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OX or Truetrac ?

D

dktool

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Covina
I am planning an upgrade for my D30. As a daily driver and weekend warrior rig, I would like to hear yeahs and nays regarding using a Truetac or OX Locker.

I'm not interested in going the ARB or lunch box route.

Are the Truetracs good in all conditions or do they come up short when facing real obstacles ? And how about their on road manners ?

DSC02398.jpg
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Eaton E-locker ..
 
I can't say enough about my Ox; works fantastic. No air or electrical gremlins to worry about and the strongest cover you'll find.
 
i'd have to say neither, go with a Detroit or Yukon Grizzly locker. they're very reliable and pretty much indestructible, plus you don't have to worry about the locking mechanism failing like on selectable lockers. the Truetrac is okay but it won't fully lock up like a detroit will.
 
This thread confuses me. You are asking about a limited slip, and a selectable locker.
The truetrac is a great limited slip, but it isn't a locker.
The Ox is a selectable locker, but you don't want an ARB which is also selectable.
 
I love my truetrac. You wont even know its there on the street. Its automatically engaged. No wires, cables, solenoids, and cost half the price. I cannot speak for OX because I have never had one in my Jeep. In the mud, snow, ice, and sand the truetrac is amazing. On rocks it will let a tire go in extreme cases- if you feather the brake it will lock up the tire in the air and send power to the other tire. Yes its a limited slip and not a locker but it takes NO diff additave and is maintenance free. I have never blown a stock shaft or had any real issue. I beat on my D30 truetrac running 35's and love it. - just my real world experience.
 
Nealio240z said:
I love my truetrac. You wont even know its there on the street. Its automatically engaged. No wires, cables, solenoids, and cost half the price. I cannot speak for OX because I have never had one in my Jeep. In the mud, snow, ice, and sand the truetrac is amazing. On rocks it will let a tire go in extreme cases- if you feather the brake it will lock up the tire in the air and send power to the other tire. Yes its a limited slip and not a locker but it takes NO diff additave and is maintenance free. I have never blown a stock shaft or had any real issue. I beat on my D30 truetrac running 35's and love it. - just my real world experience.
Click to expand...

X2.

I'm also running 35's with a trutrac. I've been in plenty of situations where I would have preferred a real locker, but I've had good luck with the trutrac overall. My decision was based on $$ available when I did the axles and the fact that I planned on driving it on the street more. Fast forward 6 years I believe my fears about a full time locker's behaivor on the street were unfounded.
I've broken a few axle and drive shafts violently and the trutrac has had no issues.

That said if I were to do it all over again I would have probably gone with something selectable the first time. It's a love-hate relationship with the trutrac.
 
troy5118 said:
I can't say enough about my Ox; works fantastic. No air or electrical gremlins to worry about and the strongest cover you'll find.
Click to expand...

Gremlins? The wrost gremlin of all, a cable that cant route in small spaces, takes forever (if even then) to get adjusted, it goes out of adjustment, the shifter is a PITA to get mounted at times, and if you dont remove the spring from it it wont engauge fully, and then as for the strongest cover, thats questionable. How can you get stronger then a A50 plate in 1/4"? Not to mention you have a cable routed thru it with a jam nut that if you hit on ANYTHING will destroy the cover and cable.

I would do a 1000 true tracs over one Ox, and 1000 air lockers over either.
 
i cant wait to get my eaton elocker out of my axle, that thing never works right. it only works when it wants to, and eaton's customer support is a joke. i'm switching to another grizzly like i put in the front. or an arb if i'm feeling frisky.
 
saki669 said:
X2.

I'm also running 35's with a trutrac. I've been in plenty of situations where I would have preferred a real locker, but I've had good luck with the trutrac overall. My decision was based on $$ available when I did the axles and the fact that I planned on driving it on the street more. Fast forward 6 years I believe my fears about a full time locker's behaivor on the street were unfounded.
I've broken a few axle and drive shafts violently and the trutrac has had no issues.

That said if I were to do it all over again I would have probably gone with something selectable the first time. It's a love-hate relationship with the trutrac.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way about mine. I would've loved a real locker in some cases. But then when I throw it into full time 4WD in the snow I remember why I have it. I also wish I had just gone selectable off the bat but I don't regret having the truetrac.
 
Vanimal said:
i cant wait to get my eaton elocker out of my axle, that thing never works right. it only works when it wants to, and eaton's customer support is a joke. i'm switching to another grizzly like i put in the front. or an arb if i'm feeling frisky.
Click to expand...

Ya Blazair's Eaton failed on the Rubicon last year. Not a good place for a failure. It was sporadically working and then just failed to lock at all. Between the locker failure and his lack of driving skillz it made for a long day...

rubi2.jpg
 
saki669 said:
Ya Blazair's Eaton failed on the Rubicon last year. Not a good place for a failure. It was sporadically working and then just failed to lock at all. Between the locker failure and his lack of driving skillz it made for a long day...

rubi2.jpg
Click to expand...
yep, mine is doing the exact same thing. did he ever firgure out what's wrong with it? the rebuild kit is a few hundred bucks, i'm almost thinking of spending 200 more and getting a grizzly. selectable is nice, but not when it doesnt work....
 
My Aussie hasn't failed me yet, been thru numerous axle shaft breaks and 35's for over 3 years. And I get into areas well beyond my skill/build level regularly. :)
 
I say it would depend on where you're wheeling, and what your future upgrades/plans are for your rig. If you want to daily drive it in the snow and wet weather, I would say get the Truetrac. Also, I would think a limited slip is easier on your axle... ie if you don't plan on upgrading your axleshafts and u-joints, I would think it would be smarter to go with a limited slip that doesn't put as much stress on the axleshafts.

But there are some obstacles where having a front locker is really nice. And if you are going to upgrade your axleshafts later down the road, I think it would be a worthwhile upgrade. I have heard both good and bad about OX lockers, no experience with front lockers other than wheeling in my dad's Rubi. In Calico, we had a much easier time approaching big obstacles when locked up.
 
I'm struggling with the same question about a Trutrac right now. I NEED to regear and I don't want to spend money twice getting my rears set up.

Lunchbox lockers, from everything I've read, are good but noisy and can be a tricky in snow. I've flat out decided that won't be the way I go.


Selectable are freaking expensive. Yeah, you can say "just a few hundred more" all you want. Mr Moneybags can say that but I can't.

The only complaint I hear about LSD's are they aren't true lockers. I had an Exploder a few years ago with a factory LSD and it was an awesome machine in the snow. It would go places in 2wd that my XJ with open diffs needed 4x4 to get through. If I ever got one wheel spinning I'd just feather the brake and the other side would get power and off I'd go.

I've never off roaded with an LSD but if it acts as well in mud as it does snow I can't see why it would be a bad choice.

Maybe a lot of complaints about LSD's are from guys who need more because they crawl a lot or maybe some of them just don't know how to drive with an LSD?
 
To Eaton or Not To Eaton

Frank Z said:
I ran an Ox locker for one season and have bitched about it here many times. Worst upgrade ever.

I've been running Eaton E-Lockers since 08 without any issues other than breaking a wire outside the rear housing. Easy trail fix with crimp terminal.

Eaton e-locker FTW!
Click to expand...

Eaton gets such mixed reviews! Winter on this mountain is sketchy and I have to say my stock wide Open Dif has saved me when I had One wheel Not spinning and sliding sideways on steep snow!

For this reason I have been leaning towards the Eaton - supposedly simple +12v Locked activation and Open the rest of the time. If it Works, it would give me the flexibility I prefer year round. Out back I have the stock limited slip in my 8 ana Qtr.

All these replies have merit! It almost makes things more confusing hehe :cool: I suggest you choose based on your usage, if you are not a hard core wheeler the TrueTrac is going to be a painless, seamless solution when you get in a bit of a pickle. If you are going to do some next level $hit with 3 wheels out, you better make provisions to lock up all the way around. Right?
 
Best all around option..

2 Yukon Zip air lockers and a compressor. at 1450$ or so thats the best of all worlds and strong reliable traction Only when You want it.

Air lines dont fail, the install fails. The air line wasnt designed to be installed in such a manner, in which makes it rub on a edge of steel or right next to the exhaust.

Sleeve the air like with a 10$ piece of 3/8" hose and you will never have a hose failure. And you will have a strong reliable locker.
 
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