Anti-spin differential

[wallyuwl]

I have seen some posts on anti-spin through searching, and looked it up quite a bit online. It seems like it would be nice to have, especially since where I live gets some ice and a lot of snow and I think it would be nice to pull the boat out from the boat ramp, too. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Laramie without it, but got a call from a different dealer they we willing to give me $800 more on my trade (still +$475 when accounting for doc fee difference), and this dealer is much closer. The problem is they don't have a truck on their lot but would locate one for me.

That said, I can possibly get a truck with anti-slip from this dealer for the same price as the other dealer I was/am working with on the truck without it.

A couple questions I haven't been able to find out:
1. Does it actually hurt in the snow?
2. Can you turn it off?
3. How often (years and/or mileage) do they typically need to be repaired or replaced? Can they be rebuilt or need to be replaced? Cost?

 

[SpeedyV]

I have seen some posts on anti-spin through searching, and looked it up quite a bit online. It seems like it would be nice to have, especially since where I live gets some ice and I think it would be nice to pull the boat out from the boat ramp, too. I was just about to pull the trigger on a Laramie without it, but got a call from a different dealer they we willing to give me $800 more on my trade (still +$475 when accounting for doc fee difference), and this dealer is much closer. The problem is they don't have a truck on their lot but would locate one for me.

That said, I can possibly get a truck with anti-slip from this dealer for the same price as the other dealer I was/am working with on the truck without it.

A couple questions I haven't been able to find out:
1. Does it actually hurt in the snow?
2. Can you turn it off?
3. How often (years and/or mileage) do they typically need to be repaired or replaced? Can they be rebuilt or need to be replaced? Cost?

1. Not usually. It would be a very rare situation (e.g. starting out on ice) where you could see negative effects. But don’t forget you also have traction control and (the option for) 4WD.
2. No.
3. Yes, but that would be many, many miles from now.

For your needs, an ELocker might also be an option. It would be better on a boat ramp, for example.

 

[Billy James]

1. It will help in snow. It is also helpful on wet roads when you accelerate from a stop (and boat ramps).
2. You cannot turn it off; it works automatically and only kicks in when it needs to.
3. They should only require servicing (gear oil changes) at prescribed intervals. They can be rebuilt like any other rear axle can.

For what its worth... I have a co-worker who bought a RAM before I got mine. His RAM does not have the Anit-Spin (or limited slip) differential. He is always complaining about tire spin on wet roads when accelerating from a stop or when accelerating around corners. When he complained to the dealer; they told him he should have gotten Anti-spin instead of an open differential due to the way he drives. I have the Anti-Spin in my truck partially because of my co-worker's experience; but also because of my own past experience in my vehicles that didn't have it. For me it was a "must have" option on my truck. If you google "limited slip differential" you can find full explanations of what the RAM "anti-spin differential" is and does. If you have the option of a truck with anti-spin or without it; get the one with it....you'll be glad that you did.

 

[Aseras]

Anti spin or limited slip differential is just a set of springs.
In an open diff, when the resistance is lower on one tire than another, one tire can spin faster. This is necessary such as when making a turn. The inside wheel does not need to move as much as the outside wheel. However, in very slippery conditions, such as a slick road or mud, if there is too much torque applied the first tire that slips gets all the power and spins freely while the stuck tire gets none. the LSD is a spring set that keeps the differential from delivering all the power to only one side. One tire can still spin more than the other, and can still cause you to slide out but will still give you some traction on the less moving tire. This is usually enough to get you unstuck if say one wheel is on pavement and one is in mud or wet grass.

A Locking differential or Electronic locking differential ( E-Locker ) works by locking the diff so both axles rotate exactly the same amount. You don't want this all the time as it will make one tire skip and one tire drag when making turns.
In very slick conditions, you can still spin both tires. Then you need 4WD. If you spin all 4 wheels with 4WD, you need a tow truck.

Thats the differences.

 

[BowDown]

Its a bit more than a set of springs

 

[Dusty1948]

The factory LSD American Axle, Corporate, and now the ZF LSD used in Rams, operate with a set of spring loaded clutches that allow one axle to slip in proportion to the load on the wheel while still providing power to that wheel.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 040268 miles.

 

[The Critic]

1) No
2) No, it is a mechanical function.
3) Theoretically no, but supposedly the clutches will eventually wear out.

IMO it is a must have.

 

[392DCGC]

I've driven trucks with and without, haven't really noticed a huge difference. Traction control mimics it with braking the slipping wheel, but I'm not sure how effective that is compared to LSD. My rear wheels still spin pretty easy when wet even though I have LSD - if they're both spinning, LSD doesn't do much of anything useful. Your tires and right foot are going to make the biggest difference.

 

[silver billet]

I've driven trucks with and without, haven't really noticed a huge difference. Traction control mimics it with braking the slipping wheel, but I'm not sure how effective that is compared to LSD. My rear wheels still spin pretty easy when wet even though I have LSD - if they're both spinning, LSD doesn't do much of anything useful. Your tires and right foot are going to make the biggest difference.

True, driver and tires are very important. You can still spin all 4 wheels with 4x4, doesn't mean that 4x4 isn't effective. 4x4, (E)LSD, traction control; they're all useful aids in one form or another and it's better to have them than not.

 

[LaxDfns15]

It's really important to know whether you're getting a 4WD truck or not. All of your concerns can be handled by having a truck in 4Hi or a Limited Slip or an E-locker or some combination of them. I have personally never had a Limited Slip, but I've had E-lockers for over a decade of truck ownership. I've never used it on wet or slick pavement, or when pulling a boat out. 4Hi solves all those problems easily, and you can go in and out of 4WD relatively easy. Even easier if you have 4Auto.

 

[silver billet]

It's really important to know whether you're getting a 4WD truck or not. All of your concerns can be handled by having a truck in 4Hi or a Limited Slip or an E-locker or some combination of them. I have personally never had a Limited Slip, but I've had E-lockers for over a decade of truck ownership. I've never used it on wet or slick pavement, or when pulling a boat out. 4Hi solves all those problems easily, and you can go in and out of 4WD relatively easy. Even easier if you have 4Auto.

The beauty of LSD is that you don't have to engage it. So yes if you're aware you're going to slip and have time to manually switch stuff around, no problem. But LSD is for those times when slip occurs unexpectedly, or when you have somebody driving it who just drives without knowing/understanding all the systems you might have. It's a valuable tool, but not the end of the world one way or the other.

 

[wallyuwl]

Well, I got LSD. A dealer I had been talking with came back with another $1500 on my trade. So it will cost me under $70 to get a truck with a $850 higher MSRP than the one I was going to get. The truck this dealer got/could get has LSD, no etorque. I think it will be nice to have in rain, or when the wife drives it. I will change the fluid every 30k miles so clutches don't wear out too quick. Hopefully I can take delivery before the end of the month.

 

[SpeedyV]

The beauty of LSD is that you don't have to engage it. So yes if you're aware you're going to slip and have time to manually switch stuff around, no problem. But LSD is for those times when slip occurs unexpectedly, or when you have somebody driving it who just drives without knowing/understanding all the systems you might have. It's a valuable tool, but not the end of the world one way or the other.

Yes...sort of. Obviously, some slippage is required to trigger engagement of the LSD in the first place. The same goes for Auto 4WD. I've had both options on my past trucks, and I can't say with certainty that they do a better job than a good traction control system. But in general, I'd say that an LSD provides benefits at higher speeds, particularly in intermittent traction conditions, whereas an ELocker provides outstanding low-speed traction on demand.

@wallyuwl, I'm sure you will be pleased with that LSD!

 

[BowDown]

Well, I got LSD. A dealer I had been talking with came back with another $1500 on my trade. So it will cost me under $70 to get a truck with a $850 higher MSRP than the one I was going to get. The truck this dealer got/could get has LSD, no etorque. I think it will be nice to have in rain, or when the wife drives it. I will change the fluid every 30k miles so clutches don't wear out too quick. Hopefully I can take delivery before the end of the month.

The LSD wearing out is waaayyy over stated on this forum. My 2003 with an LSD has 277K miles and is as tight now as it was in 2003, make a tight low speed turn and you can hear the inside tire gripping the pavement wanting to spin

 

[Yogi217]

I did my own research into this because i was considering the anti slip vs locker for my application.

My brother-in-law, who grew up in Manitoba Canada and also lived a few years in Edmonton, and now in Buffalo (he works in the NHL) always had pickup trucks. He's had no locker, locker and anti slip. He advised anti slip for snow, ice, gravel/dirt roads, wet roads, etc. He said the only time he used a locker was to test it out... and then never needed it with a 4x4 hi/low and traction control.

Now I'm not talking off roading. I've been happy so far. It's helped me pull onto interstate roads coming from a dead stop on a dirt/gravel roads and wet pavement.

If i was doing serious off roading or more technical diving I'd probably want the e locker so i know when it's on and i choose when to engage it. For every daly driving and especially when my wife takes it (who has no clue about such things), i have been satisfied.

I'll let you know how this winter goes, but i suspect any issues i have will be because of the tires first, and perhaps just getting used to new truck.

Sent from my SM-N975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[HSKR R/T]

1. Does it actually hurt in the snow?
That depends on the driver. If you know what to expect from a limited slip and how to control a slide, it absolutely helps in the snow/ice. If you are inexperienced and don't know how to drive a RWD vehicle with limited slip, it can cause you to spin out much easier leading to "hurting" in the snow.

2. Can you turn it off?
No, as already answered, it's a mechanical engagement of the clutch pack in the differential.

3. How often (years and/or mileage) do they typically need to be repaired or replaced? Can they be rebuilt or need to be replaced? Cost?

The maintenance of when it would need services is part of owners manual. You will need to change fluid more often than an open differential, and requires special additive that will increase price. Price will be determined by who does the service.