Auburn or Eaton posi?

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE REAR DRIVE SHAFT OR AXLE, IT GOES HERE.
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T.Low
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by T.Low »

Ha!

1) I'll be taking donations since the construction industry has all but died.

2) Be doing it at the bro in law's (where else) in Seattle , but you guys are more than welcome to come down and wrench. AND heck, some of you can even help keep me out of his way!

Got the MTR's on just now, gonna go to the hardware store for a hotdog and a coke, then to the cycle store for expensive synthetic oil and chain wax for the Gas Gas; will see how the tires ride on the road anyway.
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by MountainManJoe »

What about Torsen differentials? They seem like a very simple, reliable design to me.

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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

The Torsens were used in Camaro/Firebirds and work quite well. I don't know if they are still made. For a while they were available for around $100.
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2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
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1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by MountainManJoe »

Also, they're used in military HMMWV's and Audi quattros, and not only are they used just for axles, but center differentials as well. I wonder if it's possible to drop one into an Astro carrier.

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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by Cobra »

i have the GM part# off the Torsen site and the same place that i got my weather stripping said it was available also asked a local Gm dealer and they quoted me an outrageous price. I intend to get it (and my locks) early in the new year hopefully

Edit: link to the info http://torsen.com/distributors/4091609022.htm
also from looking at the camaro package that includes this diff the RPO code is G80, i have all the notes i made while researching it somewhere but that's all i can remember right now
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
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Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by MountainManJoe »

That's exciting. Keep us posted on the Torsen front. What was the price?

I get the general principal behind the Torsen, and the perfect differentiation, but I'm not too clear on what the bias ratio is. Also, I may have heard that if one wheel has zero friction, it is still possible to lose traction. Although that could probably be overcome by light brake modulation.

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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by Cobra »

It said to be a torque multiplier so if your wheel is in the air there is nothing to multiply, military HMMWV's have a system that automatically applies the brakes to the wheel that is in the air. For that reason it isn't great for people who only use the vehicle for rock crawling since there will probably be a lot of air time on one wheel or the other but for everything else it sames to be great at (mind you i haven't tested it YET). I had no intention to do rock crawling (to slow for my taste) but general off-roading/trail driving i intend to do (old man property has no roads on it so i have no choice.
monsterpartsonline.com (where i got my weather stripping from) has it for $526
gmpartsdirect.com has it for $534 i think
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler

1997 gone
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by MountainManJoe »

That's not so bad. I think I know what I'm getting if my G80 every breaks.

The front pumpkin is probably too small to put one of those it isn't it.

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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by Cobra »

i think the only thing i've seen to fit the front was a locker and that doesn't seen like an item for a daily driver

edit: i also just found the thread in here when i was looking for more info on the Torsen and the local dealer apparently quoted me $1658 for it.....
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler

1997 gone

LiftedAWDAstro
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

Cobra is correct, the only traction aid for the front diff is a Powertrax lock-rite. The is ABSOLUTELY not allowed in an AWD van. If you were to swap to a part-time transfer case and you don't drive on the street in 4WD in snow then it is a possibility.

Lots of options for the rear axle though.
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition

Mileage spreadsheet

Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by MountainManJoe »

LiftedAWDAstro wrote:Cobra is correct, the only traction aid for the front diff is a Powertrax lock-rite. The is ABSOLUTELY not allowed in an AWD van. If you were to swap to a part-time transfer case and you don't drive on the street in 4WD in snow then it is a possibility.

Lots of options for the rear axle though.
I know it would cause steering problems on the street, but why is it not allowed in an AWD?

I believe Eaton makes a helical gear differential, marketed as Detroit TrueTrac right?

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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by Cobra »

the locker in the front would destroy your transfer case for sure after that i'd bet it would eat the front end gears, and that strange feeling it would cause would probably tear the tread off the tires if you were able to drive it long enough.

i'm pretty sure someone on the forum installed a Truetrac don't remember who sadly
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler

1997 gone
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MountainManJoe
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by MountainManJoe »

Cobra wrote:the locker in the front would destroy your transfer case for sure after that i'd bet it would eat the front end gears, and that strange feeling it would cause would probably tear the tread off the tires if you were able to drive it long enough.

i'm pretty sure someone on the forum installed a Truetrac don't remember who sadly
How does it destroy the TC? Doesn't the front driveshaft turn normally?

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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by LiftedAWDAstro »

The locker in the front will not allow the required differential in the t-case when turning corners. The t-case puts some torque bias to the front diff and the locker will tear the t-case or most likely the front diff apart.

The Detroit Tru-trac is a helical gear posi. Not sure if it is owned by Eaton or not though.
Current rides:
2013 Toyota Tundra DC 4x4
2008 Dodge Nitro 4x4
2005 Nissan Sentra 1.8S Special Edition

Mileage spreadsheet

Vans owned:
1986 Safari 2.5L 4 speed manual - scrapped
1995 Astro 2WD conversion 4.11 posi, shift kit, DHC rock rails - sold to Skippy
1998 Astro 4x4 D44, D60, NP231, full hydraulic system with 9k# Milemarker winch and snow plow - sold to Lockdoc
2003 Astro AWD all stock - traded for a 3/4 ton truck
2005 AWD, 4.10's - sold to skippy
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Re: Auburn or Eaton posi?

Post by MountainManJoe »

So what you're saying is, in a corner, the front axle experiences a greater difference of RPM between the inner and outer wheel, than a rear axle would?
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