Feeling handy? Take a look at how Ford and a few other older tractor companies made their pedal actuated differential locks. The tractor is normal open differential until you push the pedal with your right heel, then you're locked solid, until you let go. Very simple, very effective.
patgizz wrote: what you are talking about is made by Powertrax. they make a limited slip and locker that replaces the spider gears in your open diff, eliminating the need for setting up lash and whatnot, the carrier never leaves the case.
This sounds correct. I think there is a similar one called lock-right
Kenny_McCormic wrote: G80 is a generic locker code IIRC. Most of the ones in trucks are called a gov lock, its basically a REALLY stiff LSD that acts like an open diff unless a wheel starts spinning and kicks on a governor, they have a lot of lag and blow up when abused. Works great in a DD work truck though.
The newer gov locks are more for getting out of a mudhole or snow bank, not high speed cornering. I think they only work under 25mph or something like that.
sachilles wrote: There are electric lockers, and air lockers. Rarely are they budget friendly. Toyota has some factory electronic lockers. Wonder if it would be easier to do the old off-roader trick of dragging the rear brake to equalize pressure on either side.
That is basically how stability and traction control work.
The Powertrax looks a lot closer to what I was thinking about, though it sounds like it directly interfaces with the axles vs. what I had in mind which would keep the spider gears in place. I'm also not seeing any of them for much less than what my current posi rear end cost. 
If I have time tonight I may poke around a bit with the spare carrier I snagged from an S-10 and see if I think what I have in mind is even remotely doable...
iceracer wrote: That is basically how stability and traction control work.
On modern cars it even gets marketed as an "E-diff."
I daily-drove an XJ Cherokee for years with a Richmond mini-spool all year as well as abused it on the trail (rocks and logs, not sand and mud which is less harsh) with NO issues except for a little chirping around tight paved corners. Easy, cheap and they work!
Here's a good picture of an example of what I'm talking about.
I did a bit more research, and found out that the S-10s up until about 87-88 also used the 26-spline 7.5(xx) rear diff, so that expands my search base by a fair bit. I'd known they used the same size, but had heard they used 28-spline- which was half right as they switched around '88 from 26 to 28 apparently. I didn't have any luck at finding one today despite my considerable good luck otherwise (how often do you find a Jegs racing seat sitting in the same platform car that you're working on- with custom brackets mounting it- in a salvage yard?).
If nothing else, I'm thinking if I can find the right size diff- even if the wrong spline count- I might be able to trade someone for the correct one. Barring that, I may just go with the minispool.
Poke around on some 4x4 sites for a lunchbox locker. That's the generic term for all the locking diffs that replace the spider gears in your diff. They basically are locked all the time unless you turn and are mostly off the gas. A couple different companies make them and they don't wear out for a really long time so maybe finding a used one would be your best bet.
thatsnowinnebago wrote: Poke around on some 4x4 sites for a lunchbox locker. That's the generic term for all the locking diffs that replace the spider gears in your diff. They basically are locked all the time unless you turn and are mostly off the gas. A couple different companies make them and they don't wear out for a really long time so maybe finding a used one would be your best bet.
you mean like the "lock rite" and "powetrax" units that were mentioned earlier in the thread?
novaderrik wrote:thatsnowinnebago wrote: Poke around on some 4x4 sites for a lunchbox locker. That's the generic term for all the locking diffs that replace the spider gears in your diff. They basically are locked all the time unless you turn and are mostly off the gas. A couple different companies make them and they don't wear out for a really long time so maybe finding a used one would be your best bet.you mean like the "lock rite" and "powetrax" units that were mentioned earlier in the thread?
Yeah this is just an auto locker, and some of them are really aggressive like the lock-rite/powetrax and will be almost as bad as running a spool full-time. There are some which don't lock up so easily but you'll burn through a lot of cash and time trying to get the right parts & setup for a "wimpy locker."
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