Getting closer to the installation of my 5.12 Sidekick diffs, so I'm trying to determine the best traction solution.  Wondering if a rear Lockrite and a front LSD would be a good combo.  From what I hear, automatic lockers, particularly in the front, are quite scary on snow and ice.  I think a rear locker would be safe enough if driven carefully, but I'm hesitant to put an auto locker in the front (very quirky on snow and ice from everything I've read).  A front LSD would probably reduce the chances of axle breakage as well.  Any thoughts?  Roadless Gear has a Sidekick front LSD for $350 (cheaper than CRAPMINI), and a Lockrite for the rear is around $200.  Any other traction options out there?  ARB would be great, but I don't have that kind of money.  I've heard Detroits are great, but cannot seem to find one for the Sidekick diff.

Dave

You have ice and snow in Florida???

That's what I was wondering.


I wouldn't bother with the front unless you want a serious offroad machine.  If you do then I still wouldn't and I'd start saving for a SAS or something to really use the benefits of traction control on both ends.

Lockers in the rear aren't bad.  Drive smart and have good tires and you can drive along all day in winter.  Done it for several years now myself.  In fact I prefer locked to open.

In the front...
...just remember that on anything slippery enough that you have to be worrying about this the limited slip is going to act just like the locker and keep both spinning.  On the other side of it when you have one tire hanging up front the one in the air will just keep spinning and spinning while the one on the ground gets little or no power.  Limited slips are just that, limited.

Hmmmmmm.....I kinda expected that response.     I guess my profile shows that I'm in Florida.  Of course, that is entirely accurate.  However, I'm hoping I won't be here forever (I really can't stand it here!).  My wife and I still have family up north as well, and I can't completely rule out winter driving yet.  Maybe it's just wishful thinking...or my way of holding on to being from the Northeast, but someday I truly hope to be driving on snow and ice again.

So.....is the consensus that a LSD in the front would not be worth it?  I should just lock up the rear and save some money?  Or, since the front diff is going to be tackled anyway, should I add some traction?  I'm not dirt poor, but I try not to make it a habit to throw money away for no reason.

Dave (in snowy south Florida  )

Unless you want to invest in an ARB (which you said you didn't) along with installing a steel GV diff to deal with the extra stress of a traction adder up front I wouldn't touch the front.  Especially if all you are doing is throwing in the aluminum Sidekick diff.

Don't move too far north...you'll cry when you see what the road salt does to your vehicles.




(We can't wait to move south.)

I already have the steel front housing, since I've got the 5 speed.  My plan was to have just the Sidekick guts put into the GV steel front, and add some traction.  That's probably going to be a lot of work, isn't it?  I think it'll be worth it, though.  I really think a SAS in the front would be overkill for what I plan on doing, but I would spend an additional $300-$400 on a LSD if it would give me a little more traction in the front.

As far as the road salt goes, I am quite familiar with that.  Between growing up in Maine, and spending several years in upstate NY, Boston and Pittsburgh I saw a lot of road salt.  I had a Volvo 240 with an undercarriage that looked like those images of the Titanic sitting on the ocean floor.  90% of the maintenance on that vehicle was rust related.  Pittsburgh seemed to be the worst, with the winter temps always hovering around the freezing point and all of the steep hills.  4-way stops at every intersection.....but in the icy winters that didn't really mean much, especially with that modern marvel called ABS (Arbitrary Braking on Snow....or maybe Atrocious Braking on Snow would be better).  Crossed my fingers at every intersection during bad weather.

Honestly...I wouldn't bother with the front if you don't want to do an ARB.  A limited slip would only really be useful when you had both tires on the ground and all was "cool".  Most of that time an open diff would be just as good.  When it comes to those times that you could really use both front tires spinning (like one hanging in the air or in something slick) the limited slip will probably be limiting itself to the open position.
Can you tell I think limited slips are a waste?

Lock the rear and you'll be simply amazed at how much more you can do and how much more traction you have.  Putting a LS in the front would be mostly the same with more drawbacks.

hello.

btw ,does any of  you know  what is  the corect model for a rear diff outomatic locker  for a manual gear - gv 1.6 2003 model , (3 d ofcourse )?

 if  you  can please  right  :
maker  & model

allready  read  some  posts  , still  confused   asspecially  after reading  that  one :

http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=7876.0

thanks in advance 

I already have the steel front housing, since I've got the 5 speed.  My plan was to have just the Sidekick guts put into the GV steel front, and add some traction. 

You'll also need to do some axle shaft swapping and hybridizing.

Yeah....I've got the matching Sidekick axles all ready to go.  It will be Sidekick inner shafts on both sides, and GV outers, right?  I should probably buy a couple of boot kits, since everthing is going to be apart.  It would be a great time to service those CV axles, wouldn't it?  My axles have 140,000 miles on them, and the donor Sidekick axles have 83,000. 

Yankee-Tim....do you agree that a LSD in the front would not be worth it?  I actually just realized that the Roadless Gear front LSD is not for the 96-98 Sidekick.  I would have to spend $489.95 for the CALMINI one.  Should I just forget traction in the front, swap in the aluminum carrier and not bother with the steel housing I already have in my GV?  Thanks for your input.

At $490 for the LSD and $200 for the lockrite, you can't be far short of an ARB for the rear and leaving the front open, which would be the better solution.

Yankee-Tim....do you agree that a LSD in the front would not be worth it?  I actually just realized that the Roadless Gear front LSD is not for the 96-98 Sidekick.  I would have to spend $489.95 for the CALMINI one.  Should I just forget traction in the front, swap in the aluminum carrier and not bother with the steel housing I already have in my GV?  Thanks for your input.

Honestly, I'll always suggest going ARB.  Do the rear first, this is where 80% of traction will come from.  You can always add the front later since the air system will be in place.  Most of the time, you'll want and unlocked diff in the front.  But when you need it, "limited" just doesn't cut the mustard for me.  Flip a switch and you're fully spooled, flip it off and your fully open.  Nice.

Regardless of using the ARB, LSD or lunchbox, get the steel.  I swapped up to the heavier, albeit aluminium, 5.12 XL7 diff, and I snapped it in half trashing the R&P with a open diff in it.  I did have 4.24 Calmini crawler gears) and I was on Moab slickrock with gives incredible traction.