-
Hey Guest!
British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!**Upgrade Now**
(PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Hey - did you know if you click on the title of a thread it will take you to the first unread post since you last visited that thread?
but were afraid to ask: 
STOP!! Never post your email address in open forums. Bots can "harvest" your email! If you must share your email use a Private Message or use the 
smilie in place of the real @
Pretty Please - add it to our Events forum(s) and add to the calendar! >> 
4 Wheel Drive
- Thread starter GaryBeu
- Start date
Share this page
sd80mac7204
Jedi Warrior
Offline
If you don't have a limited slip or a locking front and rear diff then that is exactly what happens when you have a little bit better grip on the tires that are not turning.
TR3driver
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
What he said. Plus something I only learned relatively recently, even if you have limited slip diffs, they may not force both wheels to turn if one wheel is turning really easy. My owner's manual suggests applying the emergency brake lightly to help the clutches (in the LSD) lock up. In your case, you could probably try applying the foot brake lightly.
TR3driver
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
Offline
The locking hubs only connect the front hubs to the differential. Obviously they are locked or the front tire wouldn't be throwing mud. Doesn't say anything about locking or limited slip (aka positraction) differentials.
Here's a site I found that claims to have the equipment codes for Ford differentials. That would at least tell you what the truck had from the factory.
https://www.drivetrain.com/parts_ca...d_ratio_do_i_have_in_my_ford__is_it_posi.html
You can also check for limited slip by jacking up both wheels on an axle and turning one wheel (transmission or transfer case in neutral). With an open (non limited slip) diff, the other wheel will turn in the opposite direction. With limited slip, it should turn in the same direction as the wheel you are turning.
Another test is to back up around a corner. With LSD, it frequently won't turn smoothly, you get kind of a waddling motion as the diff grabs and slips.
A little background: When turning a corner, all 4 wheels follow different paths and move slightly different distances. The differential(s) is what allows for this relative movement, by letting the wheels on an axle turn relative to each other. An 'open' diff applies equal torque to each wheel, meaning that if one wheel does not have traction, it will spin uselessly and the other wheel will only get as much torque as the spinning wheel (ie not much). There are various designs of limited slip, but the most common design uses metal clutches to transfer some of the torque from the faster moving wheel to the slow one. Unfortunately they are somewhat expensive, require special oil, and the clutches wear out in time.
Here's a site I found that claims to have the equipment codes for Ford differentials. That would at least tell you what the truck had from the factory.
https://www.drivetrain.com/parts_ca...d_ratio_do_i_have_in_my_ford__is_it_posi.html
You can also check for limited slip by jacking up both wheels on an axle and turning one wheel (transmission or transfer case in neutral). With an open (non limited slip) diff, the other wheel will turn in the opposite direction. With limited slip, it should turn in the same direction as the wheel you are turning.
Another test is to back up around a corner. With LSD, it frequently won't turn smoothly, you get kind of a waddling motion as the diff grabs and slips.
A little background: When turning a corner, all 4 wheels follow different paths and move slightly different distances. The differential(s) is what allows for this relative movement, by letting the wheels on an axle turn relative to each other. An 'open' diff applies equal torque to each wheel, meaning that if one wheel does not have traction, it will spin uselessly and the other wheel will only get as much torque as the spinning wheel (ie not much). There are various designs of limited slip, but the most common design uses metal clutches to transfer some of the torque from the faster moving wheel to the slow one. Unfortunately they are somewhat expensive, require special oil, and the clutches wear out in time.