Locker vs Open

[Maryland 110]

So... couldn't it be said that in most slippery conditions, I'd be better off not locking my CDL? Ie: I'm on a mostly level muddy, rutted road. Wouldn't I have better stability and manoeverability with the center diff unlocked?

I locked it as a matter of course, but it begs the question.

If you drive very far ie. a hundred yards or so, on solid traction like pavement with the CDL locked you will break it. Not sure about disco's but defenders have a decal inside the truck that says not to use the CDL untill traction has been lost or eminent.
Years ago we had a 30 plus inch snow storm and I was running down an unplowed road @ night and suddenly hit a plowed spot in a turn, I had the cdl locked and it blew before I could pull over and unlock it.

 

[craig]

Teri-Ann is right. This discussion needs to be narrowed down to the specific make/model in question.

 

[michaelgroves]

Hmm.. surely there is a wide enough variety of Land Rover types to make the discussion just as valid for the marque, as for 4x4 or even 4x2 vehicles in general? We have full-time 4WD versions, part time, with or without CDL, with or without ETC, with coils or leaves, as pickups, station-wagons, vans, and crew-cabs, etc. etc.

I would certainly agree the topic probably belongs in the General section because it applies to other vehicles as well as Land Rovers, but it's hardly been a problem for it to be in this section, surely?

 

[kevb]

Personally, I think that for the thread to work it should either be cleansed of postings covering non Land Rover vehicles OR be moved to the General vehicle modifications section. As a discussion on Land Rover diff configurations I think it is totally confusing.

Personally, I find it quite interesting to see what other marques have as a comparison to LRs, be it factory fit, aftermarket or even what the really talented home mechanics are coming up with. I probably wouldn't have found this thread if it were in the general vehicle mods section as I rarely go there.

 

[michaelgroves]

So... couldn't it be said that in most slippery conditions, I'd be better off not locking my CDL? Ie: I'm on a mostly level muddy, rutted road. Wouldn't I have better stability and manoeverability with the center diff unlocked?

I locked it as a matter of course, but it begs the question.

Personally, I think there's a lot to be said for that. Unless the terrain is likely to have significantly different traction conditions under the front and rear axles, or is undulating enough to lift a wheel enough to make it lose a lot of traction, then the CDL doesn't make much difference.

In fact there is a useful art to learning to drive around difficult terrain without locking the centre diff. It's quite possible for a good driver to go almost anywhere the locked trucks can go, simply by being aware of what's under each wheel, and choosing a driving line that maximises traction under the wheel with least traction (rather than simply trying to keep traction under at least one wheel, as the drivers of locked vehicles might do). That sounds complicated, but it's not!

Incidentally, an unlocked centre diff is also one feature that makes permanent 4WD more useful than part-time 4WD - the ability to use low range when manoeuvring a heavy trailer, for example, even when on asphalt.

 

[zimm]

ive had the lsd in the butt of my cruiser since i got it, last time out i went around a locked pinz that got stuck on a slick clay uphill bend. my guess was the wheels dragging while going around the bend. it looked like a cat trying to bury poo on a marble floor. any slippage i gently gas it while easing off the brake.

im not knocking lockers for serious wheeling, im just saying for adventure travel, lsd works just fine. most people arnt doing the rubicon trail.

the 40 is a short wheelbase, and i havent had any unexpected kick outs on snow or ice, and i havent gotten stuck like i have with all open diffs. keep your wheels planted and you wont have an issue.

 

[teotwaki]

Wow. I don't own a Land Rover so I am not welcome to comment??? Gee, then gun haters can be kicked out of pro-gun ammo threads, trailer fans can be kicked out of SMB threads and so on?

Here, have a chocolate and stop worrying about it :26_34_3:

 

[zimm]

Wow. I don't own a Land Rover so I am not welcome to comment??? Gee, then gun haters can be kicked out of pro-gun ammo threads, trailer fans can be kicked out of SMB threads and so on?

Here, have a chocolate and stop worrying about it :26_34_3:

i missed that one. i own one, but i dont drive it. so were about equal.

ignore em. comment away.

 

[zimm]

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential.htm


clear description here.

 

[michaelgroves]

Wow. I don't own a Land Rover so I am not welcome to comment??? Gee, then gun haters can be kicked out of pro-gun ammo threads, trailer fans can be kicked out of SMB threads and so on?

Here, have a chocolate and stop worrying about it :26_34_3:

Hmm? Did anyone imply you weren't welcome to comment?

 

[MuddyMudskipper]

Please read post #132

"Personally, I think that for the thread to work it should either be cleansed of postings covering non Land Rover vehicles......." or moved

You shouldn't take it personal. If you have something contructive to add, then type away.

 

[TeriAnn]

You shouldn't take it personal. If you have something contructive to add, then type away.

I'm not taking anything personal. I've just noticed that a significant amount of contributions don't really apply to Land Rovers. I think it might be confusing to people who are newish to Land Rover differentials and how they affect the Land Rover's ability to get from here to there. It seems like it would be less confusing if the thread got moved to a location that caters to multiple marques.


It can be confusing when replies really don't apply to the section's marque in a single marque section.

 

[craig]

A lot of the posts in this thread are based on the conventional non-rover wisdom. The biggest difference is that a detroit/ARB in the rear of an AWD Range Rover Classic doesn't crab walk nearly as much as a Detroit/ARB in the back of a part time 4WD Jeep/FJ40 would.

 

[revor]

A lot of the posts in this thread are based on the conventional non-rover wisdom. The biggest difference is that a detroit/ARB in the rear of an AWD Range Rover Classic doesn't crab walk nearly as much as a Detroit/ARB in the back of a part time 4WD Jeep/FJ40 would.

That is a very good point! With the all wheel thing you can leave the center open and have another option that is pretty nice.

On another point I have castor corrected arms on both my trucks that don't have three link suspensions up front and I found that it's worked pretty well. In stock for on both those truck (didn't bother to measure the other one) the pinion angle is actually pointing at a higher angle than required to point at the output of the T Case. In the first case I gave Steve my requirements and in the second case Jordon, in both cases I've been very happy although in both cases I got arguments about how much length I wanted to add, perhaps that additional length is the difference.

 

[bigreen505]

A lot of the posts in this thread are based on the conventional non-rover wisdom. The biggest difference is that a detroit/ARB in the rear of an AWD Range Rover Classic doesn't crab walk nearly as much as a Detroit/ARB in the back of a part time 4WD Jeep/FJ40 would.

Care to explain that one? Just trying to learn here.

Here is my non-Rover wisdom: I don't understand the point of a LSD, front or rear. Perhaps it is because I am Rover deficient (though drool often), perhaps it is the conditions I drive, but I seem to want an axle totally open or totally locked. TeriAnn's locker/lsd combo makes sense for a dedicated expedition rig, adding some traction to the front when needed without the wear of a locker.

For me, winter time means on road snow and summer means wet rocks and decomposing granite. In the winter, a clutch based LSD achieves near full lock at the worst possible times and in the summer I have trouble getting enough traction. This was the case both with an old Pathfinder and a Trooper.

After driving a dedicated trail rig with Detroit lockers front and back, I can understand why people go that way, but I need a vehicle that is far more balanced for multiple uses.