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Adding Detroit Lockers???

Heath_h49008

Heath_h49008

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It's a long way down on my list of priorities (Unless I found a used one in my lap)

But as far as I recall, getting the pig out with the axle on the truck is a bit of a trick.
 
mark salanco

mark salanco

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I think it much easier to just pull the whole axle out from under the truck.. My truck is bobbed, so I only have to deal with 2 axles.
 
B

brianp454

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Portland, OR
I’ve driven ½ to one ton trucks with Detroit lockers in the rear and just hated the way they pop and crack and twist the truck around when driving on pavement. They seemed to be too aggressive for regular driving on the street and are known for breaking axles do to all the excessive side to side stresses.

This makes me leery of installing Detroit lockers in the M35A2. Of course, how aggressive they bite is a function of the spring forces and other geometry of the locking mechanism. Have any of you installed and used them? Do they pop a crack like some of the ones in lighter trucks?
 
porkysplace

porkysplace

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mid- michigan
brianp454 said:
I’ve driven ½ to one ton trucks with Detroit lockers in the rear and just hated the way they pop and crack and twist the truck around when driving on pavement. They seemed to be too aggressive for regular driving on the street and are known for breaking axles do to all the excessive side to side stresses.

This makes me leery of installing Detroit lockers in the M35A2. Of course, how aggressive they bite is a function of the spring forces and other geometry of the locking mechanism. Have any of you installed and used them? Do they pop a crack like some of the ones in lighter trucks?
Click to expand...

You can get air lockers for them you just got to dig a whole lot deeper in your pocket.
 
winfred

winfred

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port allen la
somewhere in my 109s life which if the cab is original to my frame started off as a gas auger truck, it acquired a detroit in the front diff and on ndt's it was manageable to steer but the wheel would would whip back straight at warp 9 once you were done turning, would pop a little but was dismissed as the clunks and bumps of the driveline binding in the turn, once i went to 395s it became near impossible to get more then 50% of the available steering range but cruising around in a field it would turn fairly ok with the reduced traction of grass/dirt. while servicing the hubs i suspected it may have something more then spider gears in the diff the way it reacted to spinning the axles and pinion by hand, i had to install locking hubs to make it driveable and then it was fine without the steering wheel whipping back to center, i confirmed the function of the diff by locking one hub and spinning that tire on the steep embankment behind my house, itll spin either side thats locked and drives ok on street with one hub unlocked to allow differential action

porkysplace said:
You can get air lockers for them you just got to dig a whole lot deeper in your pocket.
Click to expand...
surprisingly they arent any more expensive then a pick up at under a g a pop, i kinda wanna move the whole detroit center section to the rear and put arb's in the center and front axles but that'll be a while before i drop 2g and that much effort
 
Last edited:
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brianp454

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Portland, OR
Thanks for the feedback. I've never gotten a direct answer about the detroit lockers in this class of differential (have posted here before and on other sites), yet it sounds like you never observed any popping. Rather, the lack of (un)locking front hubs made it very difficult to steer. I think locking front hubs are great in front even with the open differential and would never consider any locking diff in front without them.

I'll keep dreaming of air lockers...

winfred said:
somewhere in my 109s life which if the cab is original to my frame started off as a gas auger truck, it acquired a detroit in the front diff and on ndt's it was manageable to steer but the wheel would would whip back straight at warp 9 once you were done turning, would pop a little but was dismissed as the clunks and bumps of the driveline binding in the turn, once i went to 395s it became near impossible to get more then 50% of the available steering range but cruising around in a field it would turn fairly ok with the reduced traction of grass/dirt. while servicing the hubs i suspected it may have something more then spider gears in the diff the way it reacted to spinning the axles and pinion by hand, i had to install locking hubs to make it driveable and then it was fine without the steering wheel whipping back to center, i confirmed the function of the diff by locking one hub and spinning that tire on the steep embankment behind my house, itll spin either side thats locked and drives ok on street with one hub unlocked to allow differential action



surprisingly they arent any more expensive then a pick up at under a g a pop, i kinda wanna move the whole detroit center section to the rear and put arb's in the center and front axles but that'll be a while before i drop 2g and that much effort
Click to expand...
 
Eliteweapons

Eliteweapons

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238
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Location
Baltimore Maryland
I run lockers in my pickup but would only lock the right front hub in ( dana 60 front and 14 bolt corp rear). That keeps it as an open diff with only the right front wheel pulling. I hardly ever needed to lock the left front unless I got in REALLY deep mud, but I would usually know I was going there and lock the hub in before I went in. The same applies to the M35. You could put a detroit up front and only lock the passenger side hub and engage the front axle if you needed it. If you still had an issue you could lock the left front. I would spend the money on the ARB for the rear thou to eliminate binding during normal road driving. Just my 2 cents on How I do it with my pickup and would do it with my M35.
 
Watsonpreston

Watsonpreston

Member
63
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Location
Dallas, TX
I run spools in both rears 100% locked a 100% of the time!
I run a locker in the front it’s a Detroit style locker works very good the 2.5 with all 3 axles locked is a monster off-road
The only problem is with steering I run a Saginaw 710 gear box and I’m on my 3rd box it needs hydraulic assist on top of the 710
It will also shear the bolts of the knuckle
Ever time the locker locks it try’s to torque steers like a sob



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
davidb56

davidb56

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Bonners Ferry Idaho
yes online for around 1100$. Search the net under "ARB for a Rockwell 2.5 ton axle". There are installation write ups with pics somewhere on this site too. There is a slight clearance inssue when installing a ARB, so a little grinding is needed.
 
A

Aaholland

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Fisherville, KY
davidb56 said:
yes online for around 1100$. Search the net under "ARB for a Rockwell 2.5 ton axle". There are installation write ups with pics somewhere on this site too. There is a slight clearance inssue when installing a ARB, so a little grinding is needed.
Click to expand...
Awesome thanks. Researching upgrades prior to getting my m35
 
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