Ram 1500 vs 5.3L Sierra

[ktl5005]

My experience with LSD in snow is that it tends to push the rear end sideways rather than forward. I'm talking packed snow. Very slippery conditions. It's down right dangerous. Better off with open diff in that scenario.

And these are the road conditons in NEPA in winter months. Penndott nowhere to be found and packed snow cover roads.

 

[silver billet]

It's down right dangerous.

I live in snow country, southern ontario, we get that greasy slimy stuff all the time. Haven't had any issues whatsoever with my rear end spinning out on me, possibly because I always engage 4 auto in snowy conditions. No doubt your scenario is possible. Keep in mind that some tech is a dual edge sword, like ABS in that it allows you to stop straighter but not faster. Depending on your perspective, you might call ABS absolutely dangerous because it takes longer to stop, but most people have learned to adapt to it and prefer the pro over the con.

All around, add up my driving usage and I suspect for the vast majority of drivers too, LSD is preferred over an open diff.

 

[Cuppedup]

What about slick mud on a 10ft across levee? LSD or locker ?

 

[silver billet]

What about slick mud on a 10ft across levee? LSD or locker ?

The manual locker always does a better job, when you engage it; the LSD has to slip first in order for it to activate. The advantage of the LSD is that it's always there and waiting and can activate when you are not expecting to need it. While off road, the manual locker is always preferred, but you have to activate it first.

 

[devildodge]

What about slick mud on a 10ft across levee? LSD or locker ?

Tires. Get rid of the factory ones and get a good mud tire.

eLocker will be better than an anti spin in mud.

The anti spin and eLocker perform similarly to an extent and then are exactly different.

I have been playing in the mud for the past 2 months. I wish i had an eLocker. The anti spin sometimes grabs and sometimes doesn't.

I wish a hundred times over I had mud tires. They are coming though. Got a few more miles on these ones, and it is towing season.

Also, get used to using the BLDS. Every RAM truck has it. Brake Lock Differential System.

Stay in the throttle (easy does it) and the truck will perform as if it has lockers front and rear. It senses the slipping tire and uses the brakes to get power to the non slipping tire.


Ultimately an open diff will be fine (until it isn't). But why not have the most traction available.

Be wary of the 4wd auto. There is a reason the REBEL doesn't have it.

 

[Cuppedup]

So the price of obtaining a E-locker (on the models I have found in my state) is about a $7K difference than the LSD due to the other packages and upgrades that come with the Elocker. Is it worth the $7K? I’m leaning towards no....

 

[devildodge]

If you are saying it includes the off road group...then yes. You will get the raised height, hill descent control (which will help if these mud patches go down or up hill)

I can not figure out why it would raise it 7 grand.

The eLocker itself is a fairly cheap option. Even the off road group is a cheap option.

Dealers need to option their trucks better for this reason.

Is ordering a truck an option for you.

To be honest. You may never need either the anti spin or the eLocker, and then when you do it may be worth more than 7k.

If you find the truck you want, has everything else you need get it. But if you can atleast have the anti spin...but the eLocker would be better

 

[Neurobit]

Unless you find yourself in situations like @devildodge above, I would say no.
I don't do any of that, except light off-roading if going camping, etc, so for me anti-slip is even more desirable (for slippery situations, inclement weather, etc) as it is automatic and requires no user intervention. Only you can decide if worth it or not.

 

[mikeru82]

To be clear, you can't get the anti-spin if you want the ORG. I wanted the ORG so my only choice was to get the e-locker.

I've only had this truck for one winter, and we had some treacherous conditions on a lot of mornings this year. But my truck performed flawlessly using the stock Falken Wildpeak A/T tires and auto 4wd setting. And of course, driving for the conditions. Used the e-locker only one time, just to try it out. But it wasn't needed.

I've owned a couple different 2wd trucks over the years, and I will never own another one unless I move to a region that never gets wintry driving conditions. I can drive with 2wd, but I choose not to. Got tired of dealing with sandbags. Adding them for weight/traction in the winter and storing them in the summer. I enjoy the fact that I don't need to deal with that anymore.

 

[Cuppedup]

If you are saying it includes the off road group...then yes. You will get the raised height, hill descent control (which will help if these mud patches go down or up hill)

I can not figure out why it would raise it 7 grand.

The eLocker itself is a fairly cheap option. Even the off road group is a cheap option.

Dealers need to option their trucks better for this reason.

Is ordering a truck an option for you.

To be honest. You may never need either the anti spin or the eLocker, and then when you do it may be worth more than 7k.

If you find the truck you want, has everything else you need get it. But if you can atleast have the anti spin...but the eLocker would be better

So the used or new trucks that I have found with e-lockers also have other upgraded options that I don’t neee. Convenience 2, this, that etc. I don’t need all that other stuff they outfit the truck with. If I could find a CC long bed with the sport and ORG with locker For under $40K id pull the trigger, but it seems like those are all above $40K

 

[Cuppedup]

Also, doesn’t 4Lo lock all the tires so all of them have power? Wouldn’t that be just as good?

 

[silver billet]

Also, doesn’t 4Lo lock all the tires so all of them have power? Wouldn’t that be just as good?

With open diffs everywhere, 4x4 does not lock anything. That's what the "locker" or "diffs" do. With open diffs on an axle, as soon as one wheel spins, traction is lost at the entire axle because torque goes to the wheel that slips. With an open center diff in a 4x4, you are still only as good as the first wheel that slips at which point you stop moving.

Modern traction control will attempt to brake the spinning wheel so that torque then goes to the other wheel. But it's not instantaneous, and not as good as a true 4x4 with locking diffs (both front and rear locking diffs is best).

 

[SpeedyV]

I just made this decision a few weeks ago - although I was looking at a Silverado LTZ - & decided to go with the RAM. The Chevy is a nice truck. As far as looks are concerned, I'm an old school chrome guy (my Harley is dripping in it) & compared to my RAM with the Sport package I liked the look of the chrome front end on the Silverado more than that of my RAM. I drove them both; overall the Dodge would get the nod for overall comfort & drivability but the Chevy wasn't bad at all. The Silverado I drove had the feature where the engine shuts off when stopped at a traffic signal or in traffic & it worked seamlessly - my RAM Hemi doesn't do that. It also had the dual cameras in the back that have the ability to "see through" a trailer when towing which is cool. Overall though, the RAM interior is a more friendly place (IMO) to spend time. As far as the engines & drivetrains, as I didn't drive them back-to-back I can't really say (the Chevy was the 5.3L).

What really turned it for me though was the deal I was able to score on the RAM. The saleswoman I had at Chevy was great & I really wanted to buy a truck from her. But she couldn't come anywhere close to the deal I was getting from Dodge. I bought a truck with a window sticker price thousands of dollars more for thousands of dollars less. I'm not a person that will run to another deal for a few hundred dollars - this was different, it was a huge sum of money.
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LSD helps in mud, a Locker is a far better option for true off-roading in mud conditions.

Correct. And a LSD can actually be a bad thing when attempting to get moving on super-slick surfaces, e.g. ice. A locker is much better in that situation.

 

[devildodge]

In all seriousness...experience with driving in the mud far outweighs the ability of the truck.

If you don't have experience driving in the mud...maybe just get open diffs...that way you won't get stuck too bad or too far in.

We have a few threads that explain this.

2wd with open diff...only one wheel will have power
2wd anti spin...one wheel has power til the other spins engages the clutch then both have power.

2wd eLocker...both wheels have known power

4wheel high/low open diff...one front one rear
4wheel high low anti spin...same as above and one front
4wheel high/low eLocker....same as above and one front.

Using BLDS fools the truck to have all 4 wheels have power.