Impressed With G80

56kz2slow · December 11, 2009

It's my first truck/suv with a locker in the rear. My Nissan Xterra had an unlimited slip rear differential (punt intended). It was the clutch type with weak springs, so it was only really working if both wheels had no traction, if one had solid traction, the other would spin, which means that the more it spins, the more the clutch wears.

So this week was our first snow, so I decided to try it. I'm the type that likes to leave it in 2wd as long as possible just to see how far I can make it. I find the more you learn to master the art of driving a rear wheel drive in the winter, the better winter driver it makes you. Learning on how to feather the skinny pedal helps a lot. Of course there is no need to because it has 4wd, but hey, I get amused very easily. Also with traction control, there is less of a need to feather the pedal, but if the light starts blinking, that means you're giving it too much gas anyway (unless in mud or deep snow and you need to spin to clear the threads).

Anyway, yesterday I played a little bit in the snow. I had the passenger side wheels riding in the snow bank which was only a foot high and the two driver side wheels on drive pavement, maybe going 5km/h. I went half throttle and it just accelerated fine almost as if I was on dry pavement. That's when I knew that the G80 really made a difference. With my unlimited slip Nissan, there would have been more spinning than accelerating.

It's also my first vehicle ever with traction/stability control, I must say I am impressed. I was intentionally trying to get it to fish tail in slippery corners and the thing just wanted to go where I point the wheels. I had the reflex to counter steer, but by the time I reacted, it had already corrected itself.

Overall, I am impressed. I don't think I'll need the 4wd as often as I did with my Xterra and certainly less often then with my Jeep Wrangler (open diff).

joutlaw · December 11, 2009

I think the G80 is pretty good for slippery conditions. I really like it for off-roading. The only problem is they can't take a lot of abuse.

My father-in-law has 94 ECSB with a 350 TBI with 250K miles and the original 10 bolt with the G80.

I have it in my 2004 RCSB with the 5.3L, but mine has been acting weird. It's sporadically locking now. One day I went around a corner in the rain and bam it locked about making me do a 180. Then other times I'll be going straight in the rain and do a 1 one wheel peel. I only have 126K miles on my truck too.

56kz2slow · December 11, 2009

I think the G80 is pretty good for slippery conditions. I really like it for off-roading. The only problem is they can't take a lot of abuse.

I have heard that too. I'm not much of an abuser any way, but not a mall crawler either. I do some mild offroading, mostly going fishing and hunting. Mainly old logging road that are wide enough to go through without scratching the paint, sometimes they have washouts or some soft muddy spots.

zaac · December 11, 2009

I think the G80 works great but after 120k it quit locking up. I thought the locking mechanism broke but after disassembly I seen the clutches were completely worn. New clutches from GM in Canada were something like $400. Decided to go with a trutrac limited slip because it has no clutches to wear out. Everyone said it was so great and more bias than a clutch type limited slip. If one wheel spins just apply brake to get power to the other wheel. Yeah right, that don't work in ice and snow. No better than your Nissan I'm sure. Should have repaired the G80 instead.

Prokopchuk_9 · December 11, 2009

they are okay...just wait another 100 clicks, you wont say that still...or till you blow a spider gear. they are okay as far as stock diffs go...but i have never seen one that has taken alot of abuse...i see and work on ALOT of trucks in a mine....and ALOT of them HAD g80's...most last okay others blow right up or self destruct...my two cents....

Nytemare · December 11, 2009

My bud has one in his avalanche with an STS....I have seen the dyno sheet that say 870ft-lbs....he's not what you call easy on it. Biggest thing for these diffs...he says, he used to be a GM tech before a back injury...now he's a finance manager, is that you cannot cock the truck sideways...they will take spinning all day in a straight line....but you cock the truck sideways to do a doughnut or drift or anything like that your gonna destroy it...

csheatz · December 11, 2009

My bud has one in his avalanche with an STS....I have seen the dyno sheet that say 870ft-lbs....he's not what you call easy on it. Biggest thing for these diffs...he says, he used to be a GM tech before a back injury...now he's a finance manager, is that you cannot cock the truck sideways...they will take spinning all day in a straight line....but you cock the truck sideways to do a doughnut or drift or anything like that your gonna destroy it...

What about going sideways through snow and mud? cant imagine that a spinning tire in the snow/mud is putting that much stress on the G80

rodram · December 11, 2009

... G80 in my '97 C2500 works very well... I am pleased with it... helps for getting going on slippery surfaces because you get traction on both tires... it kicks it when there is a small rotation difference between the two rear wheels .... and when the truck gets up to 20 or 30 mph it totally disables (just like it is supposed to)

... so if you are driving 30 or 40 mph and you boot it on a slippery surface, you will just get one-wheel spin ... doesn't mean the G80 has failed... it is just working like it is designed to

... here's the deal for some of you guys.... yes it will grenade if it is abused, so if you are going to abuse it then accept the fact that it will not last.... but then DO NOT BITCH ABOUT IT IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE THE ONE THAT CAUSED IT TO FAIL.

P71_CrownVic · December 11, 2009

My bud has one in his avalanche with an STS....I have seen the dyno sheet that say 870ft-lbs....he's not what you call easy on it. Biggest thing for these diffs...he says, he used to be a GM tech before a back injury...now he's a finance manager, is that you cannot cock the truck sideways...they will take spinning all day in a straight line....but you cock the truck sideways to do a doughnut or drift or anything like that your gonna destroy it...

What about going sideways through snow and mud? cant imagine that a spinning tire in the snow/mud is putting that much stress on the G80

Word.

If I can't have some fun in a snow covered parking lot...then there is no reason to live here...

VMax2007 · December 11, 2009

Word.

If I can't have some fun in a snow covered parking lot...then there is no reason to live...

Fixed.

Nytemare · December 11, 2009

My bud has one in his avalanche with an STS....I have seen the dyno sheet that say 870ft-lbs....he's not what you call easy on it. Biggest thing for these diffs...he says, he used to be a GM tech before a back injury...now he's a finance manager, is that you cannot cock the truck sideways...they will take spinning all day in a straight line....but you cock the truck sideways to do a doughnut or drift or anything like that your gonna destroy it...

What about going sideways through snow and mud? cant imagine that a spinning tire in the snow/mud is putting that much stress on the G80

Yeah...Slippery surfaces is fine...as long as you don't slip off that surface onto a plowed dry spot and hook up....thats really bad for it.

Gravel, mud and snow are all fine...and occasionally slipping sideways on a wet road is OK too....its bring it sideways on dry pavement is really bad for it is I meant...sorry.

Oh and hard off roading...like rock crawling, thats not good either.

csheatz · December 11, 2009

Oh and hard off roading...like rock crawling, thats not good either.

I dont know many poeple to rock crawl with the 20' long truck, but I will keep that in mind.

Nytemare · December 11, 2009

Oh and hard off roading...like rock crawling, thats not good either.

I dont know many poeple to rock crawl with the 20' long truck, but I will keep that in mind.

LOL....didn't say anything about the G80 being in the truck did I.

A few of my buddies have dana60's with G80's in them for they're front axles...The work awesome for fronts due to the feature of it acting as an open diff till you spin, this makes turning uber easy compared to a detroit. But they have that disadvantage of being easy to break when pushing them on the rocks.

96chevy7.4L · December 11, 2009

I don't know about the 10 bolts. But the G80 in my 14 bolt appears to be pretty much bulletproof. Mine has 168K on it and it still locks in and goes all the time. Been in places where my white dually (w/out a G80) would have gotten stuck in a minute. My current truck I can go thru there no prob. But i tend to agree getting it sideways could be hard on it. Just my opinion.

hockeypro1411 · December 11, 2009

The G80 in the 14 bolt must be a completely different animal. I've done a good deal of dry pavement doughnuts and roasting the tires leaving school. Oddly the only time I've ever gotten some clicking/popping was when I did doughnuts in the rain. With snow on the ground I've been doing quite a bit of drifting and it's pretty apparent that the G80 still works