I'm not sure if the lsd was ever "standard".....it could be that it's more like it was an "option" thing.
Someone more knowledgeable please correct me.

Mine had it from factory, but I'm pretty sure it was ordered like that. I'm the second owner and I do have the window sticker around here somewhere.

But in the yards you should be able to tell with reasonable certainty if the axle you're looking at has the lsd or not.

 

R/T models all had the trac-lok. 3.92 gears as well. Dakotas R/T's were 9.25" rear. Durango R/T's were 8.25" rear.

Durango rear won't directly swap over.

 

Trac lock is Furd Sure Grip is Mopar

 

Nice to know. My Sport has the 8.25 rear loaded with 3.90 and lsd from factory, fwiw.

 

So then does that mean that the 9.25" rear ends were all LSD? I finally found one local and I don't know for sure if it is an LSD. Thanks

 

I wouldn't assume that, unless it's out of an R/T. Is your local find something you can go look at? If so, it will say "Anti-Spin Differential" on the glove box sticker if it has an LSD.

 

In '02, all Dakota R/T's had LSD 3.92 (9-1/4") with drum brakes as standard equipment, but LSD axles were also available as optional equipment on every other Dakota configuration you could imagine, in both 8-1/4" and 9-1/4" flavors, in all body trim packages, and in all axle ratios.

My quad cab is 4x4 and has the Trailer Tow Group option, but the LSD still had to be ordered separately because LSD was not included with any particular package outside of the R/T's. My truck also has the 9-1/4" axle, but I'm not sure why, since most of the '02 AWD trucks on this board seem to have the 8-1/4" axle.

The best bet is just to look at vehicle glove boxes and find what you are looking for (axle ratio, axle size, and LSD option are all clearly labeled on the glove box stickers). Some trucks were ordered with LSD. Most were not. All non-R/T's had drum rears up thru maybe the next generation redesign(?). R/T's switched over to disk brakes in 2003(?) or so. Outside of those parameters, any truck could have just about anything offered, and there's no way of knowing without looking.

 

hmm....problem is, 8/10 dakotas you see at the junkyard have the glovebox taken already lol....any other way to find out?? ...just crack open the rear end and look to see if its full of LSD?? lol

 

Unfortunately, I think you're exactly right. The differential covers have axle ratio tags on them, but as far as I know, there is no visual indicator of any kind to tell you from the outside if an axle is LSD equipped or not.

If both rear wheels were off the ground. you could shift it into neutral and try to spin the tire on one side, and see what the tire on the other side did. Same direction equals LSD, opposite direction equals open diff. The problem is, how many times will both rear tires ever be off the ground? Outside of that method, and with no glove box sticker, then I think removing the diff cover is the only way left to know for sure.

 

My 01 Base model 4x4 has an LSD factory. It was an option on all of them in 01.

 

call the dealer and give them your VIN, they can give you a prinout of every option on your vehicle.

My '00 has the factory LSD 9 1/4 rear end

 

thanks guys thats a big help...ill def check it out

 

let us know what you come back with

 

So does the LSD stand for "limited spin diff" or "limited slip diff." Maybe the same thing, differencials arent my strong point. Checked my glove box and it says 3.55 "limited-spin diff" guessing that means I have and LSD?

 

Yup, you have the Trac-Lok LSD.

 

I know this is old but I just ran across this thread. By problem is I have 3 durangos 98 5.2l and a 2000 5.9l and a 2001 4.7 and the dealer vind it for me and they say they all have Anti spin diffs. And all have 9.25 rear different but I opend them up and there all open diffs and 2 of them I bought from. The original owners and they said they never replaced them and the 5.9 had all invoices from 2000 till I bought it and nothing show a diff being replaced. So what gives and the dealer is clue less.

 

Just looking at it, there is nothing in the middle between the spider gears that makes it obvious it's a Trac-Lok rather than an open diff. The Trac-Lok clutches are hidden in the carrier case, behind the side gears. An open diff carrier has sloped shoulders opposite the ring gear, and a Trac-Lok carrier has a square shoulder to provide space for the clutch. See below.

Open differential:

Trac-Lok differential: