Defender diff lock is the same as putting a ford 150 in what they call 4 wheel drive (which it aint) all diff lock and 4wheel drive is is limited slip front axle and limited slip rear axle. Which means you will only get power to one wheel front and back. The wheels with the least amount of traction. I.E. two wheel drive period.

Ive read so many explainations etc for why you can't have an axle with a diff lock because the wheels need to turn at different rpms in order to turn bla bla Sooooo what. I drove the Iltis in the Canadian army and the iltis was equipped with a mechanical rear diff locker. When stuck in a mud hole and 4 wheel drive engaged I had one front wheel spinning and one rear wheel spinning. Not going anywhere seems the 4 wheel drive (actually 2 wheel drive) is limited slip. No problem I pulled the floor mounted lever to mechanically lock the rear diff so that power now goes to both rear wheels equally. The iltis climbed out of the situation NO PROBLEM. I then tried to make a u-turn and bump bump... whoops because the rear diff was still locked and both wheels were turning at same rpm a turn results in this wheel chatter. No problem I just flipped the lever in the down unlocked position. Now its a limited slip again. Thw point is Im disappointed that the british army did not spec a similar rear diff lock option in the defender. Because its a god send when your two wheel drive 4x4 can't get you out of a mud hole.

 

The stock axle diffs are open, not limited slip.
There are a fair number of locking diffs (and also some limited slip) diffs available aftermarket. If you want locking axle diffs, buy them.

 

OPEN....!!!! OMG even worse! Limited slip is basically an open diff anyway so what. The point is the term diff lock is stupid. Its a transfer case lock and all it does is send power to the front open diff and the rear open diff. Which exactly like a limited slip diff only allows one wheel (the one with the leadt amount of traction to spin) and that situation is NOT true four wheel drive. When you engage the "diff" lock all you are getting is two wheel drive. At least the iltis came with a proper rear full diff lock to power both rear wheels when needed. I know you can buy after market front ans rear diff lockers but that is not the point of my thread.

 

It's called Center Differntial Lock (CDL). In other words, exactly what it is.
If you think limted slip and open diffs are the same, then I suggest you do a bit more reading on differentials and how they work.

I'm really not sure what the point of your thread is. You don't seem to know what the terms related to Land Rovers and differentials mean.

 

Limited slip is when an axle can spin the side with the least amount of traction for a bit before the clutches inside the axle lock it to the non spinning axle.

Open differential is when the wheel with the least amount of grip will spin until it gets traction.

Locking differential is when you get NO spin and both wheels turn no matter what.

Your army experience shows exactly that. a CDL will lock the front drive shaft to the rear drive shaft (so to say)( and you will still need a limited slip or locking axle to get true 4wd. Otherwise it is possible (without the CDL) to have the power sent to one rear wheel.

With a CDL and locked axles, you will not be able to turn a corner unless a wheel slips on the ground. Tough to do on pavement which is why lockers are only used for off road.