Detroit Electrac.....

[GroversXJ]

The electrac is a good unit. it ideal for places that see a lot of ice, snow, rain.
in places where things stay a little drier, your better off with an arb or ox or something.

IMO the opposite would be true. The electrac LS would cause both tires to spin in the snow and ice on a road causing a loss of all lateral stability and possibly causing you to slide sideways off the road into a ditch.

The ARB/OX would act like an open diff in the Snow and Ice and it would allow one tire to keep traction (lateral) while the other pushed you forward (if traction is avaliable) and it will keep you out of the ditches.

I grew up in Utah and Michigan and saw many people off the side of the road in the snow and Ice who had LS and now that I live in the CA desert lateral stability doesn't matter because a little drifting around corners caused by a LS or locker would add to the desert racer look.

 

[Bones]

I think the LS bad effects in the snow are overblown. I run a full auto locker in the rear of my XJ and a truetrac up front. Running a 242 t-case I have it in full time most often and seem to do fine. It's all how you drive. If I wanted to blast across the snow rally style, I would buy a Subaru. I just drive sensible and get where I am going. If (more like when) I go full lock up front I will probably go with the e-locker because of the LS when not locked feature.

Bones :skull1:

 

[Flyin'Brian]

Electrac

We've been through 3 electracs and have had nothing but hell w/ them. I love detroits and have run them for years, but they won't help us on the electrac. All the same problems mentioned above, and detroit won't listen to any possible problems w/ them. All the help we recieved was from 4wheel parts. We couldn't get a refund, so we went with the good ol' detroit mechanical. Problem solved, but the taste remains...

 

[Amund2]

Just have to comment about snow and lockers. I have a rear full auto locker (No-Slip), and I don't need no Subuaru, I drift across the snow rwd rally style in 2wd and when I run out of steering i pull the 4wd and drift the rest in wrc 4wd rally style. And, if for some reason I don't want to drift the thing is less willing to drift and slide now than with the old tracklock (w/o lsd oil) I had before.

 

[Beezil]

Thats good to know. Now I wonder if most of the problems people have had with the 44's is with the rear not the front?

Beez how do you protect the shift thing? Any problems smackin it?

the only time that guard didn't hold up to getting banged, was the time one of the bolts that hold my drivers side draglink on my hydro ram spun around and snagged on it, breaking one of the bolts.....

otherwise, I've smacked it on rocks, no problem.

I dig my electrac, everyone says detroits weak spot is shockloading that happens during axle breaks.....like i said i've snapped FIVE axle shafts, taking inner and outter yokes along with the u-joint, and the electrac doesn't seem to care.

 

[stoneattic]

Just have to comment about snow and lockers. I have a rear full auto locker (No-Slip), and I don't need no Subuaru, I drift across the snow rwd rally style in 2wd and when I run out of steering i pull the 4wd and drift the rest in wrc 4wd rally style. And, if for some reason I don't want to drift the thing is less willing to drift and slide now than with the old tracklock (w/o lsd oil) I had before.

The problem with lockers in the snow is on off-camber stuff where if you spin both rear wheels the rear goes for the low side. Real scary when you have a steep drop off. I have a tilted driveway and I know that first hand. Pulling from a dead stop is the big problem. Once your moving it's no big deal.

Hence my ARB

 

[Erik]

I'd go with the company with a great reputation and even better customer service. ARB has been around for quite awhile and has definately proven itself.

Of course some will complain about air lines, leaks, selonoids, whatnot. But then there isn't a selectable locker out there that is problem free. Go ARB front and rear.

I guess that you're saying that he should go with the Detroit, since ARB has a reputation for poor customer service and poor quality. I've broken two first gen ARB lockers for the D30. Even though ARB re-designed the unit FOR THAT EXACT PROBLEM, they would not give me credit for the busted units. The ARB for my Currie 9" started leaking after one year. Replaced the o-rings and less than 4 months later I spun a bearing on it. Replaced that with Detroit and I've been locked when needed every since. Oh, did I mention that the poor design of the ARB air pump almost guarantees that the pump will fall apart? Mine sure did. And the soft metal bumpers that will bend if you try to put a hi-lift on them? ARB's stuff just won't even stand up to moderate wheeling.

 

[REDXJ4FUN]

the whole thing about people having problems in the snow comes down to one thing THERE ARE ALOT OF PEOPLE WHO CAN'T DRIVE even when its dry. I see it everyday. I've driven with a spool a auto locker a L/S and open and yes there is a diffrence but over all if yo need traction a spool wins. I plan on using an electrack in my front 44 with a spool in the rear and see no problems in driving it in any condition.