Don't use it on hard, dry surfaces.


Situations where I have used it: got stuck in a rut and needed the other wheel to spin as well, and another time was on a steep boat ramp full of algae (or whatever that green stuff is called).

 

I think I read somewhere that the ELD is also speed sensitive over 15 or 25 mph it disengages?????

 

An open differential sends power to one wheel only. The other wheel is basically free spinning and has no power. It will spin as fast or as slow as the truck is moving. This is what you need when turning on dry pavement, because the inside tire is obviously going to turn at a different ration than the outside tire. Your locker will send equal amounts of power to both wheels. Do this on dry pavement and you risk breaking something.

It's great in some conditions. Slippery hills and mud are the main two. So a boat ramp would be a good time to use it, as would an icy hill that you're struggling to get up. 4 hi is also a good choice for those conditions. There's no reason you can't use both at the same time.

What you don't want to do is use your locker when driving normally in slippery conditions. If you do lose traction, it will seem much worse than normal because you will have both tires pushing you in a direction you don't want to go, rather than just one.

Use 4 hi for driving normally in slippery conditions. Use your locker in low speed situations where you need more traction. You can also use 4x4 in those situations as well.

 

Use it when drag racing that menacing Silverado that pulls up to you, thinking that your little turbo-6 is a joke! It's ok, because it automatically disengages at 20mph!

 

I enter 4H as soon as I hit dirt. After that, the locker goes on when there is a decent chance of getting stuck - sand/mud/snow deep enough to kill momentum, cross axle situations where you can lose traction in one wheel of both axles, difficult climbs where backing down would such, etc. The goal is to not get stuck, rather than have something in your pocket for when you do get stuck.

The only caveat unique to the locked rear has been mentioned - if you get into a spot where one rear wheel would have spun and the other could have maintained traction, now you have both rear wheels without traction and you'd better figure out how to handle oversteer right quick.

 

I used the locker when I go stuck in a rut filled with snow. First was in 4h but stopped because I didn't want to hit the rut with any speed, then once stuck in 4h, I tried 4L and was still stuck. Tried 4L with locker and didn't do a single thing just spun the wheels. Had to get a wrangler to pull me out of this 8" rut. Was very humiliating.

This was with the stock hwy tires. I now have nittos new ridge grappler on order

 

And to this day, it was his (Wrangler Driver) proudest moment!

 

"I enter 4H as soon as I hit dirt. After that, the locker goes on when there is a decent chance of getting stuck - sand/mud/snow deep enough to kill momentum, cross axle situations where you can lose traction in one wheel of both axles, difficult climbs where backing down would such, etc. The goal is to not get stuck, rather than have something in your pocket for when you do get stuck."

Nicely put, Telamonster.

 

Interesting - I had always heard that it was best to not use 4WD/ELD until you needed it, so that you could get yourself unstuck and out of a sticky situation.


The reasoning was that if you got stuck while in 4WD, what did you have up your sleeve to get you out again? If you got stuck in 2WD, THEN put it in 4WD, you could presumably get yourself unstuck.


-John

 

That's how I started out, but through personal experience and research I've changed from thinking of 4x4 as a recovery mechanism to thinking of it as a safety mechanism. 4xOverland on YouTube has a couple of videos that show how in regency handling situations being in 4H is much more controlled than in 2H. His channel is oriented toward getting somewhere, rather than just tackling some obstacles, and so different goals will necessitate different methodologies, but I'd much rather drive by the ditch than be able to easily get out of the ditch.