Limited Slip that works?

[athelas]

Stealth, I talked to the original owner who gave the truck to me, and as far he knows, that's the original oil in the rear end, and it's never been rebuilt. I'm going to have a look at it this week I hope, and see what I've got back there. Good tip, thanks.

[athelas]

So, I did find a source for a Detroit locker for the 16 spline axles...couldn't find that Powertrax has an offering for the 16 spline. But that warning about running a locker with the smaller axles has me concerned. Is it simply a matter of risking breaking axles? I guess I could find a later model rear end to swap in, but then I'm going to have to mess with modifying the driveshaft, right? Or is there something that would bolt in? I don't have any machining tools or know-how, but I do know how to turn a wrench.

[tqwrench]

Loved that youtube video. LMAO'd but good on that.

One thing about limited slip vs. these other lockers, engineering decided to go with the design they did for a reason. You really don't want a limited slip axle coming live while under power, especially in slick conditions. Taking a curve at 30 MPH and it locks will send the tail end out, and the rear wheels control your directional stability. My is: you want it for starting power. If your axle isn't dual wheel peeling at start in slick conditions, one of two things is going on. It's so slick both wheels turn simultaneously without locking and there's never enough speed differential to pull the clutch plates in and truly lock the axle, or there's a mechanical problem that needs resolved. The first issue is why the owner's guides often recommended slowly applying the parking brake to help find the wheel with the worst traction, let it spin a little and lock the axle. That always worked for me in adverse conditions. I've owned two cars with limited slip axles and net of burying them up the axles, I've always been able to get one unstuck from a situation that surely would have left an open-diff car stranded.

As for the oil recommendation, if you stay factory, 80W-90 GL-5 has always served me well, go aftermarket and ask them. I've always used that and if it shuddered on turns, added the limited slip additive later if it needed it (and they always shuddered). I've had luck with CRC's additive.