Open diff vs. rear e locker - did I make a mistake?

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Gibs45

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I have been 4-wheeling in the Colorado/Wyoming/Montana mountains for over 40 years. This is the first truck I have had with a rear locker. My experience has shown that it is in no way required for my adventures, but now that I have it...it sure is nice! Kind of like air conditioning, don't really need it, but makes things more comfortable.

Saying that, I don't think I would upgrade to an aftermarket e-locker if I didn't all ready have it.
Good to know! I will continue to be mindful of the lines I take. Would love to get up to Colorado for some exploring soon. Your Ranger looks great by the way.
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While nice to have, a rear lock is far from required for off-roading. I've wheeled plenty of vehicles without lockers and they were fine.
Appreciate the reassurance! I donā€™t think Iā€™ll be adding that locker anytime soon.
 

9zero1790

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the traction control system and independent wheel braking is excellent on the rangers. once in a while it is a bit slow to kick in but it works nicely. i have the locker and have used it maybe ten times now total. almost all of the times were cases i could have made it without it if i had a better line or kicked some rocks around. is it worth having - sure! is it worth adding - if your truck is for fun and you are off road a lot then yes. if its more of a weekend now and then off road use then no. it may be easier to find a wrecked 5g with the locker in a salvage yard and just take the entire rear axle.
 

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From my understanding, Ford uses the same world-renowned 4x4 traction control technology as Land Rover. They obtained this technology during the time they owned both Jaguar and Land Rover. This is why they perform much better off-road than people would expect.
 

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4wd locks the speed of the front and rear axles together. That means the wheel with the least traction on each axle can only spin as fast as its counterpart on the opposite axle. A locking rear diff locks wheel speeds across that axle, so the wheel with the least traction up front can only spin as fast as the entire rear axle.

What each individual needs in different circumstances is impossible to define here. Regardless of whether you add a rear locker or not, at least be aware of how traction works on your vehicle, and make appropriate decisions about what kind of conditions you tackle, how you get yourself unstuck, etc based on those.

If your truck has Terrain Management, then it will also benefit from a brake based traction system. These match wheel speeds by braking wheels that spin faster than the others. These systems are actually very effective. On road systems cannot help further progress off road. Different logics with different priorities (halting progress rather than facilitating it).

I'd get a locker.
 


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While not necessary for a lot of wheeling... having the rear end locked WILL lead to less wheel spin, making your outdoor adventure a little more earth friendly. I'm no eco-mentalist by any means... but I do believe in leaving as little of a footprint as I can while enjoying my motorized crap in the woods.

The most economical way of getting one seems to be to just purchase a complete axle for 2200$ish (I forget where)

My new Bronco lacks the rear locker my Ranger had.. and im sure I'll miss it occasionally. When the time comes.. buying a complete axle will be the route I take.
 
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4wd locks the speed of the front and rear axles together. That means the wheel with the least traction on each axle can only spin as fast as its counterpart on the opposite axle. A locking rear diff locks wheel speeds across that axle, so the wheel with the least traction up front can only spin as fast as the entire rear axle.

What each individual needs in different circumstances is impossible to define here. Regardless of whether you add a rear locker or not, at least be aware of how traction works on your vehicle, and make appropriate decisions about what kind of conditions you tackle, how you get yourself unstuck, etc based on those.

If your truck has Terrain Management, then it will also benefit from a brake based traction system. These match wheel speeds by braking wheels that spin faster than the others. These systems are actually very effective. On road systems cannot help further progress off road. Different logics with different priorities (halting progress rather than facilitating it).

I'd get a locker.
Thanks for the reply here. No Terrain Management on my end. I'm reading that can still be installed, regardless of the locker? Might be a good place to start?
 
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While not necessary for a lot of wheeling... having the rear end locked WILL lead to less wheel spin, making your outdoor adventure a little more earth friendly. I'm no eco-mentalist by any means... but I do believe in leaving as little of a footprint as I can while enjoying my motorized crap in the woods.

The most economical way of getting one seems to be to just purchase a complete axle for 2200$ish (I forget where)

My new Bronco lacks the rear locker my Ranger had.. and im sure I'll miss it occasionally. When the time comes.. buying a complete axle will be the route I take.
Thanks for the reply - any reason why you didn't find a Bronco with the E Locker?
 

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Thanks for the reply. Is is true that traction control/ABS system can kick in here to help? I swear I have noticed this when i was in some trickier situations.
is the traction control function different on 4wd? if so maybe it is good but on 2wd it says in the manual And i found out the hard way : turn OFF traction control on sand or any surface you need to slip on. First time i took the truck off road i went to my land and got it stuck because with traction on the tires won't spin at all. They slip a little, dig you in then the traction kicks in and wont let the wheel that needs to spin move... (i felt it slip and carry plywood so i was able to get out real fast) DOH/ looking at the manual later it said turn it off when on sand or snow because you need that little bit of spin sometimes... now when i go off road i turn off traction and it is much better. BUT some of those 4x4 settings probably work better and maybe the traction works differently for 4wd? anyway in 2wd, turn it off on sand/
 

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Thanks for the reply here. No Terrain Management on my end. I'm reading that can still be installed, regardless of the locker? Might be a good place to start?
very worth it to add the TMS. some place around here is a thread with info on doing it.
 

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Just know if you replace the diff you need to replace the gears as well. Open diffs have the ring gear welded to it. Only the E locker has the ring gear bolted on.
I would think an aussie locker would work in the factory carrier. You just replace the spider gears.
 

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You probably already know this. Eaton makes a ELocker for the M220 (32 Spline -Non FX4 vehicles only) . I believe it also requires the purchase of a new RING gear because the factory one is welded on. ARB makes an Air Locker... but the downside is that requires a air compression.
 
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Thanks for the reply - any reason why you didn't find a Bronco with the E Locker?
Broncos are kinda hard to come by at the moment... šŸ˜‹

I bought the one I could, in the timeframe/budget/distance from home that I had given myself. Got lucky.
 
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Broncos are kinda hard to come by at the moment... šŸ˜‹

I bought the one I could, in the timeframe/budget/distance from home that I had given myself. Got lucky.
love it. Watched your YT videos earlier with the Ranger. Enjoy the bronco man
 
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You probably already know this. Eaton makes a ELocker for the M190 (29 Spline -Non FX4 vehicles only) . I believe it also requires the purchase of a new RING gear because the factory one is welded on. ARB makes an Air Locker... but the downside is that requires a air compression.
I didnā€™t actually. Just looked it up and itā€™s nice to know itā€™s available though! I wonder if parts from the 5g will become less available with the new Gen coming out.
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