Are you using your E-Locker?

[Chippy]

That's usually more the wrong tires, or worn tires and poor judgment. You DO NOT want to use a locking diff on a road for any driving purpose other than getting moving or unstuck. It will destroy your tires. The easiest way to stay out of a ditch is to not be on the road when conditions deteriorate. Barring that, preparation with proper good tires and knowing when to get your foot off the gas, such as in turns or aggressive acceleration on slick roads. Especially with a 2wd truck. Even in 4WD Auto or Hi it will still slide in poor conditions if you put it in the wrong situation.

You cannot use locker at speed but your limited slip can kick in for fun on the icy hwy going up a hill. I prefer to use GOOD Judgement and engage actual 4x4 when it’s appropriate. Then like I said the locker is the icing on the cake when the situation calls for it.

 

[HSKR R/T]

I like a locker in the rear on snow. Makes it more fun to drive if you know what you are doing.

 

[jdmartin]

I haven't used mine at all yet in almost 2 years of ownership. But that's OK - I'd rather have something and not need it than the other way around. I will eventually need to use it, and I will be glad to have it when that day comes. It's the same with 4WD - I live in the southern mountains and most years don't see enough snow to even use the 4WD. But no one plows around here, and a couple of inches here is paralyzing without 4WD, and so the half dozen times I use it per season I'm damn glad to have it instead of walking home, which is what I used to do when I only had 2WD.

 

[jdmartin]

That's usually more the wrong tires, or worn tires and poor judgment. You DO NOT want to use a locking diff on a road for any driving purpose other than getting moving or unstuck. It will destroy your tires. The easiest way to stay out of a ditch is to not be on the road when conditions deteriorate. Barring that, preparation with proper good tires and knowing when to get your foot off the gas, such as in turns or aggressive acceleration on slick roads. Especially with a 2wd truck. Even in 4WD Auto or Hi it will still slide in poor conditions if you put it in the wrong situation.

I see this all the time where I live in the winter. I can think of at least 3 occasions where someone passed me on the interstate and I came up on them 5-15 minutes later off the road. I'm baffled when I am driving in 4WD in the winter and watch FWDs and peglegs passing me. The most things I see passing me in bad weather is women in big AWD SUVs, as if AWD gives you immunity against bad roads.

 

[SD Rebel]

I used it once so far. I go off-roading a lot in 2WD in the open desert at speed, which means I usually never lose enough momentum to get stuck. However, I will occasionally have to slow down and one time in the softer sand I used it to get out.

 

[Rammit]

I haven’t used mine yet but after reading these posts, I’m going to try it out.

 

[TheGoogleNinja]

I use mine regularly, it avoids using 4wd in a lot of situations, like on a washboard gravel surface, or tight, steep..ish turns on gravel, uneven surfaces, etc... The locker really helps a lot. That being said, its not a 4wd replacement. I feel it is a useful tool if you spend any time in off pavement situations. I have yet to see if it has any use in winter conditions as I've never had a locker in the snow. I like the idea that I can turn it off and on vs. the limited-slip which decides when it locks. I've had older muscle cars with posi-trac rear ends and they could catch you by surprise on ice. Still fun though. lol

 

[Cudapower]

I like my plain old sure grip. Its there and comes on automatically. I don't have to remember after I'm spinning or hung up to push the button.

 

[Polo08816]

I see this all the time where I live in the winter. I can think of at least 3 occasions where someone passed me on the interstate and I came up on them 5-15 minutes later off the road. I'm baffled when I am driving in 4WD in the winter and watch FWDs and peglegs passing me. The most things I see passing me in bad weather is women in big AWD SUVs, as if AWD gives you immunity against bad roads.

At speed on inclement roads, AWD/4WD is less of a factor compared to proper tires and car control skills.

I've passed many AWD/4WD vehicles with all season type tires on snow packed/covered highways and roads in a RWD sports car on Michelin X-Ice Xi3 or Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 tires. Then again, having spent quite some time on race tracks and events in inclement weather - ie. Watkins Glen International in the early spring or late fall with heavy rain, sometimes snow, and temps in the 40s on summer tires - also helps.

Personally, I prefer to have a limited slip differential than an E-locker - it suits my driving style better. I'm never going rock crawling so E-locker doesn't matter too much for me. I can't see a personal use case where 4wd with a limited slip rear diff and proper tires would not be sufficient.

 

[Sascwatch]

I prefer the electronic locker over the limited slip due to the fact that it’s disables at higher speeds. Two years ago I was headed out ice fishing trying to stay ahead of some freezing rain but got caught. While driving 60-70 mph on what seemed like just wet pavement we hit some ice when the truck downshifted to climb a hill and both rear wheels spun causing the back end to go sideways. At 4am on the 401 it made for a good adrenaline boost, nobody slept after that. I don’t know if an open diff would have made a difference tho as there was a good pile up at that incline shortly after we passed through.

I have been able to test my locker out in some deep 1-2ft of snow on the logging roads up north and had zero issues. Between the locker and 4wd I never felt like the truck was traction limited.

 

[HSKR R/T]

So my e-locker failed me last night at drag strip. It released during my burn out and I was only spinning one wheel because wheel speed was above 25mph. In that situation, either having a way to keep it engaged full time, or a limited slip would have been better.

 

[Polo08816]

At speed on inclement roads, AWD/4WD is less of a factor compared to proper tires and car control skills.

I've passed many AWD/4WD vehicles with all season type tires on snow packed/covered highways and roads in a RWD sports car on Michelin X-Ice Xi3 or Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 tires. Then again, having spent quite some time on race tracks and events in inclement weather - ie. Watkins Glen International in the early spring or late fall with heavy rain, sometimes snow, and temps in the 40s on summer tires - also helps.

Personally, I prefer to have a limited slip differential than an E-locker - it suits my driving style better. I'm never going rock crawling so E-locker doesn't matter too much for me. I can't see a personal use case where 4wd with a limited slip rear diff and proper tires would not be sufficient.

I prefer the electronic locker over the limited slip due to the fact that it’s disables at higher speeds. Two years ago I was headed out ice fishing trying to stay ahead of some freezing rain but got caught. While driving 60-70 mph on what seemed like just wet pavement we hit some ice when the truck downshifted to climb a hill and both rear wheels spun causing the back end to go sideways. At 4am on the 401 it made for a good adrenaline boost, nobody slept after that. I don’t know if an open diff would have made a difference tho as there was a good pile up at that incline shortly after we passed through.

I have been able to test my locker out in some deep 1-2ft of snow on the logging roads up north and had zero issues. Between the locker and 4wd I never felt like the truck was traction limited.

When comparing open diff to limited slip, it will take a vehicle longer to transition from stability to instability with an open differential. With a limited slip differential, that transition happens quicker. If the driver cannot detect that the rear axle has lost traction quickly enough and manage the combination of steering and throttle inputs, the vehicle will be in an unrecoverable state where no matter how skill the driver is, he/she cannot save it.

However, a limited slip differential will make it easier for a skilled driver to control the vehicle in a state of instability - dynamic traction.

Also, depending on the type of limited slip rear differential and how much lock it applies under braking, it could affect the amount of rotation the vehicle experiences under heavy braking where the weight of the vehicle shifts to the front axle. An open differential or even a Torsen limited slip differential will let/allow the vehicle to rotate much faster as there is no lock under deceleration versus a clutch based limited slip differential that has some lock under deceleration.

 

[Rhombus]

So this is my second ecodiesel 1500. My son is on his second hemi. I’ve always told him he could beat me off the line, but I could always beat him at stump pulling.

so it turns out this weekend he had some hedge stumps to pull.they were really large and had 10 years of root growth. Rocky, hard clay and very dry San Antonio soil We broke some 500 pound pull rope. So,I went and bought a 30”, 7400 pound tow strap. Put the truck in 4 wheel drive, and locked the rear axle.

OMG what fun!. The ground would move and flex from the roots, and than you would hear tearing from from under the ground. And then, up comes the stump. No root cutting or anything. I realize it’s not like we were pulling tree stumps, but man it felt good. These were easily 8 - 10” across. Pull one, hook up another an rip it out. We had to let out a few Tim the Toolman Taylor “grunts”.

no tire spin. So, there’s my rear locker use......