Hello All,

Please forgive me if this has been asked before. I've spent the last couple hours searching for an answer to this question and am not quite confident that I've figured it out.

I have a '97 Discovery SD. I love this truck. Love it. I want to be buried in it along with a few other favorite things (you know, Pharoah-style). Up until now I have made no modifications to the original configuration (I don't do any serious off-roading, so it seemed unnecessary).

On a few occasions, with the diff locked, I've managed to get at least one wheel on both the front and rear spinning. This has happened in extreme snow/ice conditions and while going up a moderately steep back-country trail spotted with a mix of snow/slush/ice/mud/gooey grass, etc (on my way to recovering a deer). On none of these occasions was the vehicle hung up on anything, just couldn't get traction. In the back-country scenario I just coast backward a bit then try a new course. In the snow situations I have to break out the traction boards.

The vast majority of the time, though, "Red Rover" (as my daughter calls her) just powers through tricky traction situations because one end or the other is getting traction.

My question, then, is whether it would be worth it to install Truetrac front/Detroit locker rear or Truetac at both ends. https://www.expeditionexchange.com/tractech/

My chief concern is the potential for sudden, squirrely behavior while tracking around corners and curves, particularly if I hit a slippery spot. That risk seems to be the most frequently sited as a reason not to make the switch from open differentials. I've also seen it suggested that this problem is exaggerated, particularly with the Tractech versions.

What say you? Considering the very limited off-roading that I do, would the benefit of swapping differentials be significantly outweighed by the risks? Are there any other drawbacks I should be aware of?

I've also seen varying opinions on the necessity of upgrading the axle with the installation of Tractechs. Would that be the case for the sort of use I put Red Rover to, or does that only apply to serious off-roading where the strains are much higher?

Finally, I see that these differentials are billed as "drop in," but how accurate is that? Is this something that a guy who knows his way around a tool-box and can follow directions can do, or is this strictly a project for a professional?

Thanks so much for any guidance you may have the time to offer.

 

I'd get a winch first. Added traction will get you through places so you can get even worse stuck.

 

If the locker is set up in a third member it is a very straight forward install. If you lock the rear I would find some rear axles (Ashcroft, GBR, Rovertracks). Its just piece of mind. Break a stock axle and you risk breaking the locker. My Detroit is not squirrely at all with an open front. We will see how it does when the TT goes in. Toms advice is solid too. A winch is great to have (somehow I've made it to lockers and big tires without one though but I'm about to drive the wife crazy asking for one every holiday or birthday)

 

Thanks to you both for the replies.

I e-mailed John at Expedition Outfitters, and he offered the following:

-Both the Truetrac and locker will change the handling characteristics noticeably, but whether it's a problem and how much appears to vary from driver to driver.

-Even light-duty use of a locker necessitates an upgraded axle because a situation could arise in which one wheel is driving the whole vehicle and putting too much strain on the axle. The Truetracs can't do this, so an upgraded axle is probably not necessary for those.

-The installation is not difficult so long as you have the tools and aren't afraid of work: "It's not changing an air filter."

A lot more web-searching on this issue has led me to believe the following:

-The LSD is generally beneficial, tending to split the difference between the advantages of an open and locked diff.

-The LSD also splits the difference on the DISadvantages, i.e., it will have some of the same traction deficiencies of the open and some of the too-much-too-quickly traction problems of the locker.

-The too-much-traction-in-an-instant problems of an LSD appear to mostly arise in light-weight, high-powered vehicles (principally not 4WDs) and/or when the driver is acting like a knucklehead. No one will accuse my Discovery of being either light-weight or high-powered, and I haven't driven like a knucklehead in 20 years.

-A situation in which the combination of LSDs and locked center aren't giving me enough traction is so unlikely to occur that I'm better off with a shovel, traction boards and winch than a Detroit locker.

-The pros of LSDs outweigh the cons, and the reverse is true of the locker (for me).

 

You have done your research. Now time to get them in the truck. Lol