Do stoplights remind you of drag strip Christmas trees? Do twisty mountain roads make your pulse quicken? Does steering with the throttle make perfect sense to you?
Then Eaton Posi is your friend. Muscle cars, hot rods and mild off-road vehicles should look to Eaton's limited-slip differential for their traction answers. And the fact is, Eaton's Posi units are virtually bullet proof.
The Eaton Locker is option code G80 Locking Differential on GM light trucks and SUV's.
First, let's consider the open differential. Open diffs are designed to allow both wheels to turn at different rates so the vehicle can do things like turn corners. And when you're on clean, dry pavement, taking it easy on the throttle, everything is fine.
But, as soon as the drive wheel starts slipping, driveline torque follows the path of least resistance. That means the more power you give it, the faster the wheel slips. In other words, you're stuck.
With Eaton Posi, you prevent wheel slip before it can get started. To do that, carbon disc clutch packs preloaded by a central spring assembly are located behind each differential side gear.
When torque input increases (i.e., engine rpm's go up because you've got your foot in the throttle) the clamping load on the clutch packs goes up. That clamping load causes the clutch packs to grab, transferring power to the other wheel. The end result? Wheel slip is usually prevented.
The key here is that a limited-slip differential's power transfer is primarily based on input torque. So, with normal or light throttle applications on dry pavement, only the drive wheel receives torque, or power - just like an open differential.
While this is an excellent way to control traction in street rods, light duty pickups and all types of tarmac running racecars, it isn't the best solution for the serious off-road vehicle.
Why? Because it's input torque, not wheel slip that determines when power is transferred to the other wheel. So, what about the back-woods, two-track, gotta get over the mountain type? Enter the Eaton Locker.
You ever had your drive wheel slip off the road and into some mud? Or maybe snow or ice? Makes it hard to keep it going in a straight line, doesn't it? Traction just disappears.
What about a boat ramp? Ever been in a situation where one side of the ramp is all wet and slippery while the other side is dry as a bone? With an open differential, all you'll do is spin the wheels. And, even 4-wheel drive doesn't do much good in that situation.
Well - surprise - there's a solution. The Locker. The Eaton G80 Locking Rear Differential. This automatic unit, available for rear drive and 4-wheel drive vehicles, makes traction problems a thing of the past. The Locker makes towing large boats and campers a breeze.
It gives you the freedom to wander far from the beaten path in search of the perfect fishing hole, campsite or picnic area. It delivers traction and inspires confidence even in the nastiest off-road terrain.
We'll start by pointing out that the Locker is a speed sensitive design. That is, it reacts to wheel slip by sensing when one wheel is spinning substantially faster than the other.
So, when you're cruising along on clean dry pavement, the locker operates like any regular open differential.
But, as soon as wheel slip happens, going forward or reverse, the locker immediately kicks in. Here's how.
The differential is set up with a flyweight governor that responds to differences in wheel speeds, and disc packs that are mounted between the side gear and the case.
Whenever one wheel is spinning substantially faster than the other, the governor spins rapidly, causing the flyweight to open. That flyweight then catches on a latching bracket and the lockup process begins.
During lockup, a self-energized clutch system causes a cam plate to ramp against a side gear. This ramping action compresses those disc packs mentioned earlier. The ramping continues until both axles - and therefore both wheels - are spinning at the same speed. This is full lock, and it prevents any further wheel slip. (Note: Axle lockup can only occur at speeds below 20 mph.)
The entire lockup process takes about a split second, and is virtually unnoticeable by the average driver. When both wheels regain traction, unlocking occurs and things go back to normal.
Want to see it work from the inside? Click here
So, what could make it better?
How about giving the driver complete control of when and what gets locked? The ability to lock the front axle, the rear axle or both axles with the touch of a button? OK, now you're talking ELocker™ Differential, the Electronic Locking front and/or rear differential.
To read more about the ELocker Differential, click here