I want the G80 locker installed...

jaredlucky16 · February 22, 2012

I seen the aftermath of those things blowing up. Pretty expensive

herm0016 · February 22, 2012

it did not do well in that test because those idiots do not know how to use it. they just keep punching it. slow and steady wins the race here.

g80 lockers are awesome. much better than lsd in my opinion. much more usefull off road and in icy conditions.

I have yet to see one blow from normal use.

MikeNH · February 22, 2012

Getting a G80 installed will be hugely expensive and in the end you'll end up with a crappy locker. There are solutions in the aftermarket that are 100000x better for the same or less money.

Have not done the research on the G80 but what makes it a crappy locker . Is it just built lightly with not heavier components ?

It doesn't tolerate abuse but that really isn't my concern, I've grown up enough where my social status isn't directly proportional to my truck's ability to lay rubber.

It is very unreliable in my experience. In both this truck and my 2003 there is no constant to get it to engage at low speeds and I've tired every trick in the book with no luck. I'd take a selectable locker all day long. An open diff (or limited slip in some instances) for day to day driving and a true locked diff for times when you want max traction.

G80 locker not doings as good as dodge or ford limited slip in this test .

I'd take that with a grain of salt. Almost all of those comparison tests use press fleet vehicles- ones the manufacturer knows is going to be driven by the press and scrutinized so typically they're tweaked and improved in minor ways and all in all gone through with a fine tooth comb (look for vehicles that typically have Michigan plates with a small "M" in the middle of the plate- the M is for manufacturer). They also get the snot kicked out of them which is why the G80 didn't do well in that test where it normally would do well. Still not representitive of real world driving but they're after repeatibility there more than anything else.

kstruckcountry · February 22, 2012

An ARB air locker or E Locker would be cheaper than $1200 I think

W/T_Deluxe · February 22, 2012

Go with an eaton performance posi, trust me you wont be dissappointed. I actually think that gm uses this diff now, as far as I can tell, Eaton does not make the old G80 locker. GM still uses RPO code G80 but I dont believe its the same part number. The G80 is notorious for failure, and not always from excessive abuse, I've seen it...not pretty. Buddy of mine installed the performance posi after his G80 blew and has no regrets. I actually have one waiting for me to install it this weekend. I think after the diff, bearings(which I found out I didnt need, but am going to use anyway), shim kit, and oil I got around 550-575 in it, of course thats without any labor costs

edit, I must be mistaken, Just checked eatons website and they still list the Mlocker, which is essentially the G80 from the parts breakdown and description im reading.

TheTrueMoron · February 23, 2012

G80 locker not doings as good as dodge or ford limited slip in this test .

Since this was for the '08 models, I'd be curious to see what the results are with the 6-speed. My truck seems to have good traction on icy/snowy roads.

To the OP: The G80 really isn't worth anything. In practical application it really accomplishes nothing. In my experience, the traction/stability control does more than the G80 ever has. In fact, I have had numerous experiences where I needed my G80, but it failed to work as it should.

Morgan1986 · February 23, 2012

G80 locker not doings as good as dodge or ford limited slip in this test .

Since this was for the '08 models, I'd be curious to see what the results are with the 6-speed. My truck seems to have good traction on icy/snowy roads.

To the OP: The G80 really isn't worth anything. In practical application it really accomplishes nothing. In my experience, the traction/stability control does more than the G80 ever has. In fact, I have had numerous experiences where I needed my G80, but it failed to work as it should.

I wonder how much it would cost to instal a switch locker. ON/OFF . So when you need it you have it.

music · February 23, 2012

Some of you guys have very different experiences than mine. We have a lot lot of steep inclines around here, where you are basically at almost a stop turning into a road that's steep from the start. If wet, the G80 locks very quickly with minimal spin. The "traction control" rarely, if ever, kicks in... unless you're gunning it pretty hard. I only use auto-4wd with snow/icy conditions. Considering it's going to hit 70 today (?), I don't think I'll be using it this year.

W/T_Deluxe · February 24, 2012

If wet, the G80 locks very quickly with minimal spin.

This is why I do like the way in which the G80 functions, but just dont like the fact that they dont seem to hold up.

Islandbro32 · February 26, 2012

I have a G80 on my 07 Sierra. Had it for two years now and doing some mild off-roading and two summers on the beach it has yet to fail me. Once I get the money I would love to get a selectable locker but for the time I'm quite content.

454ss · February 26, 2012

g80s are junk if you actualy use yous truck, blown out them in half, three vquarter and one tons. junk. cant wheel them cant have themhold up with farm work, just junk. shit, in the muscle car era they didnt last in cars, you think they will hold up in a truck? if it does you dont use your truck for more than groceries, haha, wanna-be truck owners.

454ss · February 26, 2012

the major reason gm trucks have gone to **** cheap weak crap is because people excuse the weakness they have built into the trucks since 88. no solid axel in front, weak engines cause of **** torque management in the electronics, ha ha, die hard gm since birth and this is what they give me to defend, no big block, car like built trucks, ha, jokes. you people that love them are posers that dont work your truck, haha, wax your chrome wheels wannabees, you need a yugo not a truck.

latreille89 · February 27, 2012

the major reason gm trucks have gone to **** cheap weak crap is because people excuse the weakness they have built into the trucks since 88. no solid axel in front, weak engines cause of **** torque management in the electronics, ha ha, die hard gm since birth and this is what they give me to defend, no big block, car like built trucks, ha, jokes. you people that love them are posers that dont work your truck, haha, wax your chrome wheels wannabees, you need a yugo not a truck.

Gotta wonder how they've continued to sell trucks for the past 24 years if they have been nothing but crap. Grow up. Get off the forum of youre going to put down the truck 'us people' have learned to love. And I like my truck looking nice on the weekends when I'm not driving through contruction sites... Hmm I wonder if that justifies using a truck what it's meant for???

kstruckcountry · February 27, 2012

Oh 88 and up? You must be referring to the best looking, most durable trucks ever. There's a reason ranchers still buy 88-98 CK trucks. Why don't you tell us all about how you drive on dirt roads every day, and go off road all the time, and solid axle front suspension is better? It's no Dana 60, but Chevys IFS holds up pretty good. Did I mention it rides nice too? Yeah, there's street queens everywhere, but that doesn't mean you have to call em out, what did they do to you? Geeze.

By the way, a 5.3 or 6.2 has more power than most of the old big blocks I'm sure you love. My buddy has a 454 Vortec in his 97, I'm gonna tell him to sell it though, since "weakness has been built in since 88...."

MikeNH · February 27, 2012

the major reason gm trucks have gone to **** cheap weak crap is because people excuse the weakness they have built into the trucks since 88. no solid axel in front, weak engines cause of **** torque management in the electronics, ha ha, die hard gm since birth and this is what they give me to defend, no big block, car like built trucks, ha, jokes. you people that love them are posers that dont work your truck, haha, wax your chrome wheels wannabees, you need a yugo not a truck.

People who trash talk the electronic controls usually do so because they don't understand them. The 5.3 in my truck today is 50x the engine a lethargic, smog equipment-laden 454 was in the 80s or 90s. No one makes a big block because of fuel regulations and the 6.0 (and surely whatever GM has up it's sleeve for the new rigs) is better than any gas engine GM has ever used before. And IFS is better than a solid axle for 99% of the users out there.