[stumpgc]

I was thinking of running a locker in the rear of my 1998 Dodge Durango with a 318. Does anyone have any experience with this? Did you have problems with wheel hop and or issues with cornering? As this is my daily driver as well as family hauler. It sees minimal offroading however sees lots of snow.

 

[kaui56]

you dont want a locker on snow...you'll see the cars behind you more than the cars in front of you.

 

[jpi99]

Since you don't off-road that much you should skip the locker.

 

[dak212]

powertrax traction adder (not the lock-rite) is a locker that allows wheel differentiation during turning...i dont have any experience with it, but it seems like this is a good product, any thuoghts on this??

 

[sailsurf7713]

I was looking into the powertrax lockers also. I know that the two they sell are both self-actuated. They unlock through turns. They have one meant for those who do off-roading, but nothing too hard-core that makes absolutely no noise. Then they have another that does the same thing, great if you do hard core wheeling but clicks through turns. I have been hoping that someone here has some first hand experience with either. I have a 2wd 98 dakota and just want to prove to my friends that it can do some wheeling. I also see a lot of snow and this thing gets stuck at the end of my driveway. Good Luck and here's the website: http://www.powertrax.com/noslip.html. Its got a good FAQ section but nothing about snow. Supposedly it can give a 2wd truck the traction of a conventional 4x4.

 

[HemiDak]

Like said above, don't get a locker if you don't offroad. A limited slip is the best option for you, yet it wasn't enough for me since I use my truck well offroad.

 

[-=ChAoS=-]

I put a LockRight in my other truck for quite a while. And on the street, it was great. The only time it caused hop was while accelerating hard (usually uphill) in a good turn (like a corner). Other than that, it performed EXACTLY as desired. In fact, Im going to put one in my Dakota soonest.

Keep in mind that the LockRight really isn't alocker, it's an agressive limited slip unit.

 

[HemiDak]

Keep in mind that the LockRight really isn't alocker, it's an agressive limited slip unit.

The Lock-Right is a full locker, it's just a "lunchbox locker" since it fits inside the stock carrier. The locker you're thinking of as being more like an agressive LSD is the No-Slip. I assure you though, the Lock-Right is a FULL locker.

 

[Ace]

idk if this was already said or i missed something, but they make lockers that only lock when you flip a switch and then unlock so to speak when you are driving in snow.

 

[HemiDak]

idk if this was already said or i missed something, but they make lockers that only lock when you flip a switch and then unlock so to speak when you are driving in snow.

ARB makes an air locker, but they're not cheap by any means. Expect at least $1k for the locker, compressor, and install. My Detroit was about $400 less than an ARB. The only bad thing is they're available for 8.25 rear axles only, not the 9.25.

 

[gus]

I run a Detroit Locker in my 89 Dakota daily driver with 4.10 gears, and I gotta agree with most of these guys, I wouldn't recommend any locker for regular snow driving. It's great for traction/drag racing and towing but it could get you into serious trouble in the snow - I definitely wouldn't chance it on a family car.

I love mine, but it hops and chirps a lot while making sharp turns at low speeds. People in the neighborhood love it I have the sof-lock model, and it's generally silent, but every once in a while, out of nowhere it does some pretty violent locking/unlocking, jarring the whole truck and really freaking out the passengers. I've had it for about 2 years now and don't get me wrong, it's great and I wouldn't trade it, but I wouldn't wanna drive it in the snow either. However, I would imagine that a Durango has a lot more weight in the rear and would not be quite as ill tempered as my old Dakota. I also forget sometimes that not everyone else drives like a total maniac...

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I think differentiation during turning is the basic Idea behind any auto locking differential. The problem is, if your rear end doesn't have enough weight, it won't unlock on sharp turns, especially at lower speeds (and I would imagine at high speeds on snow). This has been a problem for me a couple of times in the rain (you know, doing a 180 while turning a corner in traffic). I've never had a problem with it at higher speeds, other than the usual goosing it on a curve and the truck lunging to the opposite side of whichever wheel has traction. That can be a bit scary but you get used to it...

I would keep it safe with the LSD if I was you (Limited Slip Differential), but I'm no "expert". Good Luck whatever you do!