DC Tundra Lock-right vs Truetrac or just ARB

Cleanmiss

New member
Hey guys/gals, first post but of course long time reader. I know this topic has been beat to death on numerous vehicles and threads but I have found very little on the DC tundra. I need some traction assistance and I need your wisdom. As of currently I DD my truck but I do 4x4 A LOT in all conditions of northern CA. I live in sacramento, so ice isnt a huge issue but wanted to hear about your experiences and thoughts. As a lot of you can guess money is a large issue especially if I can do the front and rear for the cost of one ARB. The rig has 285/75-16 duratracs, 5100s, wheelers aal and a ton of other goodies that can be listed some other time. Thanks much for your time and 02.
 

Derek24

Explorer
The loc-right is an automatic locker which locks when torque is applied, or whenever you step on the gas. I had the powertrac no slip which is the same type of auto locker and I did not like it. Worked great offroad, but on road it killed my tires and put a lot of stress on the driveline. It was easier turning corners on the street by drifting them. Taking it easy around corners would hop and shutter like crazy being full locked in the rear. The truetrac is a limited slip which you should have from factory, might be a little tighter, but will not push you through when wheels start leaving the ground. I recommend to everyone an ARB if they are looking for a locker. The select ability and added strength is well worth the extra cost. I would have saved $400+ if I went straight to the ARB I had instead of playing with the powertrac. It's amazing how much a locker helps!
 

v_man

Explorer
If you did go Lock Right , or any auto locker , you're better off running a manual , that way you can coast through turns , or just put the clutch in through a turn . Some situations even a manual wont do you much good, like a U turn.

I learned to live with my Lock Right in the rear, it didn't eat my tires , and it was an effective way to add traction for less money back when I just got into wheelin' .

Now I have front and rear ARB's , they are superior obviously , but the up front cost is significant compared to a lock right .

Oh , and unless you have manual hubs in your Tundra (not even sure any Tundra ever came with manual hubs) putting an auto locker up front will be a bad idea, especially on a daily driver / mild wheeler. Things like turning your steering wheel kind of go out the window with a front auto locker and auto hubs.... Good luck
 
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brianjwilson

Some sort of lost...
Oh boy the great debate...
My post got long and rambly, I apologize in advance. Just "speaking my mind" about my experiences.

First off, auto lockers are way smoother on autos than manuals. I've run both. Remember that they lock with torque applied on the pinion side that outweighs traction. Torque works both ways, in other words, if you are engine braking (manual trans off throttle) you can have the same effect as throttle applied. The diff can lock and clunk and jump around. The 100% engagement of a manual trans makes the auto lockers very clunky and obnoxious. Even depressing the clutch after it is bound up will send a shock up the driveline and it becomes a real unpleasant experience. With an auto you aren't generally producing much engine braking so this isn't an issue, the torque converter smooths out the operation a lot. Once you readjust you driving habits slightly, your passengers won't even know there is a locker back there 99% of the time. No issues driving in town, u turns, parking lots etc.

Accelerating through a lot corner with a manual can be a clunky nightmare because as you accelerate the truck with under steer. Let off to shift and it will tuck back into the corner (unlocked). Back on the throttle and it will under steer again (locked).
With an auto trans, the torque is constantly applied and it is significantly smoother and nicer to drive. Very predictable once you develope a feel for it too. When you let off the throttle some and make turns, the trans won't send torque back to the axle like a manual trans, it won't lock up.
As for the front, if you aren't applying torque to the front axle you won't know there is a locker there at all. Aside from clicking noises while turning at low speed. Even with "live axles", they are transparent without 4x4 engaged. In 4x4, you can turn the wheel ok, until you're on the throttle. ;) just don't get caught with a loose grip and your thumbs in the wheel when you step on the throttle. Honestly the front auto locker isn't something I recommend for everyone. The rough nature of them always made me nervous when I had an Aussie locker in front of an IFS rig. Steering in 4x4 isn't fun and I found myself switching out of 4x4 frequently to maneuver on trails. Sort of defeated the purpose. I did however tow several hundred miles in snow and ice covered mountain passes with front and rear Aussie lockers so it can be done, just requires a lot of extra attention with that front locker.

Everyone is different but I loved running auto lockers (rear) with auto trans. Great traction all the time. Predictable. Cheap and easy install for a lunch box locker. Sure tires wore faster. In ice and snow I loved them for the predictability (while others hate them for oversteer). While a limited slip would sometimes only spin one tire, sometimes spin both and kick the back around, the auto lockers just locked and you could modulate the throttle for great control. Smooth controlled drifts any time. Haha.

The real downsides of an auto locker? You will occasionally get a loud bang while cruising down the freeway and you'll be looking in your rear view mirror to see who hit you. In long, constant throttle applications sometimes tension will bind up if the diff stays locked for too long. Eventually the tension has to be released and it gets yours attention. I never had it more than once every thousand miles or so but it does happen. Different lockers can be real clunky with excessive back lash. So far the worst was a Detroit locker. The Aussie and lock rites I've used were actually smoother. If you aren't comfortable with driving in snow/ice with an aggressive test diff you wouldn't like an auto locker.




Remember that everything has pros and cons. Yes even arbs or electric lockers. The biggest complaint I've had (I've run both) isn't the cost of complexity, but the poor traction of an open diff when it isn't locked. If you're happy with an open diff and use to it, you'll love an arb. I really hate open diffs, spinning the inside wheel every time I pull away in the rain, snow, gravel etc. Nothing like trying to pull into heavy traffic and sitting with one tire spinning.

A truetrac is great as long as you know it's limitations. Smooth traction all the time. But if you tend to get real crossed up with tires in the air you'll be disappointed. Brake application can help in those situations but it still isn't a locker. In a dry climate where you are it will probably serve pretty well even off road.

If you want a smooth and quiet operation, either a limited slip or selectable is the way to go. You just have to decide if you want good traction all the time (maintaining momentum), or terrible traction most of the time until you flip a switch and you're 100% locked. An arb is a great excuse for on board air if you don't already have it!

For what it's worth I still can't decide what to run in back of my next truck. Arb up front no doubt. But if I run an auto locker out back I won't let my wife drive it in the snow. A selectable (open) is easier for the average person, I just don't think I should have to use 4x4 every time I climb a gravel road or worry about pulling into heavy traffic in the rain. A true trac would be great but will it pull me through when I really need it? I sure hate looking back and seeing 1 tire spin off road while the other is just sitting in front of an obstacle.
 

rambrush

Adventurer
I run a 06 Tundra DC w factory locker.
Several years ago I hit black ice as I was entering Idaho from Utah needless to say the locker in the rear did nothing except spin us out and throw us in the ditch. Then the other day we had pretty good snowfall and Ice. Pulling out of a side street in 4x4 onto the main drag the locker kicked in at a very slow speed and threw me sideways.
So in my opinion a ARB would be the wisest way to go front and rear, keep them open until really required.
 

Derek24

Explorer
That's what I I disliked the most about auto lockers is that you have to relearn to drive your truck. Even more so in snow and ice, that's scary! I could probably give ken block a run for his money after a winter in Tahoe with an auto locker in my truck. Also like said above, you will not want anyone driving your truck if they don't know how to drive with an auto locker. All these reasons is why I went with an ARB six months after my powertrax.
 

brianjwilson

Some sort of lost...
I run a 06 Tundra DC w factory locker.
Several years ago I hit black ice as I was entering Idaho from Utah needless to say the locker in the rear did nothing except spin us out and throw us in the ditch. Then the other day we had pretty good snowfall and Ice. Pulling out of a side street in 4x4 onto the main drag the locker kicked in at a very slow speed and threw me sideways.
So in my opinion a ARB would be the wisest way to go front and rear, keep them open until really required.

I'm not up on the tundras much, but I didn't think they offered a locker in 06. It sounds like you are describing precisely a limited slip differential. Which as I said are not that predictable. Nearly everyone I see who wrecks a truck in the snow or ice isn't aware of the characteristics of a limited slip, or it just catches them off guard when traction is low on both tires. At least with an auto locker you know you can power through a slide usually and control the truck with throttle modulation if you know what you're doing. But yeah, you don't want someone unsuspecting to hop in the truck and drive it in low traction situations.

For those reasons an arb or similar is definitely the "safest" option if that is the concern.
 

tyv12

Adventurer
Ya there was only lsd in the tundras not lockers, and that usually only happens when people drive on icy roads with lsd and cruise control


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