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Detroit Locker


JumboFett

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15 hours ago, JumboFett said:

Hi fam!

 

I got a lead on a Detroit locker for my 620 and I just need to make sure it’s the right part! The specs for the diff are: 

Accepts 29 spline axels

8 ring gear bolt

40mm bearing journal

Deck height 1.584”

 

Thank you!

Is this just a used  one you found or something new being offered ?

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1 hour ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

Not the same as a posi. Detroits are cool for crawling or racing, but I would rather not use one in a street car.

 

Those spec are almost enough to give me confidence it will fit.


I use posi as sort of a catch-all term, but for clarity I do understand the difference. I had a Detroit locker in my El Camino years ago (I’ve since switch to a truetrac diff), so I know how “fun” lockers can be. Once I get used to the clunky turns and light pedal around corners I should be ok. I’d also be ok lighting em up around every sharp right, but that’s because I’m a 40 year old teenager. 

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I kind of wanna email them about this unit.... I don't know the difference yet.... you have peeked my interest again ...

 

https://www.drivetrainspecialists.com/posi-and-limited-slip/nissan-4cyl-p-u-411-543.html

 

Don't know if this is similar to those blocks you clamp inside the open diff or not... It calls one of the parts a cone clutch... no idea what that means yet....

 

Edit: confirmed this unit is not available for purchase anymore 

Edited by Crashtd420
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40 yr old teenager LOL... SAME! I build my street bomber/auto-cross 510 using the same teenage rational. It's totally obnoxious, and the funnest car I've ever owned. Practicality has it's place, but not when you're looking for the whoopees. 

 

My question is, are you making enough power to necessitate a locking dif on the street, or is it more for off roading? 

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53 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said:

I kind of wanna email them about this unit.... I don't know the difference yet.... you have peeked my interest again ...

 

https://www.drivetrainspecialists.com/posi-and-limited-slip/nissan-4cyl-p-u-411-543.html

 

Don't know if this is similar to those blocks you clamp inside the open diff or not... It calls one of the parts a cone clutch... no idea what that means yet....

 

 

A Detroit Locker engages 100% to both wheel on straight line, and disengages mechanically around corners. It locks No and Off with an abrasive audible clunk.

 

An LSD is like a locked diff but uses a clutch to allow "limited slip" between wheels in corners. 

 

A Torsen Diff is the best of both worlds, where it senses torque demand and allows fluid distribution of power in corners. Don't ask me how that s**t works though. It works great, so I've learned to stop asking questions and just accept that it's magic.

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Only good if in mud, drifting, straight ahead driving or if 'it's got a hemi'.

 

Once you are in oversteer, having the two rear wheels locked or even 'clutched together' is a liability to handling and recovery is very difficult.

 

 

 
 
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2 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Only good if in mud, drifting, straight ahead driving or if 'it's got a hemi'.

 

Once you are in oversteer, having the two rear wheels locked or even 'clutched together' is a liability to handling and recovery is very difficult.

 

 

 
 

I've pushed both open and clutched pasi to oversteer in my F150. In my experience, with the open diff it came around much easier, and more violently than the LSD. If I lost the rear end with the posi I could ease up on the peddle, let my hands loose on the wheel, and the truck recovered in a snap. LSD vs open diff off road, there was no comparison. With the open rear end on a dirt roads, my truck was fish tailing around all over the place, and on anything soft it would sink a tire in a heart beat. With a 9 bolt pasi it really was a different truck. From what I've been told, a locker is far less civilized, but even more effective.

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15 hours ago, datzenmike said:

Only good if in mud, drifting, straight ahead driving or if 'it's got a hemi'.

 

Once you are in oversteer, having the two rear wheels locked or even 'clutched together' is a liability to handling and recovery is very difficult.

 

 

 
 

I hear your concern and thank you. I had a locker in my BB El Camino for years with the Saginaw 4 turns lock to lock slopbox steering and it was fine.


I live in LA, so rain and snow ain’t a thing, and I plan on wrapping the truck in big meats (255/45r17) so it shouldn’t be too too easy to lose it around every corner. In my experience if I turn the wheels in the direction i wanna end up and let off the gas it corrects into that direction. 
 

Now, would I prefer a trutrac or clutch posi diff? Absolutely! But beggars can’t be choosers, and I just wouldn’t feel right putting all this work into the truck only to still have a peg leg. An opportunity presented itself so I had to capitalize while I could. 

Edited by JumboFett
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17 hours ago, paradime said:

40 yr old teenager LOL... SAME! I build my street bomber/auto-cross 510 using the same teenage rational. It's totally obnoxious, and the funnest car I've ever owned. Practicality has it's place, but not when you're looking for the whoopees. 

 

My question is, are you making enough power to necessitate a locking dif on the street, or is it more for off roading? 


Pretty sure after I’m done with this top end build I should be making more than enough power to loose em in a 2300lb truck, especially while the 195s are still on there.

 

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I would argue that a locked diff makes a car more predictable than an open diff while in a slide, or just before that slide for argument's sake.

 

My first 510 had a welded diff and it was very predictable. The only caveat is that if driven "normally" it would wear out the front tires faster than the rears, because of the push. I've run mechanical lockers in all of my offroad rigs and sometimes it's fun to drive around town with the rear locked.

 

Ironically, the 454 powered 1973 Chevy C30 single cab dually I owned was the most fun to drive. The early big block power and the factory locking diff made it a drifting king. It was way more fun than any car I ever owned.

 

 

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46 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

I would argue that a locked diff makes a car more predictable than an open diff while in a slide, or just before that slide for argument's sake.

 

My first 510 had a welded diff and it was very predictable. The only caveat is that if driven "normally" it would wear out the front tires faster than the rears, because of the push. I've run mechanical lockers in all of my offroad rigs and sometimes it's fun to drive around town with the rear locked.

 

Ironically, the 454 powered 1973 Chevy C30 single cab dually I owned was the most fun to drive. The early big block power and the factory locking diff made it a drifting king. It was way more fun than any car I ever owned.

 

 

I agree, I raced circle track for many years with a Toyota Hilux, big difference from open to welded to Detroit locker as I did all 3. Open sucked, welded sucked pulling in and out of pit stalls. Detroit was definitely nice all around. I would put it in any streetcar. It locks only when needed. 

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1 hour ago, Socalman said:

Will this work in a 521? 

 

50 minutes ago, Crashtd420 said:

It should,  the h190 axle have the 29 splines and should be in the 521 620, 720 and I believe some early hardbody. Possibly the 520 also....

 

I think they all interchange but the internal parts may not. The H-190 evolved over the years starting with an aluminum housing then cast iron? then steel. Early were 13 spline side gears that match the axles, cars are 21* and trucks 29. Around '81/'82 the 720 4x4 changed the pinion so that a larger yoke could be used for a larger U joint, the problem being they also changed the yoke spline so 2wd yokes can't interchange with the 4x4 ones either.

 

With the exception of the '82-'83 S110 and the '84 S12 200sx which had 29 spline ruck side gears. 

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2 hours ago, Socalman said:

Will this work in a 521? 

I'm going to send dts an email about the Detroit locker just to be sure of fitment... after datzenmikes post I don't wanna be the one who causes someone to buy the wrong item....

 

I know my spare 521 differential is 8 bolt and 29 spline as mentioned in the initial post and confirmed by Mike...

 

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