LSD or Locker

[Bill English]

Newbie here, getting ready to pull the trigger on a new Ram Bighorn but I have a question.
I live in Western Pennsylvania, I deal with hills and snow and rain and want to know if I am better off getting the LSD or the E-Locker?
Occasional trips to the OBX driving on the sand will also happen.

I've had a Dakota with the LSD and loved it, my current '06 Ram has open diff and I hate it, got stuck in my own yard which is perfectly flat after rain.

Let me know what everyone's thoughts are.

 

[VaderRebel]

Locker. It's an amazing differential and I'll never own a truck without one again.

 

[dsmgsx916]

A full locking diff is far more useful, but unlike LSD, you do have to know when to engage and disengage it on your own. Also, LSD is dependent on clutch packs that do wear out with use, eventually rendering your LSD completely usuless until they’re replaced.

Personally, I’d only own a 4x4 with a full locking diff, it makes the truck infinitely more capable.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

The traction control uses the brakes independently to keep torque going to the wheel with grip even an open differential axle so there's less need for the Anti-Slip (LSD). The E-Locker is more effective when traction is needed most. Ant-Slip may have an advantage on ice but 4-Auto works better in most cases.

 

[Granite5thgen]

I have the e locker, only used it once or twice to see if there was a difference in the snow in 2wd. When not engaged it does pretty well with traction control on. I turned TC off and used the locker and you can definitely tell a difference. Imo I like it and if you're ever doing any decent off roading I'd rather have a locker than not

 

[cotonymopar]

I have the elocker on mine, and had the LSD on my old 12 ram, glad the new one had the Elocker

 

[Jackham]

Well as I understand it LSD can provide quite a "trip" but it can be dangerous and unreliable. Just sayin....

 

[2wd]

I've had both. The Locker is a must for heavy/hardcore off roading, rock crawling. The LSD is better in some on road emergency situations, and can also offer an advantage in some off road situations at higher speeds (beach, dirt roads, mud, possible some snow situations, where your tires need to spin). Lockers typically disengage over 20-25 MPG to keep from damaging themselves.

The computer controlled TC systems can be hit or miss. I wouldn't go open diff if you can avoid it. Get either the locker or LSD.

 

[Chris]

Too many other threads to list with similar questions.

If you are spending the money, get an E-Locker; you may appreciate the extra functionality, but even if you don't the guy that buys the truck off of you will want it more then the LSD (which is significantly less durable then the E-Locker and will need repairs/replacement much sooner).

I have personally found that the brake-simulated LSD works convincingly well for me (hint: reduce traction control without killing the simmed LSD in low-traction situations such as deep snow and sand for best effect), and at any speeds high enough to disable the E-Locker (20 mph+) the simmed LSD works just as well in straight lines without the instability that mechanical LSD causes in "high-speed" tight turns. Your brakes won't last as long, but that is but a drop in a bucket compared to replacing the mechanical LSD every few years in equivalent driving style scenarios.

We really need a sticky on this to outline the benefits and drawbacks of E-Locker, mechanical LSD, and brake-simulated LSD.

For the price, one of my few regrets is not getting an E-Locker just in case I wanted to use it (which I heartily believe I would make up the cost in resale demand). On the other hand, I second guessed not getting mechanical LSD for about a day, until I did the research and talked to many others and realized the maintenance combined with the advancements on simmed LSD means I will probably never need the mechanical LSD again for newer vehicle.

 

[Billy James]

There are a lot of threads debating this. People with Lockers will tell you locker; people with LSD will tell you LSD. I have LSD and will tell you LSD because it is always active; a locker must be turned on and should not be left on at all times. Either way, make sure to get one of them. Traction control may work; but its just not as good. A truck with traction control only will still slip and spin on wet roads when accelerating; LSD or locker will prevent this (but you must anticipate it and turn locker on first). I have nothing against locker, but I'm not rock crawling or doing heavy off-roading so LSD is more appropriate for me.

 

[schwizzle]

There are a lot of threads debating this. People with Lockers will tell you locker; people with LSD will tell you LSD. I have LSD and will tell you LSD because it is always active; a locker must be turned on and should not be left on at all times. Either way, make sure to get one of them. Traction control may work; but its just not as good. A truck with traction control only will still slip and spin on wet roads when accelerating; LSD or locker will prevent this (but you must anticipate it and turn locker on first). I have nothing against locker, but I'm not rock crawling or doing heavy off-roading so LSD is more appropriate for me.

I have always had locking diffs but also live in the mountains and off road my vehicles. If your intended use does not include off roading, driving on fire roads where you could get stuck, etc. then a locker may not be needed.

 

[ExcursionDiesel]

The only spinning I've experienced on wet roads is during a start going uphill while turning. TC kicked on and limited the spin. No instability or fishtailing. The downside of both wheels spinning (a locker) is loss of directional control of the rear. Driving on ice can be a real chalenge since the back of the truck will slide towards the ditch if both wheels spin.

There is no perfect solution in a Ram. I wish Jeep's Quadra-Drive II was available in our trucks. The "trail rated" version of the Grand Cherokee has it. It is world-class and sure-footed...and always 4WD.

 

[Kxlexus]

I have a LSD but would prefer the locker. Get one or the other. Don’t rely on traction control on muddy hills or you will be stuck. The traction control will cut power back in an effort to reduce spinning then you won’t have enough power to climb the hill. Ask me how I know. I’ve had to turn off traction control several times to keep from being stuck. Sometimes in mud you need wheel spin to clean the tire tread of mud

 

[DarkKn1ght]

A LSD is better on road and a locker is better off road. My truck is a tow rig for my Jeep so the LSD was a no brainer for me.

 

[dandar]

LSD for on road, e-locker for off road. LSD kicks in automatically when you lose traction, you have to turn e-locker on manually when you anticipate losing traction because it locks the two wheels together which is not desirable for normal driving. I think e-locker is standard on the rebel.

 

[Chris]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again; if you are willing to spend the money on the mechanical LSD, then just buy the e-locker; it is far more beneficial, and in the rare few situations that you can't use the e-locker, the brake-simulated LSD will perform as well as a mechanical LSD. In all other situations, the e-locker will substantially outperform both.

Note that traction control and brake-simulated LSD are two very different things; you can disable traction control (cutting engine power) while leaving on brake-simulated LSD (stability control?), which will have a tiny bit more brake wear but send the power to the wheel with traction similar to a mechanical LSD; note that the mechanical LSD will do this better at low speeds, but the e-locker will just dominate at low speeds.

One of my few regrets is not buying the e-locker; I love the way the brake-simulated LSD works once I'm moving on the road, but on rare occasions where I have to move through something very slow like Ice and Mud I could use that e-locker (not to mention the resale value the e-locker would give me).

 

[SynAckuL]

After reading many comments on this forum and others about LSD and locking rear differentials, I hesitantly went with the rear locking diff. I was worried about traction without LSD, as everyone was mentioning that it may be a problem, but I have yet to experience any traction issues here in south Florida where it's been raining hard almost every day this month. As I plan on overlanding with this truck, I really wanted the rear locking differential, and now I'm glad I went with it and didn't let the fear of not having LSD win.

 

[Cr250Ram]

I also went with the locker. It is the best choice. These new cars have traction control that applies individual wheel brakes during spin. This kinda acts like a LSD. In order of traction I would say; open, traction control, Limited slip, selectable locker. The locker is a good choice if you plan going off road to any level.

 

[thabiiighomie]

What are people’s opinions on LSD vs E-Locker for dropping a boat off at a slippery/mucky launch? I have a 4x4 with LSD. Also live in a hilly area with some snow in the winter. Felt like the best overall option for me.

 

[Billy James]

What are people’s opinions on LSD vs E-Locker for dropping a boat off at a slippery/mucky launch? I have a 4x4 with LSD. Also live in a hilly area with some snow in the winter. Felt like the best overall option for me.

I have LSD and 4x4. I throw the truck in 4wd Auto when launching and recovering the boat; never had a problem. The best part about the LSD is I get no spin accelerating on wet roads. Being a former Jeep guy; I understand the benefits of a locker. However, my truck wasn't purchased for off road and wheeling. Therefore, LSD was the best option for me. LSD is always there, all modes, all speeds. E-Locker is for extreme conditions. Max speed for E-Locker is 40 MPH in 4WD Low; it disengages at 25 MPH (and re-engages at 20 MPH) in 2WD, 4WD, AUTO, and 4WD high. I think you selected the best option for your expected conditions. From the owner's manual: "The locking of the rear differential should only be engaged during low-speed, extreme off-road situations where one wheel is likely to not be in contact with the ground. It is not recommended to drive the vehicle with the differentials locked on pavement due to the reduced ability to turn and speed limitations."