Spool, locker or OEM LSD?

[bgilbert]

What do you all suggest for putting the power to the ground for drag racing, a spool, a locker or a factory limited slip? I'm all about the cheap, don't care much about chirping wheels during corners, don't drive this truck during winter, just want to be able to have a true 2 wheel drive and not one wheel drive.

Also I don't really want to try a weld up job either. I figured by now I'd find a donor truck with a limited slip rear and good 2wd 5 speed tranny then I'd have parts for two trucks. But now I think I need to look into a spool or something. Also how about sources for each. Thanks.

[CAJUN 93]

i have driven several race cars on the street with spools and it can be nerve racking. get caught in a rain and you'll have to sit till it stops (white knuckle driving to say the least ). lockers provide a stregnth advantage over lsd but can be rather clunky in traffic and normal driving. the factory lsd seems to be stout enough to handle these trucks at least till you install slicks. thats the way i'm going.

daryl

[Ace]

Might want to consider this. I've got two and they seem to work great in my 8.75 Mopar rears.

http://www.powertrax.com/noslip.html

[KTA]

I blew 4 sets of spider gears outv the back cover of my Dana 80 LSD before I put an ARB in. If you launch hard and have over 500rwhp and it hooks at all expect the spiders to say goodbye. Cheapest for the money is a lincoln locked OPEN diff. A full spool is the strongest, and a detroit is a compromise between an LSD and an ARB.

[Fnschlaud4620]

I have had a welded open diff behind a 2wd truck, big block powered around 350 hp and it has lived for a long time, I know that your cummins makes way more power than that but IMO I dont feel that power is a problem with it being welded solid.

I feel that if you dont do any towing and dont ever carry alot of weight in the bed of the truck the welded diff will hold fine. It will grab going around corners alittle and you will have to be more careful in bad weather, but it is way cheaper and the odds are it wont break. If the truck is only a toy I say weld it.

[TWorline]

Back in the 70's I had a 71 Challenger with a built 360 and a full locker in the rear, drove it year round and it was a blast, way more fun than a lsd!

[Rebel Ram]

Not that I need to on any of my current rides but what is welded in the "Lincolns"? Do you just gob up weld at the spiders or is there a more pro way? Would like to see picks for kicks.

[jer1]

When I weld the spiders, I throw in a piece of 1/2" plate steel cut to fit on each side. This really improves the strength of a lincoln locker. I have run this setup on my Jeep for years with no problems. I also used the same method on my 3/4 ton gasser Dodge that I used to haul a lot of firewood and my camper. Ran it that way for 3 years, then sold the truck, so can't say how it is now. Haven't done it to my Cummins as I drive it in the snow a lot and like to go straight down the road. ARB's are in store for it when I get the money. That said, I like the handling of a welded diff or spool better than an automatic locker, such as a Detroit. Much more predictable, you always know what it's going to do. In the end, a lincoln locker is only as strong as your welds.

[jer1]

BTW, Bill, with the kind of power you're putting down, go with a spool.