I just was wondering, how do people run the Detroit in the rear and the TrueTrac in the front without problems? The Detroit is a always locked diff and the TT is just a LSD right? So on turns and just regular driving wouldn't the rear diff (Detroit) bind up or idk.. it has to mess SOMETHING up right? The reason I was asking is because I was planning on upgrading soon. I heard of the TT and D set up but I was thinking it had to be a mainly trail use vehicle for that. Would TT in the front and rear be a bad set up for non-die-hard off roading? Would TT in the front and rear suffice to most off road conditions? And do we still use our CDL shifter when we have these installed? Or do we not have to pull it towards the port side (left side if you are sitting in the vehicle) of the vehicle anymore?

 

The Detroit locker unlocks automatically when you turn a corner, the True Track locks up automatically when there is wheel spin.
When both are locked you cannot turn.

You're better off with a winch, cheaper, easier to install and will actually get you unstuck.
You can add a winch without adding a winch bumper, all you need is a winch tray.

 

The easiest way I can explain the Detroit is.

It is only locked when you are accelerating. As you slow down for a corner and turn it unlocks. If you get on the throttle during the turn it will lock.

 

I ran Detroit and tru trac combo for a while before I stepped up to 35s and toy axles. CDL locked the Detroit will stay locked in turns, unlocked it works like a normal diff. You may hear a light clicking in turns but that's it. I have the Yukon grizzly locker in the rear. Same concept.

 

This is a good explanation. The test procedure following installation amounts to lifting the rear axle and rotating the tires by hand to unlock the Detroit. You rotate them both back (decelerating) and then hold one back and rotate the other forward (outside wheel in a turn). If it's working it unlocks and clicks.

Plenty of times in normal street driving the Detroit will fail to unlock when it would be better if it did. It's not unusual for it to unlock when it shouldn't either which is why it's poorly regarded for road racing (where the intention would be to use it to prevent runaway inside wheel spin). It's notorious for banging out of lock mid-corner.

Offroad it works fairly well. One of the best things about it is you don't lose any momentum before realizing you need to activate the locker. It's engaged when you need it. The problem is it locks even when you could do without it and in many situations that means excess stress on the axleshaft. Driving around offroad with a frequently locked axle adds repeated stress, and if you have stock axle shafts you will frequently be exceeding the yield limit.

When you stress any axle, it twists. A tough axle (4340) will spring back. A stock axle will spring back, mostly. The yield limit is lower so when it springs back, it stays a little twisted. Add all the frequent twisting from a Detroit that is locked so many times that you don't really need it and the stock axleshaft gets pretty twisted up. The more frequently the yield limit is exceeded, the lower it gets. Can you see it coming?

The axleshaft will be loaded up when it finally pops and when it lets loose and unwinds the Detroit has a habit of shearing it's owen teeth off. You lose the axleshaft, and the Detroit.

The good news is the failure mode is locked. So you may be able to drive home on the halfshaft that didn't bust (besides the front wheels if you lock your center). The bad news is you need new shafts and a expensive repair and rebuild of the Detroit.

The conclusion is, if you go with the Detroit, at least throw your fatigued axles out and use new 1541 axleshafts and consider some 4340 for longer life.

The limited slips like Truetrac are more forgiving on axleshafts. And the selectable lockers like ARB or Ashcroft don't lock in so many situations that you don't really need them to. All of these also have a better probability of surviving an axle break compared to a Detroit. Be aware the failure mode of the Truetrac is no torque (you will be dependent on your front axle alone, or whichever didn't break).

It should be noted that provided the axleshaft does not break, the Detroit is very strong. It's tendency to fail following an axle break is a characteristic of it's designed operation and not it's overall strength. In essence, it's not designed to take axle breaks, but it will handle a ton of torque otherwise.

 

Call this guy ^ and get the detroit and a set of ashcroft axles.. I ran the truetrac in the front on stuck axles and 32's

 

Thanks for the response guys!