best diff for snow/ice

[bronco italiano]

Wondering if the Detroit Eaton trutrac is the best option for snow/ice conditions and plowing snow.

 

[Broncobowsher]

That would be second choice behind an ARB. At least in my book.

Open is great to keep from accidently having fun when you didn't mean to. But when the fun starts, open is the last thing you want. ARB gets you both.

 

[broncosbybart]

Not a bad choice but as said, the arb would be best

 

[bronco italiano]

Thanks Gentlemen,

-i currently have the stock Ford LSD in the front and the rear is the Yukon duragrip.

 

[broncnaz]

Doubtful youd see any differance installing a tru trac. When it comes to snow and ice pretty much any traction device will react the same. A ARB would be a nice option as the ability to lock and unlock can keep you out of trouble.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Proper (and fresh) winter tires will make a bigger difference.

 

[bronco italiano]

How about snow chains with the cleats?
-Does anyone have a favorite to 31-10/15 tires?

 

[garberz]

How could there be anything better for snow and ice, than an open diff?

Mark

 

[Broncobowsher]

How could there be anything better for snow and ice, than an open diff?

Mark

When you get crossed up in the snow they will suck. But stay on flat ground and open works great. Unless you want to hoon around a bit%)

 

[bronco italiano]

Yes just for plowing the road, about 1 mile worth with about 7 percent grade

 

[broncnaz]

With chains you'll be fine. As they are really the traction device. It wont matter then if your open or locked. Although you may want to run a skinnier tire but 10.50's can work.

 

[EB70]

I do live next to Crater Lake, so I have some experience with plowing. We have had 7' at the house, but normally 4-5'.

Chains-Use them. They make things much better and so forth. Much less easy to get stuck.

Locker-Get one. The difference between open and locked was almost night and day. I went from barely able to get up a modest hill with a run to stopping and starting on hill while plowing modest snow.

My plowing is more extreme than most. I plow around 2 miles each way. Also, I use a full size truck with 36" tires etc. Kinda ugly plowing here.

At the end of the day though, locked in the back, and chains make all the difference.

As far as on hwy, I have used a tru trac in the front with a locker in the back on short wheelbase trucks with success.

ARB would be the best though.

 

[bronco italiano]

Thank you gentlemen.
-I appreciate the input and hopefully my new adventure will be a safe one.

 

[bronco italiano]

2 years later and I am going to do the locker.

-Since the best type of locker is the arb type in which it can be switched on/off.

-What are the thoughts on the Ox locker?

-Reason being, the ARB needs a compressor/electrical etc (lots of moving parts)and I like the mechanical approach of the Ox locker.

-I still like the trutrac, but as some stated it may not be best if I get caught on the ice.

-I have a duragrip in the rear, should I change that out or will it suffice with a nice front lsd/locker?

-Is there a best tire type for the snow and Ice, the 10-15 is a little wide. I plan on a studdable tire like the Cooper m/s. In fact I put those on my little AWD Honda Element and it was amazing in the snow. Michelin LTX are great on hwy but terrible in snow.

Thanks, BI

 

[Broncobowsher]

Snow tire, can't go wrong with the blizteck. We throw those on anything that gets sent to Alaska in the winter. Not a all season tire. Winter only.

 

[Nothing Special]

2 years later and I am going to do the locker.

-Since the best type of locker is the arb type in which it can be switched on/off.

There's no such thing as "the best type of locker." A selectable sure seems like the best locker choice for the front axle of a truck that could be driven on snowy highways, but in other applications an automatic locker has some strong points in its favor as well.

-What are the thoughts on the Ox locker?

-Reason being, the ARB needs a compressor/electrical etc (lots of moving parts)and I like the mechanical approach of the Ox locker.

No personal experience with either the OX or the ARB, but several I've talked to think the OX is a stronger unit. And the options it gives for activation are great as well. I am planning to put an OX in the front of my Bronco, hopefully this spring. Personally I'm not sure I want to with cable actuation. Routing a cable so it doesn't bind or get damaged seems like it could be an issue. I already have on-board air, so I think I'll go with an air actuator on the OX. But even with that it gives the ability to manually engage it (by crawling under and screwing something into the actuator hole), so it still has an advantage over the ARB there.

-I still like the trutrac, but as some stated it may not be best if I get caught on the ice.

I wouldn't worry an awful lot about a TrueTrac on ice. In a rear axle even an automatic locker really isn't very bad. My biggest concern with anything but an open diff (or unlocked selectable) in front is the torque steer you get when one front tire loses traction. I know from experience that an automatic locker is really dangerous in that situation unless you are going pretty slow. Others have said that a TrueTrac doesn't do that, and it makes sense that it wouldn't be close to as bad as an automatic locker. But it seems like it has to have some. Even Eaton seems to think it's a rrisk, because they make a less effective TrueTrac for front applications (which might be a great choice for a front application).

-I have a duragrip in the rear, should I change that out or will it suffice with a nice front lsd/locker?....

Up to you. Personally I think clutch-type limited slips are the worst of both worlds, the stability of a spool on ice and roughly the traction of an open diff when you really need it. I think even an open diff would be an upgrade for you, but I know others have different opinions on them.

For general on-road use with snow likely, I don't think you can beat a Truetrac. But I also have around 200,000 miles of experience with an automatic locker in rear axles (CJ5, F-150 and Bronco) and I wouldn't hesitate to use any of those in winter driving either (other than the salt on the Bronco body ) And a lot of people like selectables in the rear too. I really think any of those (or an open diff) would be a better choice than what you have. But that's my opinion.

 

[Broncobowsher]

The only selectable lockers I know of for the 9" are air powered.

 

[SteveL]

If it's for the front Eaton also makes an electric locker junta not for the 9". Same goes with ox. I'm going arb for both so the on/off mechanism is the same.

 

[nvrstuk]

ARB might SEEM like there are extra parts to possibly cause issues but... here's an example...

I Bought what ARB believed was the first D44 unit for a Bronco in As back in Feb '87.

Ran it till last year when I swapped in a D60.

I ran a 1st GEN 9" ARB in the rear basic in '96. Bumped up to a 35 spline unit in '05?? Had ONE ARB compressor fail back in '04? Pretty reputable and reliable unit. I wheel a lot, they get used a lot...

IF you have ANY doubt about reliability of the compressor go with a nitrogen bottle and manual engage/disingaement valves...semis use them. ...or used to...

I've never replaced solonoids OR air lines in 22+ years!!

Mechanical might sound reliable, but technology has changed a lot of that...I'd never go with a manual cable over a simple air line...cables link rust and can fail as easily as anything.

 

[KyleQ]

I've been plowing snow for 3 years with a 96' Bronco on 32" Goodyear MTR's with a Aussie up front and a Trak-Loc out back and I exclusively drive around with the hubs locked the entire time. The Aussie locker is fairly invisible at speed and you only notice it when making sharp turns at slow speeds. Show it into 4wd and you have an immediate monster that will plow snow as much as you want. Put it back into 2WD and backup like auto hubs and the front end will unlock and you can pound pavement again.

I prefer Detroid Tru-Tracks for anything that lives on pavement as it is invisible under daily operation and will spin both tires 98% of the time in the snow, the rest can be overcome with a little brake application just like any other limited slip.

The best bang for the buck is going to be the Aussie, followed up with the Tru-Track. The ARB is total overkill and introduces an air line and compressor to the equation, and the last thing you want to be doing on a plow truck is reducing reliability.

If it were plow and off road only I would go for the Aussie option, if it sees a lot of pavement time I would go Tru-Track. Anything up front makes plowing immensely better, the weight of the plow pretty much allows you to plow anywhere. Just be mindful that any traction aid is going to put strain the u-joints. ANYONE plowing snow with a locked front end should have Spicer joints and full circle snap rings to get years of effortless reliability.