I have been searching around on several sites trying to get a feel for what kind of upgrade I need to make to my truck so when in 4x4 I get both front tires turning. I have a 2005 2500 CTD and on a few occasions this winter found myself having traction problems while either plowing or putting a trailer in my barn. My trailer is heavy, 5k and it gets stored on the second floor of my barn which there is a ramp I back it up to. With about 2” of snow on the ground, I like to never got it park up there because only one front tire was getting power to it and all I could do is spin.

I don’t do much off roading at least on purpose, my truck gets used more for hauling, hunting and plowing. But, I would like to know that when I put it in 4x4 I have 4 tires that are going to have power.

I have had some people mention the Detroit tru-trac for the front and I have also looked a little at the Auburn ECTED. Do any of you have experience with one or the other or have another suggestion that would fit for my uses? I kind of like the idea of the Auburn as a LSD but a locker at the push of a button. But, I have been reading some review and it seems like people have had some problems with them not disengaging and other various problems.

 

I have a detroit tru trac in the rear of mine and I don't even know its back there. I've never gotten stuck off road and it is silky smooth. It even calls for just basic gear oil and thats it, no synthetic no additive and It won't wear out like a clutch style LSD. It is just more expensive. The tru trac is designed so when a wheel looses traction, more power will g to the one with traction vs the clutch lsd where the wheel with traction only gets some power becuase the clutches start to slip. Check out the informational vids on youtube about the tru trac, it is a insane design and I still don't get how it works.

 

If you want to know that you have 4 wheels basically locked then you don't want to mess with a LSD. Be it either clutch or gear type. Other than no wear parts, the TruTrac doesn't "lock up" much better than the Auburn LSD. As a matter of fact, the Auburn Professional Series has a higher bias ratio than the TruTrac. The higher the bias, the more locking power. But still nothing in the league of a true locker.

LSDs are nice and offer some good traction off-road, but are limited in how much they can do. I have an Auburn in my rear diff. I saw no sense in a locker since I have an IFS truck with no option for the front, so at best a 1500 IFS Ram is a 3 wheel drive.

Despite having WAY more agressive tires and WAY more ground clearance, my Grand Cherokee daily driver will do much better than the truck on wet, deep clay, rural Georgia roads by virtue of it's lockers in the solid rear & front axles.


Problem is, lockers aren't very "streetable".

Solution: Selectable lockers or a variable locker. Since a variable locker is only available as a part of the Jeep Quadra-Drive system (like in my Grand Cherokee) your option is a true selectable.

Options out there are: The Ected you are looking at, ARB air locker, Eaton or Ox. Advantage to these units are you operate with an open diff until you need the axles locked, then you simply throw a switch.

Problem is finding a company who makes for the AAM 10.5" or 11.5" rear and AAM 9.25" front diffs. I haven't checked myself, but I understand options for a 2500/3500 Ram are limited...

 

Thanks guys. How do I tell what diff I have? I assume I can find that out somehow with the vin #?

Hammer, do you have the Auburn Ected or one of their other models? I was just curious how well you liked it and if you had any issues with it? I also was trying to find out what the typical life is you get out of them?

 

No, I have the standard Auburn LSD. I was going to try the Detroit TT, but at the time I was upgrading gears and LSD, Detroit was in the process of being bought out of receivership by Eaton and the TT was on national backorder for my AAM 9.25" rear. Coupled that with the fact that the TruTrac was only warranted for tires under 33" at the time I went with the Auburn. I had one in my 2nd Gen Ram and at 68k when I traded the truck, the thing still worked as new. Rated life on the clutch packs on a standard or Performance model Auburn LSD is 100,000 miles.

I do know a guy with a PowerStroke who has had the Ected for couple of years, front and back axle and he loves it. The nice thing about the Ected is that when it is UNLOCKED it acts like a standard Auburn LSD (open most of the time, limited slip when one side begins to lose traction and then as a standard full locker when you switch it on. All other selectable lockers are either open or locked.

It's my understanding that even if the clutch packs in the Ected wear out, the switchable locker operation is not effected and acts like a spool when engaged...