Can a lock-right be put in a lsd?

[TrailChaser]

I know the regular answer would be no, but it seems I've heard you can get the open diff stuff out of a junkyard pathy and then you can put in a locker.

 

Is that possible? I know it sounds like a lot of work, but I'm looking to get a 95SE and I'm pretty sure they come with a rear lsd stock. I'd much rather have a lock-right than a lsd in the rear-end.

[88pathoffroad]

Yeah, the Lock-Right only fits into an open carrier. You'll have to find a different centersection to put one in...and make sure it has the same kinda brakes, disc/disc, drum/drum, cause the disc brake axles are a little longer than the drum brake axles.

[mws]

I be thinking you won't have ANY problems getting someone to swap diffs with! An LSD for an open carrier - no brainer.

 

Since I never use 4WD on road, my optimal setup would be an LSD in the rear, locker in the front. Call it a 3.5 wheel drive set up when off-roading, but still real nice to drive in 2WD on dry or damp pavement.

[Precise1]

Since I never use 4WD on road, my optimal setup would be an LSD in the rear, locker in the front. Call it a 3.5 wheel drive set up when off-roading, but still real nice to drive in 2WD on dry or damp pavement

 

Maybe it's just me, but I swear my LSD MT Pathy loves to try to spin out on wet roads. If I go straight, turn the wheel and step on the gas, I get a nice panoramic view of the area... Driver to the right, house to the right, guy that just went by, guy behind me (Hello !! please step on the brakes and give me some room while I get this bastage under control), house on the other side of the street, parked car on the (old) left, and so forth... It has significantly modified my wet weather driving, I try not to use the gas Not against the LSD though, just suprised how well it hooks up sometimes (or lack there of).

 

B

[TrailChaser]

I've seen the open diff vs. locked many times. So whats the lsd vs locked story? If i'm on an axle twister will an lsd keep me moving when one front and one back tire is off the ground? Or will I have to do the rocking back and forth to build momentum...? I've heard of people adding shims of something to their lsd's to make them a little more "locked", how hard is that to do.?

 

I've got a lock-right on my 95, and last time I had a back tire off the ground I was spinning the airborn tire while the lock-right made the ratching sound real fast. I had to really goose it for the lock-right to lock, and when it did it was like dumping the clutch because I was on dry dirt. So can the lock-right lockers wear out over time? Is that the case with mine? If they can wear out what's the point, unless you can expect to get like 100,000+ miles out of'em?

[mws]

Since I never use 4WD on road, my optimal setup would be an LSD in the rear, locker in the front. Call it a 3.5 wheel drive set up when off-roading, but still real nice to drive in 2WD on dry or damp pavement

 

Maybe it's just me, but I swear my LSD MT Pathy loves to try to spin out on wet roads. If I go straight, turn the wheel and step on the gas, I get a nice panoramic view of the area... Driver to the right, house to the right, guy that just went by, guy behind me (Hello !! please step on the brakes and give me some room while I get this bastage under control), house on the other side of the street, parked car on the (old) left, and so forth... It has significantly modified my wet weather driving, I try not to use the gas Not against the LSD though, just suprised how well it hooks up sometimes (or lack there of).

 

B

This is one of the downsides of LSD or lockers...

The intent of them is to prevent one wheel from spinning while the other doesn't.

 

Unfortunately, on snow or wet roads, this has a negative ramification.

With an open diff, if you overcome available traction with throttle, one wheel will start spinning and lose all grip. However, the other tire has very little power being applied to it so it is not spinning. So you still have one tire providing resistance to side to side movement. Apply more power, the spinning tire spins faster, but the other is still not spinning - so you still have lateral stability.

 

If you have an LSD or locker, as soon as the one tire starts to spin, the LSD or locker will try to apply the power to the other tire. If you are trying to apply more power than the two tires can apply, then BOTH start spinning. And you now have no lateral stability at all, and any side loading results in spin outs.

 

I have an Eaton Gov-Lock in my tow van. It is a self activating locker. In normal operation, it is a true open diff. If one tire starts spinning significantly faster than the other, a governer spins up and activates a mechanism to lock the diff (a true lock up). This can result in interesting fun on slippery surfaces with a side slope! Fortunately, it makes a pretty noticeable noise when it locks, which warns me to be verrrry judicious with the loud pedal.

 

Bottom line: LSD or locker will help you move forward when traction is scarce, but it is also far more prone to resulting in sideways skidding.

[Piscator]

One other option would to be to add an extra friction disk to each side of your LSD clutch pack. Its easy enough (tho time consuming) to remove the third member and pull out the chunck, crack it open ans add disks.

 

95 and earlier Pathy LSD's have a breakaway torque spec of around 300ft lbs. The new Xterras and Frontiers have a spec of 50lbs....A buddy of mine added springs from a Pathfinder clutch pack to his Xterra LSD and it tightened it up very nicely while still providing some differential action...pretty much brought it to the high end of a 95 Pathy spec.