Swap open diff for Eaton E-locker

PeterbiltChrome · February 15, 2004

I am getting sick of having one wheel drive!! My '94 c1500 has plenty of life left at only 96000 miles with a solid engine and near flawless body. For the work i want it to do (backing wagons, tralers, and lots of farm work) i wish it had just a little more capability in the dirt and slick spots. I've read up on the various locking axles, air lockers, e-lockers, and limited slip and i just don't know which direction to go for the use its going to see. it will be used, but not punished~ so something cost effective for results would be preferred.

Is there anything that could be added to my axle like detroit (hub) lockers or would the easiest way be to swap my 3.42 open diff with maybe a G80 3.73 and run the 6 lug 16" rims in the rear.

Could this be done fairly easily in my shop if i get parts? brake lines, shocks, and all that could be hooked in and the driveshaft connection..... what will i be dealing with~

thanks for the input...

kdm101 · February 15, 2004

Just happened to see a diff conversion to limited slip on "Horsepower TV" this weekend.

Was a pretty simple process. Just open the case, pull out the gears from the center carrier and replace with the limited slip unit. Didn't require removal of the pinion and ring gear at all, which means no having to get the mesh done all over again.

The product was from Richmond Gear (http://www.richmondgear.com/).

JayMan · February 16, 2004

For farm work a locker would be FAR more effective than a limited slip unit.

The limited slip is torque-biased, the more torque you feed it, the more the clutches in the clutch packs engage. So it's useless at a stop or at slow speeds. For a muscle car WOT doing a smoky burnout, the limited slip works best and is ideal.

A very easy install is the PowerTrax LockRite, you should be able to do it yourself. Check them out at:

http://www.powertrax.com

Especially backing heavy trailers in a field with an empty box, you want both rear wheels equally engaged. This is something a regular limited slip cannot do.

The factory G80 will work ok in this situation but after you figure the parts and installation, stay with a LockRight. You won't need special lubes with a mechanical locker but the G80 requires them, same as a limited slip does.

Remember with any "true" mechanical locker, it's NORMAL for the unit to make a CLICK CLICK CLICK or CLANK CLANK CLANK noise at slow speed in a very sharp turn, especially on pavement. Do not be alarmed.

Hope this helps

Rookie · February 16, 2004

i put a powertarx in as soon as i bought my truck in fact on my way home i stopped by Summits retail store on bought it. it took about 2.5 hours to install but that included a few of my favorite drinks and BSing w/ the guy next door. i love it.

PeterbiltChrome · February 16, 2004

the powertrax lockright sounds pretty good so i better start saving now... $200 or $300 bucks sound right? i hope its cut and dried for installation and that i don't have to have the truck sit for a week while parts come in. I've had this truck burried in snow, mud, and spinning without a prayer going up barn approaches. its an extended cab with a 350 so the front end has all the weight... i'm sure plenty of 2wd owners have found themselves in that predicament where the front is stuck and the back can't 'getr dun'. i should have gone with a 4wd when i was in the market for a pickup but since i'm going to college i bought it as a road truck. when i need to use it as a truck, i can't do anything off-road~

thanks for the input, i've been searching for something simple but all I ever found was a gut and stuff mechanical nightmare.

JayMan · February 16, 2004

I put a PowerTrax LockRight in my 1984 Ford F-150 with 8.8 rear several years ago. They sent all the parts I needed and it went quickly. Very detailed instructions.

You shouldn't have any problems. Make sure to get a gasket for the sheet metal cover on the axle.

PeterbiltChrome · March 14, 2004

Update on my axle~~

Well, I recently installed the no-slip unit in my differential. Seems to work great and I hope it holds up. I found the best price at www.tellico4x4.com and had it shipped within the week at just under $400 total.

The only funny thing I noticed about the parts was that i got 2 slotted syncro-rings instead of one solid and one slotted. It seems like the c-clips won't fall out of it while the tires and drums are on... but I wonder how easy is it for the c-clips to fall off the shaft when the tires are off and i were to accidently push the axles in.... i'd have to drop the pan and put it back together~ I should have played with it more before I put the cover back on, just to see what could fall off.

Other than the little concerns, this thing really puts power on the ground!