Dana 44- Open, LS - Thoughts on your setup??

arse_sidewards · Post by **arse_sidewards** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:46 pm

JonMac31 wrote:
arse_sidewards wrote:Hubs unlocked = 2wd
Lol, Doh! Total blonde moment there...

Okay, so if the hubs are then locked - but 4 wheel drive is not engaged, are you still using the locker?

I guess what I am trying to say is if I have a locker in the front and I want to drive around town with the hubs locked (due to snow or whatever), will the locker be engaged? Or does it not engage until I push the 4wd button?

Sorry for my lack of knowledge! This stuff is still so new to me...

No, in that case it's a loud, clunky open diff.

JonMac31 · Post by **JonMac31** » Tue Sep 20, 2016 3:49 pm

arse_sidewards wrote:No, in that case it's a loud, clunky open diff.

Thank you arse_sidewards!

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Wed Sep 21, 2016 7:11 am

A selectable lock will be open until you turn it on. An auto locker will be open until you power the driveshaft

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Wed Sep 21, 2016 7:13 am

A spool would be locked all the time because it's just a solid piece of metal that replaces all the differential slider gears in there.

fomoco51 · Post by **fomoco51** » Tue Nov 01, 2016 9:08 am

I bought a 44 true track at the leduc swap meet 2 years ago for 5 bucks. seems to be in good working order but it's a 3.73 & down carrier. I find some 4.88 thick cut gears to run it. and while I'm at it i need to get the bolt in pass. side axle set up. so until then I'm open and it works fine.

VintageIronFab · Post by **VintageIronFab** » Tue Nov 01, 2016 10:55 pm

No such thing as thick reverse cut gears unfortunately

BDKW1 · Post by **BDKW1** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 12:06 am

Spacer?

CrazyBRONCOguy · Post by **CrazyBRONCOguy** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:49 am

I also am open on both my broncos but had a factory LS in it before I switched to 4.10's. I liked the way the factory one pulled the front over the top in the hills.

On the spool, I am not sure how it would work in a go-fast application but I know several with trail trucks that will just lock one side in, then get out and do the other as needed. Not ideal but seems to work.

PaulW · Post by **PaulW** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 6:51 am

A rig that has 4 wheel drive is worthless unless it had some kind of traction device in both the front and rear diffs. Otherwise you will end up with on wheel drive on the axle. You cannot believe how many rigs I have towed because the guy thought he could drive in the sand with his entry level 4x4. Open diffs = 2wd
There is a really good reason why Jeep Wrangler sets the standard for such rigs. They offer selectable lockers for both diffs. Can you find any other company that offer such a great setup?
Yup - you can set up your Bronco to be just as good by copying the Jeep. Probably get a better rig as well.

fomoco51 · Post by **fomoco51** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 7:46 am

well hell. Oh well I only paid 5 bucks for it.

arse_sidewards · Post by **arse_sidewards** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 9:42 am

PaulW wrote:A rig that has 4 wheel drive is worthless unless it had some kind of traction device in both the front and rear diffs. Otherwise you will end up with on wheel drive on the axle. You cannot believe how many rigs I have towed because the guy thought he could drive in the sand with his entry level 4x4. Open diffs = 2wd
There is a really good reason why Jeep Wrangler sets the standard for such rigs. They offer selectable lockers for both diffs. Can you find any other company that offer such a great setup?
Yup - you can set up your Bronco to be just as good by copying the Jeep. Probably get a better rig as well.

Having anything in one axle is a much bigger step up from open on both ends than having something in both axles.

In flat-ish ground with something in the rear axle you can spend pretty much all your time in 2wd.

PaulW · Post by **PaulW** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 10:01 am

Broncos are meant to be real 4WD. Not like pickups
Yes something in the rear and nothing in front means 3 wheel drive. Works sometimes on light duty trails or street.
Go fast and all is good.

Phoenix0783 · Post by **Phoenix0783** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 2:02 pm

If you have a locker and the hubs are in, it will be engaged. The more aggressive the locker, the less it will want to turn.

Tchajagos · Post by **Tchajagos** » Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:06 pm

A lot of people don't know to air down their tires in the sand. I've driven my 89 suzuki sidekick with open diffs in some pretty soft sand on stock tires just by letting the air out. Your tires have a lot to do with it until you get one off the ground. Then you are stuck.