Limited slip vs front locker on a diesel

Sherbert

Tremor Member
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Southeast US
Current Ride
250 tremor
First off, want to say I love this tremor. 6.7 lariat 250 tremor. It does exactly what it’s supposed to. It tows like a monster and can perform in the off road Better than any stock super duty. I have tested it in sand, muddy/wet trails with deep ruts and slick mud. I pulled a dump trailer weighing about 8,000 lbs through the mud. I’ve only gotten stuck once and that was in deep slick mud off the trail. But I deserved it. Pulled off the trail, nose first in 4H, no rear diff locked, not in any off road modes. I put it in deep snow/sand mode to activate limited slip and locked the diff and couldn’t get out, luckily someone pulled me out. I thought back to my 2006 diesel with front and rear arb lockers and realized that once you are stuck in 4wd the front locker is superior. Having a front locker underneath that heavy engine really makes a difference. So then I went back to that same spot with my buddy behind me to make sure I had someone to pull me out. Before going into the mud I put it in deep snow/sand mode and locked the rear diff. I got to a point where I was slipping but I was able to pull forward and backwards and rip through that mud and pull myself back onto the trail. It performed like a beast. There is no stock super duty that could ever have done that. So In conclusion, a front locker is superior to the limited slip especially on a heavy diesel (duhh) but as long as you are moving and everything is engaged (limited slip, rear diff) the tremor will move through slippery surfaces like a beast. Just don’t stop! And have another vehicle or a winch. When the warranty is up I may put a front locker on it but for a stock super duty I am very happy with how this thing performs.
 
A limited slip is a passive system. There is no engaging it.

I’ve had Mercedes G-wagens for years, and they come standard with three lockers (front, rear, and center because it’s a two-speed transfer case with full-time AWD). In my experience, locking the front when you’re stuck in slippery stuff isn’t helpful, but locking it before you get stuck helps keep momentum to prevent one from getting stuck.

Rocks are an entirely matter.
 
I’ve seen limited slip work on Jeep’s. One wheel will spin a full turn then lock up. i guess it’s still better then open diffs but not as good as-locked.
 
Thanks for the info, I always say they don't get stuck very easy but when you do get stuck its not easy to recover them.

I have lockers front and rear on my Jeep and the other thing you can do is turn the steering wheel side to side ( under power) when locked and that also helps you.
 
The Tremors have a Trac-Loc type diff in the front. Not the best, since the clutches do wear out, and need maintenance, but you can always swap it out for a Detroit/Eaton Truetrac which is a Torsen-style and far superior (and more expensive, unfortunately). If you're trail crawling all the time (not the best job for a SD, more suited for a Jeep, let's be honest), I believe you can get a E-locker for the front as well
 
I believe you can get a E-locker for the front as well

Absolutely. ARB has been offering air lockers for 35-spline Dana 60s for a long time which dovetails nicely with all the onboard air installations people are doing these days:

 
I got stuck in some pretty deep snow and wonder if the snow/mud mode would have helped.

Does anyone know where there's a more comprehensive explanation around how too use the drive modes, and what they're actually doing than is included in the manual?
 
Absolutely. ARB has been offering air lockers for 35-spline Dana 60s for a long time which dovetails nicely with all the onboard air installations people are doing these days:

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I got stuck in some pretty deep snow and wonder if the snow/mud mode would have helped.

Does anyone know where there's a more comprehensive explanation around how too use the drive modes, and what they're actually doing than is included in the manual?
The snow/mud mode might've helped, but it's too late to know.

Fundamentally, 1,000 ft-lbs of torque is a liability on anything but dry surfaces. The various modes dial back power and apply brakes using whatever algorithms the nerds at Ford built it. I doubt you're going to find anything too granular about the differences between the modes.

That said, I had a 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser that had what they call CRAWL control, and their modes are distinctly different. In sand mode, the wheels brake themselves to build up little piles of sand in front of the tires to help the truck it build itself little ramps, for lack of a better term. Pretty neat:

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Keep in mind that a front locker (while locked) on snowy/icy roads is inherently dangerous. You may lose steering authority and find yourself suddenly in a ditch or worse. A locked front end will bind when turning (with both tires having sufficient traction) due to differential speeds of each tire. Another hazard is having that one tire in the air spinning while the one with traction pulls you out and you suddenly gain grip on spinning wheel... good way to snap an axle. Ask me how I know.
A locker is superior off road, but has limitations. Land Rover specifically will not use lockers due to the draw backs.

A front end LSD is a very good compromise IMO.
 
What setting did you have the traction control set at? In 4H you can select between on, sport and off. 4L everything is disabled. I have had good experiences with previous vehicles leaving traction control in a sport mode in the mud. Should limit wheel spin.

On my old F-100 there is no substitute for having all wheels engaged (locked front and rear) at all times in the mud. Momentum is always your friend in the mud. You stop or spin a tire (except boggers) too much and it may be difficult to get going again.

Took an off road class from rod hall years ago. We had a number of different vehicles and tires. All season tires on a jeep liberty went everywhere anyone else did with a good driver following basic principles and paying attention to how the vehicle was connected to the surface. The mud/slick areas weren't that bad though in this class. Mostly desert runs and hill climbs.
 
I am pretty sure I read the Tremor can actively brake a wheel that is spinning and it is designed to work in conjunction with the resistance on the front LSD clutch pack so it should, in theory, work better than a plain old front LSD with no traction tech. I believe the only mode it does this is rock crawl, but it could also do it in slippery/snow, I do wish there was some better info on exactly what these different modes do in the programming...
 
I am pretty sure I read the Tremor can actively brake a wheel that is spinning and it is designed to work in conjunction with the resistance on the front LSD clutch pack so it should, in theory, work better than a plain old front LSD with no traction tech. I believe the only mode it does this is rock crawl, but it could also do it in slippery/snow, I do wish there was some better info on exactly what these different modes do in the programming...
I am very interested in any solid information that is out there about these settings as well.
 
Totally agree with you guys. A front locker has to be used correctly and only in special circumstances. From what I can gather, the braking system changes to help limit wheel slip when it’s in certain modes. And certain modes turn off traction control. So like for deep snow/sand mode it turns off traction control, helps limit front slip, and keeps it in a lower gear, it’s a super fun mode on a trail with deep ruts or deep sand, you can really feel it. I assume the slippery mode is just the same thing but less geared down. And then towing and eco mode are obvious. Lastly there is rock crawl which I know nothing about.
 
The best would be the ARB air locker in the front, because you can just lock the front when you need it. You can't go wrong with that set up, especially if you spend more time off road vs pulling loads on the highway.

In my 2004 F-250 Supercab Long bed diesel, I had 4:30s detroit lockers in the front and rear (4wheel parts did the install). My goodness, that dam thing was a grizzly bear beast. Virtually unstoppable. Having the free setting on the hubs helps when your just cruising highways and do not need 4x4.

IMO Nothing is better than Lockers front/rear. It is the ultimate traction!!!

What was not good is on snow/ice with a front locker. The rear detroit locker with front locker had a tendency to "push" the front end, through turns. I had several close to being in the ditch scenarios in Minnesota winters .

My 2007 F-250 diesel I still have now, has 4:10 gears/ detroit TRUETRAC front and Detroit locker rear. Its still a beast , and the truetrac in front is MUCH more forgiving than the front detroit locker in the 2004 I had. I love driving in the snow with my 2007 6.0! In addition, it is easier to turn corners with front truetrac vs the detroit locker . and you still get all 4 wheels turning!

I REALLY love the truetrac in the front of the super duty, I think it is the best overall traction aid. If your dedicated off road, then ARB air lockers!!

I plan to replace the Spicer Trac Lok with a Detroit Truetrac in my Tremor.

Although, I would love a Detroit locker in the rear of the Tremor M275, I am not sure if there is one available yet. I am not a fan of the stock E-locker in the rear, I can see it not working later down the road.
 
How does the tremor LSD work on icey roads? Any problems? I was always told that LSD or locker up front is bad on ice. But it sounds like fords traction control keeps it in check when driving on slick roads? I’m from Maine, and icey roads is what we get up here.
 
How does the tremor LSD work on icey roads? Any problems? I was always told that LSD or locker up front is bad on ice. But it sounds like fords traction control keeps it in check when driving on slick roads? I’m from Maine, and icey roads is what we get up here.
No worries. That Tremor LSD works well on ice. The traction control is just extra. Modern traction control regardless of automaker is some amazing stuff nowadays. I couldn't believe what my Escalade could do on ice, especially up a steep hill and factory tires.
I had a trac lok in my old Bronco. It worked quite well on snowy roads. But gave up a little off road. Good compromise.
 
Is the Dana Super 60 in front of Tremor, 10" ring with 37 spline axles, or is it 9.75" ring with 35 spline axles???
I know the m275 rear is 10.8" ring and 36 spline axles.
 
Torsen please!
 

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