Are lockers overkill in a large F550 camper? Dana 135 locker? Front True Trac?

[Paddy]

A true trac isn't a locker. It's a geared lsd and I'm just biding my time until I can get one in the back of my f350. I think lockers are overkill on any rig that won't see hardcore wheeling, but the truetrac is a wonderful addition to any vehicle. I'm sure a front one would be cool too but I've only had experience with one in the rear. It absolutely transformed the truck on the street too. Much more driveable on wet and you can actually back up on gravel too. They are great.

 

[charlieaarons]

Considering the money people sink into large 4x4 campers like yours, lockers are worthwhile. The 1st step in getting unstuck is low gears (low range 1st gear). The 2nd step is locking all diffs (suggest Detroit/NoSpin in rear, ARB in front). The 3rd step is deflating pressure to 33-40% road pressure (especially if you have beadlocks, even lower is good). The 4th step is winch and/or traction mats. The 3rd step usually works for me in the U500.
Automatic lockers like NoSpin/Detroit aren't a serious problem with longer wheelbase vehicle, by personal experience even where I live with icy winter roads, AS LONG AS YOU USE 4WD ON ICE!!!!!

Charlie

 

[Paddy]

The truetrac proponents like me will mention that while lockers are good sometimes, they greatly hinder turning. If you're on a slippery muddy side hill you'll likely wish you had truetracs over a locker. Plus traditional lockers can be downright scary on ice. So, the truetrac having no downsides wins in every aspect except true tires in air wheeling, which, at 16K lbs isn't really likely anyway.

It's important not to overlook the amount of time a heavy adventure vehicle spends on the highway, driveway, gravel road and most of all, the "this road is getting too gnarly for us we need to turn around" and that's when a transparent LSD that works really shines.

Of course, they may not make them for this rig. I couldn't get one on my sprinter and that vehicle would've GREATLY appreciated one!

Btw, love your truck and the camper is radical! Is there a detail thread about it somewhere?

 

[TwinStick]

Lots of cliche's come to mind: "Better to have it & not need it, than to need it & not have it." "Go prepared". Etc, etc. .

 

[Mundo4x4Casa]

Another vote for a front Eaton/Detroit True Trac. Compared to other multi-tasking locking diffs, it has fewer and stronger parts with no clutches to wear out. It should be fine in a super 60 and is oh-so transparent on snow and ice. The other issue is: a rear Dana 135 was not available on a 2015 F-550. A Dana 110 and 130 were options for that year. The 4.88 was standard but you could also S.O. that tweener: 4.30:1. So, if you truly do have a D-135 on a 2015, it was put in after the fact.
I'm with Charlie in the recovery succession. I don't think the O.P. is so very hard core, so a couple limited slips should give the best service until you need to deflate, and have a way to get the tires back up once you are out of the stick. Oh, and locking hubs are a good investment. The trick, as noted above, is to not get your axles twisted up and lift a wheel. Yes, I"ve had almost every locker and L.S. ever made ( not the Ox Locker) and don't think a full Detroit Locker would hold up with that much GVW. ARB's would work, but it's about double the price once you connect the plumbing, compressor and install. With my little 10.4K pound truck camper I'm running a 35 spline faux/super 60 in front with a True Trac (only the case and RGP are not Dana 70 spec) and a 35 spline Dana 80 in rear with a True Trac. I don't have the woes on ice and snow I had with full time, non-selectable locking diffs, or even my Dana 80 Power Loc, which had a stiff preload, with the attendant crossroad of oversteer under accel and the understeer on decel. I'm thinking the most important thing in all this is the moxey and off road chops of the operator. Here is a pic of a Dana 60 (or 70), 35 spine True Trac along with one I put in my '99 XJ's HP Dana 30 for contrast:

jefe

 

[HowardH]

What kind of coil suspension do you have?

 

[tbared]

I put on ox manual locker in my front end with the Factory limited slip in rear. Its an awesome combinatio..

 

[Petrolburner]

With articulation that good, and tires that big, plus 4WD, I really think making any changes to your diffs are unnecessary.

 

[racer3822]

Was just out last weekend and got stuck in the snow with f450. No limited slip and both front and rear wheels were spinning on one side, other side not spinning at all. 2x4 now. With as much weight as I am running it was hard to get out. Have a winch, but no point to winch from. Truck came along and I winched to him, but mostly just pulled him towards me.

All I could think at the time was if I had lockers I'd be out.

 

[proper4wd]

Or you'd dig 2 more holes and with the other two tires and really be stuck. Better to figure out that "no winch point" problem I think.

 

[S2DM]

The truetrac proponents like me will mention that while lockers are good sometimes, they greatly hinder turning. If you're on a slippery muddy side hill you'll likely wish you had truetracs over a locker. Plus traditional lockers can be downright scary on ice. So, the truetrac having no downsides wins in every aspect except true tires in air wheeling, which, at 16K lbs isn't really likely anyway.

It's important not to overlook the amount of time a heavy adventure vehicle spends on the highway, driveway, gravel road and most of all, the "this road is getting too gnarly for us we need to turn around" and that's when a transparent LSD that works really shines.

Of course, they may not make them for this rig. I couldn't get one on my sprinter and that vehicle would've GREATLY appreciated one!

Btw, love your truck and the camper is radical! Is there a detail thread about it somewhere?

Thank you, our build thread is here.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/141578-F550-Surf-Camper-Build-Adrift-in-the-Green-Room

 

[S2DM]

Just got back from three weeks in Baja. We travelled with a u1300 mog, a tacoma and then us. Overall, I was impressed with how our rig did on all the solid stuff, it just blew through some really tough terrain. But, soft stuff proved our enemy pretty quick.



Mistakes made here were not walking it first (Heather actually asked me and I said we didn't need to Our beadlocks allowed us to airdown to 5psi, but it still took about three hours to dig out. Maxtrax were invaluable. A winch and a pullpall equivalent would have made this a 15 minute job. We are shopping now.

Getting stuck here was worth it though as it was the last leg of the trail to getting here.



Caught more lobster than we could eat and a few sheepheads and calico sea bass.

 

[S2DM]

Also really solidified our desire to be lighter. We decided to ditch our outdoor kitchen permanently, switch from a flatbed to a subframe mount, and move our outdoor kitchen into our storage boxes. My initial solidworks sketches look like we'll shave atleast 1500 lbs. I'm still planning on bringing a small motorcycle, but I'm designing a new hitch system based mount that I can take on our off depending on the trip.

Still really torn on a front locker versus truetrac upfront. We never lost traction the whole trip, both times we got stuck was in wet or really loose sand and our issue was more getting buried.

Heres a pic of our friends Mog heading out back to highway 1 from the beach.

 

[S2DM]

Another vote for a front Eaton/Detroit True Trac. Compared to other multi-tasking locking diffs, it has fewer and stronger parts with no clutches to wear out. It should be fine in a super 60 and is oh-so transparent on snow and ice. The other issue is: a rear Dana 135 was not available on a 2015 F-550. A Dana 110 and 130 were options for that year. The 4.88 was standard but you could also S.O. that tweener: 4.30:1. So, if you truly do have a D-135 on a 2015, it was put in after the fact.
I'm with Charlie in the recovery succession. I don't think the O.P. is so very hard core, so a couple limited slips should give the best service until you need to deflate, and have a way to get the tires back up once you are out of the stick. Oh, and locking hubs are a good investment. The trick, as noted above, is to not get your axles twisted up and lift a wheel. Yes, I"ve had almost every locker and L.S. ever made ( not the Ox Locker) and don't think a full Detroit Locker would hold up with that much GVW. ARB's would work, but it's about double the price once you connect the plumbing, compressor and install. With my little 10.4K pound truck camper I'm running a 35 spline faux/super 60 in front with a True Trac (only the case and RGP are not Dana 70 spec) and a 35 spline Dana 80 in rear with a True Trac. I don't have the woes on ice and snow I had with full time, non-selectable locking diffs, or even my Dana 80 Power Loc, which had a stiff preload, with the attendant crossroad of oversteer under accel and the understeer on decel. I'm thinking the most important thing in all this is the moxey and off road chops of the operator. Here is a pic of a Dana 60 (or 70), 35 spine True Trac along with one I put in my '99 XJ's HP Dana 30 for contrast:

jefe

I think i misquoted, it must be a 130. there is no model number on the diff when inspected, was just repeating what I'd heard was in there. Its a solid case, no rear diff cover. I'm starting to think the front true-trac would be a pretty good choice.

 

[tgreening]

I'm a big fan of lockers, mechanical lockers. I like things dead simple and the mechanical works, always. No air lines to leak/blow out. No compressors to fry. No switches or wires to burn out/break, none off that crap.

I've used mechanicals from day one and have no desire to switch to anything else. I think the on-road snowy condition handling issues are real, but also not near as big a deal as some feel them to be. Just like any piece of equipment, know how to handle your junk and pay attention to what you're doing. I drove a front/rear locked Jeep CJ for years hassle free and there isn't much on the road you can lock and be much squrrrelier that a short wheel base Jeep.

My current junk isn't as heavy as yours, but it rolls daily at about 10.5k Detroit locked front/rear and I couldn't be happier with the setup.

Just like the 2wd/4wd debate there are those on both sides of the issue but I can say this, there is PLENTY of driving you will do that a locker would offer zero benefit, but there are also situations that don't include lifting tires where your weight works against you rather than for you. Steep climbs on loose rocky surfaces comes to mind.

Same with 4wd but watching some poor sap having to back his big 5th wheel toy hauler down a rather steep hill because his 2wd truck didn't have the traction to pull it up the loose gravely hill he was faced with was for me just another x in the 4wd =good column. Same with lockers.

But a big honkin winch is still a grand idea.