Lockers don't have clutches (actually the syncrho rings in the No-Slip do) but they can wear out. I'd Imagine in a No-slip the syncrho clutches could wear out but that shouldn't cause it not to lock.. The no slip syncrhos keep the locker teeth from ratcheting against each other when it's unlocked, making for very little wear on the teeth, I've heard of a few No-Slips with over 100k miles. The Lock-Right and Aussie Lockers on the other hand have teeth that ratchet against each other in a turn, wearing the teeth down, this happened with the lock-right I had in my B2 after a little over a year (I bought it used so I have no idea how many miles it had on it) and the drivers side axle would occasionally unlock for a second under acceleration. I've heard in one case on another forum of a Lock-Right wearing out in 30k miles, YMMV.

I believe Detroits also unlock like No-Slips but I'm not positive.

 

Well it unlocks only at idle or slow RPM. Even in a sharp turn and you lightly press the gas it will lock it up.

Once the engine torque is low enough where the the torque that the tire has over powers it then that unlocks the locker.

Once the torque on the drive-shaft from the engine overpowers the torque of the wheels then the locker will lock no matter if it is in a turn or not.

If you need more info check the powertrax site and the manual that is included.

As for digging up the grass, that is just because you are pressing the gas to much. An open rear end will make it dig more.

 

^interesting. mine doesn't behave that way in a turn. once i'm unlocked it stays unlocked until i return to straight line driving.

it actually sounds dangerous if it relocked in the middle of a turn. wouldn't that create hopping and chirping and/or tire slip ? and potential spin out ?


on the grass thing, when i had an open diff, it would slip through the spider gears rather than the tires and do little to no grass damage. with the noslip, there's appearently not enough ? whatever it takes to make it unlock, so the inside tire slips/spins, and digs the crap out of the grass.

but, all that aside, its impressive to just roll through a nasty muddy spot and have both tires dig like hell.

 

It's not dangerous at all to have it lock in a turn, and it doesn't take much to lock it either, you must drive like a grandpa, no offense.

The No-slip does take more than a lock-right to make it lock however, I notice all the time that if I give it the right amount of gas, the outside tire will spin without the inside tire locking, it doesn't take much at all, especially when wet. . However all of my Lock-right/Aussie locker experience has been in an SUV which has more weight on the rear tires.

 

It is not dangerous. Yes it will chirp. All you have to do is have a light foot. Gunning it in a turn will not make you fishtail too.

An Open rear end actually sends power to the side with the least about of traction. So if you had any slipping 100% of your power will be going into the tire that is spinning, and more spinning equals more digging. One day could have had longer grass or wetter grass than the other day.

With the locker it is 50/50.

 

where back to square one, after reading everything nothing is 100% sure. it may lock up every time 50/50 but living in a snow area you can't guarantee it will not lock up around a turn in the snow, that's a bad thing at high speeds. the rest may or may not lock up off road. i just watched Trucks on spike today and they had a ford rear and locker in a jeep Cherokee and it failed to lock once. an air locker never locks up on the main road, and never to fails to lock up off road. the only true 100% locker.

if anyone can say there locker has never locked when it was not intended and locked every time they wanted it to i will apologize.

as for that cable thing i used to drive an old suz. 4 wheeler (not mine) that had a lever you pulled to lock the rear axle. the closest to that is an air locker. same principle just your using air instead of a cable.

 

They all are True lockers. Its like considering a Dakota not a truck because it is not full size. They all are TRUE Trucks.

The Powertrax is an AUTOMATIC LOCKER. It does lock up 50/50 with the gas pedal pressed. It is a full locker. It has never unlocked when it is not supposed to. The reason the other guys locker unlocked at the wrong time was probably due to improperly installed, mechanically failing.

The air locker is a SELECTABLE locker. And it can be locked up on the street. But if your considering a TRUE locker to be anything that can mechanically fail and not cause it to lock anymore. The wires can corrode, brake cut for the air pump as well as the lines. Any mechanical failure inside the locker. Any wrong installed parts. It is not fail proof. The Selectable air locker is not a true locker. It can fail too. If any humidity gets into the air lines and freezes can crack the lines. Tons of ways for it to fail and not lock when it is needed. I know several that have failed over the years.

In your terms the only TRUE locker is a spool. No moving parts what so ever to fail.

Yes a selectable locker is nice best of both worlds. Open and locker. But it does come at a price. Higher price. Air pump needed. Need to completely tear down the rear end. Professional install. Longer install.

The Automatic locker takes 1 hour. No need to mess with a setting gears or anything. Simplest tools needed.

As for the Trucks episode I will check on it tomorrow. I got Tivo! I love it!

 

i know crazy thinking about the cash and all that plumbing makes me grit my teeth and gives me nightmares. but 95% of my driving is on road and i do not want my rear locking up at all while i'm driving. the other 5% i want it locked solid. as for the true locker comment i got that from the air locker website a few years back so it may or may not be true.

the more i think about it the more i like your simple setup, not much to go wrong but i'm still worried about lockup at high speeds on a snowy road.

 

The only time a locker will get you into trouble on a snowy road while going high speeds is if you're going around a corner! And you shouldn't be going that fast around a corner in the snow anyway. Plus, if you're in 4x4, the rear end won't fishtail on you like it will in 2wd whether the rear end is locked or not.

But here is the good thing about a locker in a situation like a snowy road... they are consistent! If you know its coming, you can compensate for it! I was driving my truck up a short, steep, curvy hill in the rain one time back when it had an auto transmission, open rear end, and factory tires on it. I was not hard on the gas at all but the truck downshifted because I was going up a hill and with an open rear end, BOTH back wheels got loose on me. At least with a locker you know its coming... that surprised the hell out of me!

But it is true that you will have to change your driving style with an automatic locker! Say you're on a snowy road going high speeds and you're coming around a fairly sharp corner... just stay off the gas around that corner and you'll be fine! Or say you're making a sharp right turn from a stop, just feather the throttle lightly around the turn and you'll be fine!

 

Yes and to add to that quote. If you are going fast on a turn at high speed turn on snowy roads with an automatic locker. All you have to to do is remove your foot off of the gas. And it will unlock when it needs to. No one is going to keep there foot on the gas with an open rear end too.