Hello!! I need some advice! I'm thinking in geting a mini spool for my maverick's rear end but I don't know how it will work. is it good? I only drive my car in the weekends, well only like 4 times a month and I don't drive it when it's raining. The mini spool is not expensive. How many of you have a mini spool?
A spool is going to be rough to live with on the street.Unless you like chirping the tires around every corner(even when you dont want too)It will also make the rear jerk when you turn corners or go over uneven pavement.It is hard on axle shafts too in a street application.Spools are meant for the strip,straight line use.It will give you bragging rites but save your cash,get a good posi unit.(trust me on this)you will be much happier.
If you have the money, go with a limited slip posi setup. I have a mini spool, and have learned to use it on the street. You cannot gun it like a "regular" posi or open rear setup on turns or the a$$end will come around and meet you in front... But, after driving with a mini-spool for 3-4 years now, I would probably never go with anything else. Swing by sometime and I will take you for a ride in it. You would be amazed at how quiet it is. It only "chirps" if I have the slicks on, or if I am riding on bald tires. My new BFG T/As don't make any noise at all. Maybe a little chirp if I do a full-chock turn in reverse...I think the tread absorbs the flex and keeps the tires from chirping. (Does that make sense?)
DETROIT LOCKER, There is no such thing as a limited slip posotive traction rear. Its either a locker or limited (gonna) slip. A spool is for race cars only. A spool is extremly hard on all parts especally axles, They get torqued on both ways with a spool. Sooner or later they will cause a axle to break.
What's wrong with a limited slip? It's far better to have a clutch type diff than an open diff! They work VERY well in my experience, and are far cheaper than a locker. I think money was the issue that caused the want for a mini-spool. An LS is quite a bit more than a mini, but the locker is even more. Dave
Actually, "Posi-Traction" is merely a Chevy term for a limited-slip differential. Ford used the term "Traction-Lok" for theirs. It's the same thing. They use clutches, whereas the Detroit Locker uses a ratcheting type of design. Other manufacturers (Olds, Buick, Pontiac, Chrysler, AMC) used other terms like Sure-Grip, Anti-Spin, Twin-Grip, etc. It all means "limited-slip" differential...
Dave is right, I used a spool JUST because I wanted traction for CHEAP!!! If I had the money (which I DON'T!) I would have gone with a Trac-loc or similar. I also would not recommend a spool for anyone for street use, but now that I have used one, if I rebuild, I would probably keep the spool and put in stronger axles.
No spool A GOOD TRACTION LOCK ,for a street/strip use its the only way to go ,back in the day ,when i was into hot roding v8 vegas the limited slip possi with 393 gears was the bad ass way to go ,my call traction lock,but thats just my 2 cents Jimmy2gates
I ran a spool for a few years & drove the car quite a bit.I never broke an axle,but I always "swung it wide" like I was pulling a trailer when I turned,kept the rear tires aired up pretty good so that they would "chirp" around corners(instead of gripping real good,the cause of many a broke axle)but I still would suggest getting the right stuff.My car was a cheapa$$ bracket car and I had a couple 8"s lying around for spares.
thank you all for your coments (advice). I guess I will get some money together so I can buy the right one.
mini spool My Mav had a mini spool in it when I bought it. Before I drove it, I had already figured I would need to replace it with a traction-lok or a detroit locker, and then I would go for steeper gears too. However it isnt nearly as bad as I thought. Like you, my car is a weekend/ nice weather toy. Yeah, you can feel it load up and resist a little when parking, And I am really not worried about snapping an axle with my 31 spline 9". That being said, if going to the trouble/ and or expense of installing a minispool or detroit locker with new gears, and an extra $400-$500 was not a huge issue, I would skip the minispool/full spool. Spools are better suited in a race car. If the extra money is big issue, I think the mini spool is a viable alternative. I do not support one wheel peels. (Sorry to all you one wheel peel readers)
