I'm in the market for either the Detroit EZ Locker or the full on Detroit Locker for my '60 F100. How much abuse can the EZ Locker withstand? I'll probably never have more than 450 HP going through it. Will this hold up? I figured the regular Locker might be kind of overkill for that kind of power. If I am able to locate a used Detroit Locker (NOT the EZ) what do I need to know about my current third member? Is it just the fact that it's a 9" rear with 28 splines or do variations with the carrier and bearings come into play? Thanks.
I went thru this same issue on my 32 sedan, 9" 28 spline currie with an open carrier. EZ locker is cheap and easy to install, but they recommend it for off road stuff. Had a full locker in my big block 33 coupe, a little annoying on the street, and be careful in the rain, it doesnt unlock, it slides.Went with a good old fashioned clutch posi from Eaton. Like 450 bucks , street friendly.Quiet too.You should be able to transfer ring gear to posi carrier and set backlash only. Pinion depth wont change. Pretty easy install, all you need is a dial indicator. Good luck.
i put a locker in my falcon, full locker and am very happy with it. i had a clutch type and had to replace the clutches every 2 years. i will put a locker in every car i build from now on.
Which unit(s) will allow me to use the open carrier that I currently have? 61falcon, with the Locker, let's say you're making a 90 degree left turn and the light goes green. How does the locker behave under gradual acceleration and how would it behave if you "nailed it?" What about a long gradual turn on a highway? The biggest complaint I've heard concerns off ramps. Thw way I look at it, the Full Locker and the Limited Slip Diff are going to set me back about the same dough if I get them new. Anyone know about bearing size? I've been told my rear uses a 3.062" carrier bearing. Does this affect which model of LSD, Locker, etc. I get, or is the only difference between the different bearing sizes in the INSIDE diameter? Thanks.
i have one in my 66 shelby w/28 spline axles. (3.90 gears)i understand they can take what ever you can dish out. i am not so sure about 28 spline axles with 450 hp that may be a strech. the locker is very bad in the rain. it also makes some very neat noises when you turn sharpe in a parking lot (a real crowd please at a cruise in) it will also do some funny things when you take off from a dead stop around a corner. depending on what position it is in when you corner it screws it self in which allows you to turn when this is happening it feels like your clutch (or trans) is slipping. once it screws it self together it locks up .....very, very cool (i think). on the drag strip it is heaven. it will act just like a spool i love it because it is so quirky. if you run in the rain stay away from it , you will end up off the road. geo.
It's not just the rain that can make it interesting. I had a locker with 4:88's in my 62 Nova sedan with a very hard hitting trans. I very dry day in SoCal, I was waiting to turn left on a very busy road. Didn't think about the gutter full of water that I drove thru as I punched to try and make it onto the road between the cars. I thought I had manually put the trans in 1st but was in 2nd, so in the middle of the turn the trans hits hard into 2nd apparently right at the same time the wet patches of tread come in contact with the pavement and around we went while the tires completly broke loose. Lockers are awesome, you just have to know that they can be interesting when it comes to turns and water or loose dirt.... Have fun!!
I've had a Detroit locker in my Camaro for going on 11 years now, in its current state I'm running a 700hp big block chevy and have no problems. In rain I have no idea, I'm running street slicks and when the streets get dewey in the mornings I have very little traction. it's a blast for me tryin to go to a carshow at 6:00 in the morning with a blown big block and no traction , but the neighbors may have a little different perspective
I had a 4.11 gears and a OEM Detroit locker in a 1963 Pontiac 421 HO. Pontiac Motor Division introduced the Detroit locker exclusively for their 1962-1963 421 Super Duty drag racing program. If a Detroit locker does not unlock when in a gradual curve, it will try to push (drive the car straight) and is a real handful. You must keep a tight grip and pull hard on the steering wheel in a curve especially if you don't have power steering. That is why the teams at NASCAR use open rear ends and no limited slips or lockers of any kind. My Detroit locker seldom unlocked in a gradual curve, depending on how gradual the curve was. When the Detroit locker is locked after driving straight, you must turn a corner to get it to unlock with a loud clank. A Detroit locker was for driving in a straight line only, just like a spool. A locker and a spool are dangerous pieces of equipment to use on the street. I sold the whole Pontiac third member with the Detroit locker after a month of keeping both hands gripped tightly on the steering wheel and replaced it with a 1963 Pontiac Safe-T-Track (limited slip) unit with new belleville clutches and plates. I was much happier after that. No more bumping, popping and snapping coming from the rear end after straightening out from a turn and no more clicking (ratcheting) when backing up. Lockers are a pain in the ass (and the rear end.) A limited slip or open rear end is just as good as a locker in a drag if the traction on both rear tires are equal and a limited slip or open rear end is helluva lot better in town. The best differential (IMO) is a Richmond Gear Powertrax No-Slip. I replaced the factory G80 Gov-Loc in my 1991 S10 Blazer SUV with a Richmond Gear Powertrax No-Slip differential. The G80 Gov-Loc is a unique unit and does a excellent job for what it was designed for. However, it was living on borrowed time in my Blazer and would have broke at any time. The Richmond Gear Powertrax No-Slip was easy to install and operates smooth, quiet and directs power to both rear wheels even if one has zero traction. I makes similar locking noises as a Detroit locker at first but you can eliminate those by making a number of S-turns in a large parking lot. Then the locking and unlocking noises are not noticeable . It works great on wet pavement because the transfer from side to side is so fast that it is undetectable. Unfortunately, the Powertrax No-Slip differential is not designed for more than 400 HP, which is beyond the limit for the 7.5" ring gear and 28 spline axles anyway.
The problem is, a locker is either fully locked or it is not. Like a light switch, it is either on or off. That will work fine at the drag strip, but it can be lethal in wet weather on the street. A spool is always locked solid, and will always be very tail happy in the wet. You will soon get used to that, and learn to drive SLOW when it rains. But a locker will sometimes be o/k and sometimes suddenly fully lock on you when you are not expecting it. That is the problem, the vehicle handling characteristics can become very hairy and unpredictable. Hairy handling can be fun, right up to the time you end up going sideways into a concrete barrier, or wrapped around a steel pole.
i drive this car in city, highway and drag race this car. the locker is most noticed when making slow tight turns, like backing out of a parking space, it clunks and you can feel it lock or unlock. its not loud or violent in any way. i drive the car like it has any other diff in it, highway ramps i dont notice anything. the noise and locking unlocking i feel would not deter me from putting a locker in any other car. i will never go back to a clutch type diff ever again (i got tired of replacing clutch packs every other year). just gotta be careful on wet pavement, but a well set up clutch type diff will give you the same results of the back end wanting to come around. the locker will fit in any 9 inch center, just make sure the spline count matches your axles. my opinion, get the full locker, its one less part that will wear out.
I agree with (most of) the others.....your much better off on the street with a Traction-Loc rather than the Detroit Locker. I've had both in my cars. The locker is cool for a while but the first time you get turned around on damp pavement (especially with a pick-up) you'll be shopping for another diff.....so why waste time and money on something thats overkill for what your doing? Buy a real Traction-Loc and you'll be fine. I ran one behind my 428SCJ/4-speed '69 Mach 1 for 16 years+ without any issues whatsoever.....street, drags AND hi-speed/open track events at Watkins Glen......and it had all of 450hp. I would, however, be more worried about the 28 spline axles at that power level, especially if your running sticky tires. If your traction limited (street tires) and your not going to drive it like a 16yr old stole it then 28 spline axles will take the power. I don't know what '61falcon is doing to kill a Traction-Loc in a year or two but, when properly set up, they are very tough yet forgiving differentials and will last many thousands of miles. -Bigchief.
Wow, thanks for all of the information. I guess I should clarify...it's not REALLY going to be 450 HP...years ago when I got this engine, long before I discovered the HAMB and Traditional stuff, I thought it would be cool to put a 100 shot of nitrous on it...I know...I know...I never got around to doing that, but keep thinking it would be kind of cool (mostly because I want to know what it'll feel like). The reality of it is that there is no room to hide the bottle in this truck, and not only would it look lame as hell if it was visible, but I'd cut down on space to keep a passenger or cargo, not to mention the issues I would have getting a straight axle pickup to handle a burst of 100 extra HP and stay on the road...It already has a 3.70 gear, couple that with 26" tires (street tires) and the 3.06 first gear of a 700R4 and I'll probably have all I can handle anyway. So, the REAL story is that it's a 350 rated at 350HP that might (but probably never) see the occasional 100 shot of nitrous...but I doubt it. I just want to leave myself that option if I can find a place to hide a bottle some day and if I get bored with the way it accelerates. It's 10:1 comp or I'd do a turbo or supercharger...oh well. So that's the story...it sounds like the limited slip would probably be more for me, I just don't want to have to get a bunch of different stuff that will probably end up costing me big bucks. Oh well...
I have been running a Detroit Locker with 4.56 gears in my Comet with 33 x 19.50 Mickeys and skinnys on the front for 14 years and have had no problems. It drives just fine and have never been off the road with it. I did try a factory posi at one time and it would act up when pulling out on a turn ,spin one wheel and then the other. What fun is that .
I bought my first Detroit Locker in 1971 from a mechanic at the Ford dealer and have used them ever since. Once you get used to them they're not any more "lethal" or "deadly" than an open carrier. The new ones with SL in the part number are the newer silent lockers, they are as quiet as the trac-locs clutch type carriers. Beware of the cheap Powertrax and Lockrite, they will throw you in the ditch before you know what hit you. Only good for 4wd pickups that'll never see paved road.
An open carrier will just spin the inside tire on a wet corner. A locked rear end will completely break away at the back and go sideways. Decide for yourself how safe that is. You can always change your underwear, but writing off you ride, and somebody else's can get expensive.
"That is why the teams at NASCAR use open rear ends and no limited slips or lockers of any kind." Nope....... The Detroit Locker is the only sanctioned differential used in NASCAR. Terry
I have had Lockers before, and they're great for strip machines. Now I run a Detroit Tru-Trac, and I'll never run a Locker on the street again. The Tru Trac rules- super strong (I run a 545 hp/500 ft-lb SBC through a T56 in a 3700 lb wagon with 3.89s, and I beat the piss out of it) and it applies power gradually around corners - smooth like butter... I also road race and autocross the wagon, and the Tru Trac is awesome. Look into it- I promise you'll dig it.
I don't think any truck came with a Detroit Locker. Ford advertised the Trac-Loc rear as a "locking" differential. I've seen several 6 cyl. stick pickups come with 4:11 gears. The old Detroit lockers were noisy and cornering under power would make the inside tire squeal. New Detroit lockers are as quiet as a clutch type. Most OEM Trac-Lok carriers I've taken apart have a cracked side cover, they were cast iron and very thin in some places.
Eaton all the way. Had a Detroit locker in a OT Corvette and like others have stated it sucks in the rain and makes all kinds of funny, weird, what the hell was that! noises going around corners with no power to it. And yes the EZ locker is more of an off road set up.
Detroit locker is the only way to go on the street. Plenty tough and can handle all you can throw at it. Been driving one 30 years on the street and never had any problems in the rain-snow or sleet. Also got one in my roadster and been all over in it and never any issues. Got flow masters on one and smithy's on the other and never heard any noise but the sweet rumbling of exhaust.
yes it would be scary in the wet. that light a car, the trac. loc could cause a poblem as well. imho. geo
The skinny tires will make this really work well for you. Get it you'll like it. Wide sticky, low air tires are a strain on the ratchet rears when turning.
I have a locker in my 66 shelby gt-350 and love it because it is so strange it snaps, growls and sometimes will stick in lock and bag louadly when it releases. That is why i like it so well. I also never drive it in th rain and if i get caught out in the rain i am carefull with it. I have a spool in my blown bbc anglia and drive that on the street as well with out issue. Again never in the wet! Geo.
Dave, On a track-lock rear, the bolt holes that connect the spool to the ring gear are recessed. On an open rear, the spool is flat across its bolt surface (no recesses). Go here for pictures of what I'm talking about, as well as all you need to know about 9" rears: http://www.kevinstang.com/Ninecase.htm Hope this helps. -Gary
Dave, Here's another link that's extremely helpful: 17 pages of Ford rearend tag identification codes: http://www.fordification.com/tech/rearends_ford01.htm
Came in the early Shelbys, otherwise was a dealer over the counter item. Had a Ford part number and was called a mechanical locking carrier. The Detroit locker has a machined case, no casting is visible. You can turn one wheel and the other will turn in the same direction just like a clutch type, if you suddenly jerk the turning wheel in the other direction, the DL will disengage and the one wheel will spin freely. Maybe a Track-Loc or Tru-Trac would be a better choice if you like quiet comfort and strength isn't the primary objective.
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