Decision Point: Lock-Right in Differential?


[Follow Ups] [Post Followup] [Dodge Power Wagon Forum]


Posted by Matt Wilson [108.162.221.211] on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 14:32:52 :

Good afternoon to all.

I'll be sending the rear differential from my 1949 Power Wagon to Bob Stahl to do some work soon, and he suggested that while I'm at it, I might consider installing a Lock-Right unit in it. Now would be the time to do it, while it is all opened up.

I've read all of the related archive posts I could find on this topic (from Phil's Archive), and while most comments were favorable, there were some that make me shy away a little bit. After reading all of this, in summary, am I correct in saying that the items below are the drawbacks, or at least "oddities" of driving with the Lock-Right?

1) If driving on a wet, crowned road, or on a slick surface of any kind (wet grass, mud, etc.) with any kind of sideways incline, as soon as traction is lost with one tire, the other tire will most likely lose traction as well, because both tires are mechanically linked by the locker (and assuming the traction is about the same for both tires on the respective pieces of the ground they are sitting on), and this will tend to make the rear of the truck swing down-hill (or down the crown if talking about a crowned road). This seems to defeat the purpose of having a locker for these situations. I have never been one to drive this truck on the ice, but I have driven it in the rain many times, and certainly will again.

2) When rounding a corner on a surface with good traction, such as dry asphalt or concrete, you either need to be on the gas a fair amount, or be completely off the gas. Otherwise, if just lightly or moderately on the gas, there is a tendency for the Lock-Right to repeatedly lock and unlock, which causes the vehicle to lurch back and forth somewhat harshly, and make loud popping noises (from the Lock-Right unit). It seems that this would be hard on the drive train, and at the very least would elicit comments about one's "piece o' junk truck" from one's neighbors if it happens while turning into the driveway, or from co-workers if this happens in the work parking lot.

3) When rounding a corner, if you give it too much gas, the Lock-Right tends to lock up and cause one of the tires to chirp or drag, which wears tires and is probably hard on the axle shafts, and at the very least, could again attract unwanted comments from uneducated by-standers who think your truck is falling apart. My house is near the top of a hill, so I would have to be on the gas to some extent to get up the hill and still on the gas a little bit when turning off the street to enter my driveway. I could see myself getting annoyed when this causes the Lock-Right, and the truck as a whole, to behave badly.

I don't know for sure if I've captured all of the "oddities" that people experience when driving a Power Wagon with a Lock-Right. I honestly don't anticipate that I will take the truck off-road that often, but I would like to go off-roading now and then, and I figure now is the time to get this unit installed. But if it requires a lot of adjustment to my driving technique, or if it's something that will be a mental distraction to be sure I drive a certain way every time I get in certain situations (like every time I go around a corner), then I'm not sure it will be worth it. Maybe my impression of this behavior is exaggerated, and it wouldn't be all that bad in reality, but I'd rather know ahead of time.

As some of you know, I'm planning to install a 265 cid flathead engine with some mods to get more power out of it. Does this have any bearing on a decision to install a locker? Will there be more tendency to break an axle shaft with things locking up at odd times?

Ideally, I would install an ARB Air Locker, but those are most definitely out of my price range right now, and I'm not sure I foresee a time when I will ever think that kind of cost will be worth it for the amount of off-road driving I think I'll be doing.

Looking for input from you guys. Lock-Right or leave it open??


Thanks!

Matt





Follow Ups:



Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:
Subject:
Message:
Optional Link
URL:
Title:
Optional Image Link
URL:


Enter the characters in the image to the left or Load New Code