8.25 detroit locker

Alright guys I'm looking at rear lockers.

Currently i have a 29 spline 8.25 that came with trac lok lsd , NP242 and 3.73s. I love the full-time 4x4 in winter so maybe im barking up the wrong tree with this set up. Can i even run a full time locker?

Im leaning towards the detroit locker (not the truetrac) and if I understand this correctly it is* a full-time automatic locking diff. I'm looking at the detroit because of its smoother function compared to other lunchbox lockers.

Other options:
ARB-$$$$, a bit too pricey for me when im running a hp D30 and 8.25.
Ox- not a fan of the cable shift and if i went electric or air i might as well go ARB for the money, however ox can be manually locked and unlocked at the diff.


Can anyone whos run the detroit give me any pros and cons for daily driving. Does it clunk during turns?

i run the DL w/ a 8.25 & 242 w/ 4.56 gears & 33's. it has never released & relocked on a turn on pavement. thats when they clunk , use to do it in my cj, shorter wheelbase there. in the xj it will sometimes drag the inner tire of the turn and the tire makes a little bark sound.only at a very slow speed. use to do that w/ my early bronco too. dl's are bullet proof, on a snow covered road just remember both rear tires are always locked & pushing you. use common sense & drive safely ive never had a problem.

I have had a few detroit lockers over the years. Never had a problem with one. If you are on it hard and let off, or off and punch it, while you are mid turn, it can go bang and shake you up - but if you aren't driving like a 17 year old pizza delivery boy, you'll never notice it back there.

Full time 4x4 its not a problem. Driving in the snow you have to be mindful of it, but you just learn to make turns while you're not on the gas.

Srb isn't the locker supposed to unlock an lock around turns? How is the the np242 4x4 full time in the snow with the locker, does the full time help with driving at normal speeds. Understandably turns would pose a problem if you gas it.

Keep in mind the Detroit clunk when u put them in gear. Some people don't mind it but some hate it. I run Detroit rear and e locker upfront. D30 and d35. I love my Detroit but I mostly rock crawl.

4x4JeePmaNthINg said:

Srb isn't the locker supposed to unlock an lock around turns? How is the the np242 4x4 full time in the snow with the locker, does the full time help with driving at normal speeds. Understandably turns would pose a problem if you gas it.

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the newer version of the dl is called a soft locker , it may lock & unlock w/o even noticing it . the one in my cj was old style built in 1984, my xj one is 1 year old, most of the time i never even no its there. the fulltime mode is great for snow/ wet roads .

I have a Detroit locker in back, trutrac in front, NP242 tcase and C8.25 rear axle. No issues with winter driving and I live in ice and snow country. Just know that its there and don't drive like a drunk teenager.

Does the Detroit clunk/pop while turning like lunchbox lockers? For daily driving I don't want to cheap a locker and destroy tires especially when i potentially should buy a selectable locker if tire damage is an issue. 1300$ on premature tire wear vs 1300 on a selectable locker and save the wear and tear on tires is a question I'm very curious about. I probably travel 40 miles a day minimum.

Get a selectable. If it's not a daily you can get away with a lunch box but if it's a daily and you're driving 40 miles then ya get a selectable

Tire wear is not an issue with a good automatic locker in the rear...just don't hammer down on the skinny pedal which you shouldn't do anyway. My decision to go with an auto locker resulted from being on the trail once too many times with guys that had to stop and figure out why their selectable locker wasn't working right.

I have been running a Detroit in my 8.25 for 10 years. It does sometimes clunk but it is rare and almost always in slow tight turns (parking lot type). The only real caution is to drive smooth through the curves. If you jump off or on the gas in a curve you will know it's there. Not a big deal and you get used to it quickly! The best thing about them is they are not as expensive, require no wiring, air pumps, air lines etc, and are super reliable.

DaJudge said:

The best thing about them is they are not as expensive, require no wiring, air pumps, air lines etc, and are super reliable.

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Exactly.

If you expect to be in a lot of slippery, off-camber situations go selectable or maybe a truetrac LSD if your wheeling is generally moderate.

other than snow im not on crazy muddy trails. basic colorado wheeling, so i guess off camber is definite.
Dajudge how do the stock 8.25 axles hold up? mine are 29 spline.

I suppose i wheel moderately, im not aggressive on the trail and try to pick my lines carefully. If shes not going up and spinning im trying a new line rather than the skinny pedal. Does anyone one have LSD front/rear and how does that fair for climbing/driving. I already have the stock trak lock rear.

My reference to moderate wheeling was moderate/scenic trails, not driving technique. For difficult trails or trails that have challenging obstacles you will want a locker regardless of driving style...

I have a PowerTrax No-Slip in a Chry 8.25 to replace a factory installed Limited Slip. Clutch type Limited Slips should be called Limited Grips. It is a great improvement over the Limited Slip, behaves well, functions quietly, and works great on 4x4 trails in Colorado, Moab, and the woods of Minnesota. It also works great on snowy/icy roads. After tens of thousands of pavement miles there is no unusual tire wear. Making slight adjustments to your driving style may be necessary.

The 29 spline Chry 8.25 will easily handle a locker, 33" tires, and spirited trail usage.

The only Limited slip to consider is a Detroit TrueTrac. One of the guys in my local Jeep club has TT in front and in rear, and he keeps up with the all the locker equipped rigs no problem.

Tim_MN said:

The only Limited slip to consider is a Detroit TrueTrac. One of the guys in my local Jeep club has TT in front and in rear, and he keeps up with the all the locker equipped rigs no problem.

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Were I to do it over I might also go with TT's front and rear, especially as I see mostly moderate wheeling in my future.

Did you guys upgrade axles to run lockers and true trac. Im leaning towards the detroit soft locker for the rear and a true trac for the front, but Im far from experienced in how stock axles hold up to these mods.

I have been daily driving Detroit lockers in front and rear axles for a little over 10 years with stock axles (30 front and *Gasp*, 35 rear) and for the 1st 9 years 33's and for the last year 35's and haven't broken anything yet. Yes, I know, impossible, but true. Yes, I am very careful but I rock crawl, hill climb, dunes, etc... whenever possible. The front locker is completely invisible when in 2wd.

I love the Detroit lockers. You just need to learn 2 things.
1-Tires need to be the same diameter side to side and same pressure.
2-Go easy around turns. If you get on the throttle too much, you will drag the inner tire. Wait until you get through the turn and start to go straight then you can hammer on it. You will get used to it quickly and will not even notice.

Yes, every once and a while you will get some noise here and there, maybe an occasional clunk or bang. That's it. But you get traction like crazy. Great in snow, especially since you have the 242.

No cables or levers, no compressors to burn out or tubing or wires to rip out. And basically just about indestructible.

Oh, and by the way, the "soft lockers" are the same as the regular lockers, just the springs are stiffer and they lock up a little later, make a little less noise.

And 1 more thing, any limited slip carrier (including TruTrac) becomes useless if you lift 1 of the tires on that axle off of the ground. It will act like an open axle.

(New 44's with trusses, Detroits and 33 spline cromo's have been built, just haven't had the time to put them in yet. Yes I have been waiting for the 35 to blow, just hasn't happened yet, lol)

Warlock how is 4x4 off road when the front is always locked, isn't turning rough?

The lSD trac lock is seemingly useless off road which is why I want the Detroit rear. However my 242 I thought couldn't run front and rear lockers in full time because of how it splits the power.

Perhaps someone much more knowledgable than I can clarify this.