....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNp0zL4R9fM
Then an open diff sahara...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njhpM-G59_A

same obstacle, granted the 4 door gives him a little advantage in this situation.

BTW, lockers are the best.

 

agreed. These things are so much more fun than I ever thought! I loved my yj, but the jk is more capable out of the box and a whole lot better on the road.

 

Lockers def win the contest, however im increasingly surprised evertime i wheel with my lsd, see below for better explanation

you cant really tell but the back wheels slow down when not in contact. i guess thats how it works.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja-vymBjwzI