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Post by pinstryper on Nov 16, 2015 20:23:53 GMT -5
How fast can you drive with them engaged?
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Post by ES_97Sport on Nov 17, 2015 15:05:40 GMT -5
How fast can you drive with them engaged? That's a awkward question to answer because you don't use lockers 99.9% of the time unless conditions are such that can't go any appreciable speed in the first place. But, ... Depends on the surface and it depends on front, rear, or front and rear. Never on pavement, hard packed surfaces, public streets, or the highway so the answer is 0 MPH. Yes, I know there are guys that run 'Lincoln lockers', spools, etc. - full time locked - on the street all the time but being a moron doesn't mean its a good idea. You NEVER run the front locked on the street no matter what the surface is over a couple MPH - so basically if you're not in 4LO, you don't use it. The front locker is the most dangerous both on the street or off road. You NEVER run the front and rear locked on the street no matter what the surface. See the last paragraph. Having the front locked makes turning very difficult and causes all kinds of weird and dangerous affects depending on the surface. Adding in the back just makes it even worse. The rear (alone) shouldn't be used at all except in the worsts conditions where 4WD does not supply enough traction and you're getting wheel spin and then NEVER on the street at any appreciable speed. I believe the owners manual says its just for getting unstuck, then you shut it off. Most manufacturers won't allow engagement unless you're in 4LO - for a lot of good reasons. Off road, I've run mine in the deep sand 15-20 MPH. Can't steer worth a damn with the front locked so that's a little problematic.  You can't do this snow bashing because - literally - you have no steering control. Otherwise, the only time I use lockers is below a 1-2 miles an hour off road. I might point out that the reason Mitsu discontinued the installation of locking differentials in the Montero and Montero Sport in the US is because idiots were driving down the highway doing 50-60 MPH with the differential locked, getting into accidents and then blaming it on Mitsubishi. If you get into a collision using locker(s) on a public road, you will be at fault. Careless driving citation is a guarantee. It will get worse from there. I can guarantee if someone involved me and I found out (and I would), I'd bury them under $1000 an hour lawyers until their grandchildren were dead. Edward |
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Post by pinstryper on Nov 29, 2015 16:15:41 GMT -5
About all we have to play in around here is sand & mud.
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Post by ES_97Sport on Nov 30, 2015 14:39:50 GMT -5
About all we have to play in around here is sand & mud. What I've found is that a good set of tires makes more of a difference in sand than locking differentials. The problem is you want traction but not such an aggressive tire that they dig in. The problem with lockers in the sand is that they improve traction, but if you have little time to respond if they start digging in and when you're finally stuck, you'll be well and truly buried.  Basically, they'll get you stuck worse, faster. I very rarely use lockers in the sand on my big Sport. There just isn't much point. The only time I use them consistently is on steep flower sand climbs where I have a straight run top to bottom and i need to keep momentum. They're more just a little extra insurance at this point. I've seen guys make the same runs fully locked and not be able to make it when I just breeze up without issues. Again, that is due MUCH more to the tires. Note: Making a steep climb at speed with front lockers engaged is what causes most roll overs. Weight shifts to the rear and if a front tire suddenly hits something and gets even a little traction, it'll spin you sideways so fast you won't know what happened until you're at the bottom of the hill on your roof. Even at crawling speeds, there's still a big risk that a front will slip or catch the edge of something and pull you sideways. I was watching epic fails off road on utube last week. If you know what to look for you can see where several of the roll overs were caused by exactly what I'm talking about above. Mud is a different story. You want front and rear locked. There its simple - there is no question of whether tires are going to slip. You want all four spinning, all the time. Tires and lockers are about even up in importance. Here you want an aggressive tire that is extremely good at self cleaning. Interco Boggers are a good example. Note: I'm not endorsing Boggers. They're extremely heavy even in smaller tires and will beat the crap out of a Sport IFS suspension and drive train.  Edward |
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Post by ES_97Sport on Nov 30, 2015 15:11:16 GMT -5
Dang, and I forgot - really good flotation. That counts for a LOT in the sand and snow. That's a big reason I run the Geolandar M/Ts. They're not super aggressive so they don't have a tendency to dig in and flotation is amazing. They're not a good choice for a mud tire, though. They self evacuate very, very well, but again, they're not very aggressive. Also, they only have a 3 ply sidewall. Just asking for trouble in the mud. They're an extremely good tire for CO and UT where there's little mud but lots of rock, gravel and sand and stuff is frequently wet. Not lots of broken pieces of rock, but lots of rock slabs and slick rock where there's little to worry about with the sidewalls. Super sticky so they'll climb stuff unlocked that guys can't fully locked. Edward |
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You can't do this snow bashing because - literally - you have no steering control. Otherwise, the only time I use lockers is below a 1-2 miles an hour off road.
Basically, they'll get you stuck worse, faster. 