Chevy pickup limited slip differential (viscous coupling?)

[Clint S]

No abuse here, I wid never bust any diff. But I dont like the way you have to lose your momentum for the diff to lock up. Just 1or 2 mph momentum makes a huge difference, if you stop, its a huge disadvantage.

Especially true when plowing snow. Sometimes by the time the diff locks you are already stuck or you can't get that snow pushed that extra foot up the bank to stack it.

 

[Stimw]

My 04 Silverado has the limited slip GM. (2WD X-Cab tow package)
I have it engage on wet pavement if I try to take off too fast. When it does if I don't back off some I will fish-tale!
I have had it engage at about 15 mph too, and fish-tale.
I don't see a lag when it does lock up. It's not going to cause you to get stuck.

 

[nc redneck]

I would take a picture of glove box decal. Research the options on that exact truck. Most sales men and women don't really know what they are selling these days.

 

[Sodo]

NC you got that right. They know nothing. I've been taking pics of the window stickers though.

But I just signed on the line for a new (lastyear) 2013 F150 STX 5.0 V8 with electronic locking diff. It has 99 miles, i suppose 99 miles of testdrives. So I dont really need to study it further, I'm an F-150 owner now.

In a few moments I empty my old pickup out (into the new one) its gonna look like Beverly Hillbillys in their lot until I get it all stashed away.

 

[Diamondpilot]

NC you got that right. They know nothing. I've been taking pics of the window stickers though.

But I just signed on the line for a new (lastyear) 2013 F150 STX 5.0 V8 with electronic locking diff. It has 99 miles, i suppose 99 miles of testdrives. So I dont really need to study it further, I'm an F-150 owner now.

In a few moments I empty my old pickup out (into the new one) its gonna look like Beverly Hillbillys in their lot until I get it all stashed away.

Congrats. I love my 2012 F150. Best 1/2 out there for now.

Chris

 

[timswi]

I've had GM Eaton lockers in my last 2 GMC's..They work perfectly with no issues whatsoever.

 

[msmith1wa]

I have had 3 G80 diffs in two trucks. The first two were in a '90 1/2 ton. As previously stated the G80 diffs particularly the ones in 1/2 tons do not survive abuse. Mine spit pieces out the cover and the rest of center of the diff was in a bunch of little pieces at the bottom of the housing.

My current 2500HD also has one and it has been abused some and is still fine.

If you look at parts in the links posted by others you should be able to see that some of the parts in the locking mechanism, particularly the shafts that the fly weight and the locking piece on are about the same diameter as a pencil. The shaft that the locking piece on takes a lot of force.

 

[handirifle]

Viscous couplings are used in vehicles like Subarus. They use it as a transfer case to engage the rear axle automatically, (front wheel drive is primary) other than that it works like he said. NEVER heard of a viscous diff in a truck.

 

[k0ua]

Viscous couplings are used in vehicles like Subarus. They use it as a transfer case to engage the rear axle automatically, (front wheel drive is primary) other than that it works like he said. NEVER heard of a viscous diff in a truck.

I think the care sales guy, just made that up on the spot!

 

[Sodo]

I think the car sales guy, just made that up on the spot!

It was the "truck sales" guy. I waited over an hour to be able to talk to him, because everyone in the dealership said he knows more than anybody there about drivetrains. You're probably right, he probably heard the term viscous coupling used in the past to describe some AWD minivan, and thought it might confuse me as easily as it confused him.

As soon it was clear that my (minimal) drivetrain knowledge exceeded his, he was at least smart enough to stop talking. There is no chance that he knew more than a junior technician out in the shop. I went to 4 dealerships before finding a salesman who knew anything, finally ended up talking to a salesman off-roads jeep (that he installed a locker in himself), and actually knew something about drivetrains.