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Living with a Detroit
- Thread starter Gojeep
- Start date
old_man
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Loveland, Colorado
I've run an old Detroit for about 5 years. Every once in a while it pops on the road, never much of an issue. With the stroker, gassing it going around a tight turn in town will break both rear tires loose ...wahooooooo!!
NotMatt
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Wenatchee, WA
Most of the complaints I've heard about detroits come from people with manual transmissions. I was very pleased with how the Detroit in my brother's Comanche functioned. His rig is an auto. I have another friend with a detroit in his 8.25, and his rig is a 5-speed, and when he first got the detroit installed, his rig wanted to go sideways every time he shifted... now it's much better, but still noticeable and it still pops/clunks sometimes when going around the corner and getting on or off the gas... it's just the locker locking up or unlocking, which is much more fluid and smooth with an auto than a 5-speed.
bj-666
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Rhode Island
CRASH said:
uke:sorry crash gotta disagree here, i have one and can't really recomend it. mine chatters on the street and dosn't hold locked while engaged. while locked if i make a tight turn on street it violently pops (clutchs slipping). havent' been able to prove if this is happening under hard power on the trail. i did get a chance to talk to another person on pirate who had the same unit and said the same things as i have stated.How about a Powertrax Noslip? They're about as street friendly as automatic lockers get. I daily drive 20k mile a year with one. It'll make a clanging sound about once a week, no unusual treadwear and now that I've learned to drive with it, it's very rare I'll chirp the tires. I bought it after noticing some of my friends have them in their Mustangs and liked them, I figure if they drag race and daily drive a car with one, surely I could stand one in a Jeep, lol.
Oatmeal
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Cedar City, UT
Ok, I gotta put in my 2 cents. I've had a Detroit soft locker in my early Bronco (92" wheelbase) for about 13 years now, had an L.A. Locker (Lock-rites before they were Lock-rites) before that and that thing was horrible (split the carrier in two but, that's a different story) anyway, my Bronco has a manual transmission and it's perfectly civilized on the street in fact, you don't even notice it back there, it's been driven in the snow and over icy roads and it's been perfectly manageable, of course, you shouldn't be driving fast under those conditions anyway. It can feel kinda quirky until you get used to the way it handles but after a brief learning period, it becomes transparent. The only times you'll have problems is when tire (or tyre down under) pressures don't match (making for different effective diameters) or, obiviously, when different diameter rear tires are used. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Oh, and I pull an offroad trailer with no issues.........Hans
Guys are saying it pulls sideways when they give it the gas. They need to look for a problem with their axle not aligned correctly or tire pressure not the same in both rear tires. Also look for the tie bolt through the center of the spring pack broke or the U-bolts lose, ect. With a real Detroit IMHO you’ll be pleased. I was.
Last edited:
old_man
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Loveland, Colorado
What I have learned is that you really have to make sure your tires are matched and both have the same inflation. Otherwise it gets squirrely.
So as I dont drive on ice and have an auto, which I drive smoothly, will it actually be fairly silent still except for the occasional bang to frighten me? Or is that a tyre pressure problem.
So really, is it possible to have it quite with a auto and smooth driving and the correct tyre pressures?
Also, what are the Auburn Pro Series diffs like?
http://www.auburngear.com/aftermarket/products/differentials/
So really, is it possible to have it quite with a auto and smooth driving and the correct tyre pressures?
Also, what are the Auburn Pro Series diffs like?
http://www.auburngear.com/aftermarket/products/differentials/
bj-666 said:
Are you saying you have a Auburn ECTED? Are they the ones that came in the Rubicons?
- Location
- Maurertown,Va.
Yes you will be happy with the choice of the Detroit Soft Locker.It,s quiet(normally) and dependable.Gojeep said:
Wayne
- Location
- Hammertown, USA
Gojeep said:
It will clunk, sometimes hard, going from drive to reverse, as it disengages on direction and engages the other. If you are on the highway punch the throttle, let off, and punch it again, it will clunk pretty hard there too.. but in general yes, after about 15 minutes with one you don't really notice it anymore.
-C
alright guys i just had to bring this thread back to life bc my detroit did some funny shit today.
while shifting from 2nd to 3rd it clanked real hard and i could feel the back end shift as it did it. my friend wiht me who hasnt heard it was like what in the hell did you just break something. i said nah thats just a detroit for ya. its starting to scare me. backlash is correct. maybe im just not used to it yet.
its as if i took my foot off the gas then reaplied it hard, that little jerk feeling. it does this when my foot is just on the gas accelerating. then pop torque steer. back to normal.
while shifting from 2nd to 3rd it clanked real hard and i could feel the back end shift as it did it. my friend wiht me who hasnt heard it was like what in the hell did you just break something. i said nah thats just a detroit for ya. its starting to scare me. backlash is correct. maybe im just not used to it yet.
its as if i took my foot off the gas then reaplied it hard, that little jerk feeling. it does this when my foot is just on the gas accelerating. then pop torque steer. back to normal.
In an auto that gets wheeled, I think it is a mistake to go with anything BUT a detroit in thed rear, especially if ice/snow is non-existant.
All I can say is you will see if you get one. The downside is extremely minimal, and even then you will get used to it almost immediately.
All I can say is you will see if you get one. The downside is extremely minimal, and even then you will get used to it almost immediately.
KB1JKN
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Harwinton, CT 06791
I went the powertrax route with my 8.25. Im not shure why but after a few months of flawless service, going around a corner one day i hurd a pop and lost traction at one of my tires.. i drove the xj home in one wheel drive, pulled the locker and replaced the spider gears. That was about a month ago.. on inspection of the locker i found the shear pins intacked and nothing visibly wrong with it. I will add that i live in NE and it was rather cold and i was running a heavy weight lucas oil in my rear end, and when i dis. the rear the oil was very thick(cold), so maby it was too thick for the locker to operate properly. I am going to install it again in the spring with a lighter wieght oil and she how she goes.. or just finish up my 44 and put in the detriot(a wiser option). Anyway, im glad that i replaced the spiders as driving in inclement weather, not in 4 wheel drive was a trip and a half. Good luck with whatever you choose.