Technical Traction enhanced rear ends.

I have a choice of a Dana 44 or a Ford nine inch rear end, both have traction enhancers it them. I like the Ford nine inch rear end, but like the Dana traction enhancer better! Both are clutch type “ posi-tracks” . I want maximum traction, but want to stay with these clutch rear ends, because I have them !
Does anyone here know of any tricks to make these type trac locks more positive? Stiffer springs? Shim the plates? Different plates? Special fluid?What ever?
Thanks in advance.








Bones

 

Bones if you look at the trac lock . The cross that holds the spiders are wedge shaped. The more it spins the tighter it locks . On the Dana a you have cone shaped clutches , flip two of the discs opposite each other , that will tighten it up as tight as you want it . My vote is the 9 inch . Setting up the Dana is 100x harder than the Ford .

 

Yep, the Dana is more bulletproof but harder to set up...

 

I like the Dana, traction enhancer, because it does not depend totally on the angle of the axle/spider gears for pressure on the clutches. To me it has a less steep angle, therefore more pressure at the same torque. Plus the Dana has two sets of clutches vs The Ford with one larger diameter set of clutches.
But I thought the nine inch was stronger than the Danna 44.






Bones

 

Plus, if you want to do a gear change in the 9" it can be done in an hour or less if you have another pumpkin ready.
Poor mans quick change right?

 

A Dana 44 isn't really that strong of a rear axle compared to a 9 inch. Most of the Jeep guys here pull the Dana 44 rears out and install something stronger.

 

Squirrel can probably say how long it takes to swap the pumpkin in his Nova as he did it a bunch of times during drag week.
Just the ability to swap third members and go is a big plus with the nine inch compared to the ****er. You get miles from home at an event and break a Dana and you are looking for a trailer to get home. Have an issue with a nine inch and you are hunting a third member with a gear ratio you can live with to drive it home.

 

If you have a 9" Ford Traction Lock I don't think there is much you can do. Shim the preload springs in the cross block but be careful not to get to coil bind. The unit will not "lock up" unless both tires have sufficient traction; like in snow or mud it will have a hard time locking, Ford's way of having stability with one tire not spinning. Where is this "angle of pressure" you refer to? Remember the 9" and 8.8 are two different animals. At the drag strip with slicks & power & bite the 9" T-lock carriers have been known to crack radially at the ID of the ring gear allowing it to free wheel. I think Currie has re-bopped them but I don't know if they beefed them any. What will the useage be? I think Squirrel only changed the gears to and from drag week but 20 minutes if planned!

 

Seb, most clutch type of traction enhancers function by compressing the clutches. This force comes from the fact , that when torque is applied to gears, they want to separate. The pressure is applied to the clutch pack by the axle gear wanting to separate from the spider gears. This is the only force in the Ford unit, other than a spring pack. The springs are mainly to preload the clutch pack and get the process started. The angle of these gears determine the force. They are about 20 degrees or so, pertty steep.
The Dana has all this too, but the cross bars that the spider gears roll on are not round , nor set in holes, but in vees. The angle on this vee is about 45 degrees, effectively giving the Dana twice the force to clamp the clutches as the Ford at the same torque. This is the angle I was referring to. Plus there are two clutch packs in the Dana. It was designed from the ground up for the clutch packs. The Ford was adapted and is kinda thin in areas and although larger, it only has one clutch pack.

My application will not have the shock value of 5000 rpm launch with slicks, but may encounter some shock.
Yes I am aware of the fracturing of the clutch housing on the Ford. These are the reasons I like the Dana...... but it like the beef and simplicity of the nine inch.





Bones

 

I'd use the Ford and not look back. Or a Detroit Locker or smoother Eaton/Auburn [gear type], Maybe an air locker?

 

I put a spool in the Dana 60 in my Barracuda.

I run a Detroit Locker in the 9" in my Chevy II.

The 60 in my 59 chevy pickup ( rear is from a mid 60s GMC half ton) has a clutch type posi, it seems to work ok.

If the posi is in good condition, it should work fine, as long as you don't try to put too much power through it.

 

Oh! I would love an air locker. It would suit my needs perfectly! But on my budget, I am compelled to use what I have, and just try to make it better! Detroit’s are a little harsh on the street for me.






Bones

 

Won’t be a lot of power, but there could be some torque. That’s why I was hoping for some tricks to make them a little better, a little more positive!






Bones

 

Dana 44 strength falls somewhere right in between the GM 8.5" 10-bolt and the GM car 12-bolt/Ford 8.8".
The 44 and the 8.5" both share an 8.5" ring gear diameter and 1.625" pinion stem diameter. The Dana just has slightly stronger axles IIRC, 30 spline like the 12-bolt, rather than 28 spline like the 8.5" has. The slightly newer GM 8.6" upgrade of the 8.5" to 30 spline evens that up.
The stock 9" Ford Traction Lok is a lot more fragile than any Dana 44 or GM Eaton clutch type differential. Stock Traction Lok has a bad habit of blowing up the driver side end plate of the differential, it is thin where it is machined for the clutch cavity and often cracks and breaks in a circular line around the bolt holes.

 

D. None of the above.

 

Steel hat and new clutches will sort the 9" out, never use friction modifier

 

Could you elaborate on “ never use friction modifier” ? Thanks,






Bones

 

I like the Eaton E locker. In drag racing you need to ingage the locker before you stage and the last move with forward motion. The locker does not engage until there is movement if it is locked in reverse it has to disingage and then reingage in forward. Drop the clutch before it is ingaged can be expensive.

 

Yep, but they are about a grand.....






Bones

 

I've never had any issues racing with a locker...of course, I always pull forward into the staging beams, it's just common drag racing knowledge that you never back into them as your last motion.

 

Not sure what it does to the clutches, glazes them somehow maybe? Stuff will turn a good tight LSD into a open wheeler. We only ever sold it to people that complained about tyres skipping in carparks

 

Bones there are some new “ lunch box “ lockers available now that were now out there years ago . I but two of them in a Buddy’s Jeep . They have about 35K miles on they with 35 in tall tires , trouble free so far . You may want to look into one of these. They are not that expensive , I don’t know how much drag racing abuse they will take but I think best bang for the buck .

 

The Dana Power Locks in my Power Wagon have no friction discs , only steel on steel . Front and rear ordered by the Forestry Service , the old tank is a 6 ft bed 3/4 ton truck . They are working fine at this time . But they are Limited Slip , they are not lockers by any means .

 

Ive used the friction modifier for years w/o issue....never really heard of this problem. Never had the problem either.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

Could you give the brand of the lockers you are talking about? And how do they feel on the street? I like the performance of the “ Detroit” locker, also known a “ no-spin” in Fords, but they are very harsh on the street when you turn. I want to avoid this, but get as positive “ lock” as I can get. Thanks.








Bones

 

These are just like a detroit locker, but with smaller components.

Powertrax Lock Right is a common one.

 

Do they pop and snap on the street like the Detroit’s? The Detroit’s sound like they are tearing stuff up on the street. I don’t want that!




Bones

 

They do. My 4x4 customers dislike them. The only ones that have not broken horribly were the ones in a GM corporate 14-bolt, as those are fairly large. Regular car-sized ones are considered fragile.

 

I’ll probably just stick with what I have, try to get them up to par and hope for the best.






Bones

 

In 50k miles of STREET driving , the lokrite in the 8" ford rear in my T has never done anything but click going around corners , after you go around a corner ,occasionally you'll get a loud snap . First time it happened , I called Randy's R&P & they ***ured me it was total!y normal. I only have 500+ lb ft of torque available & the lokrite has performed as intended !