Just for general knowledge can you run a Detroit Locker on the street? I've heard different stories and just thought i would ask fellow Maverick owners!!!!
I run a Detroit Locker in my Jeep Wrangler rear axle which is my Daily Driver. It take some getting used to with a Standard Transmission since it unlocks and locks with every clutch press. They are much better on street with Auto transmission.
I ran one for years in my old maverick with manual trans and had no driveability issues at all. Some do have stringer springs though and can cause a little jumpiness in the turns.
I run a locker in mine with 4:11's. Works great. You have to get use to the clangs and bangs as normal but short of that I have 0 complaints.
I am evil. I run mine on a mini spool. I would recommend it only for the mature driver. It CAN be dangerous, if misused. But so can the new 5.0 mustangs. In the wrong, or inexperienced hands, both can be deadly. But if used in moderation and with your HEAD ON STRAIGHT, they are both safe and functional.
They work fine. I have them in two of my cars. All Detroit Lockers are not the same though. Some make a very prononunced banging noise on turns and others more of a clicking or popping. Both of the units I have, use steel "hold-out" collars that prevent the teeth from repeatedly re-engaging on slow turns. Some units do not have the machined groove that these fit into. I have a friend who bought one for his Maverick and removed it because of the objectionable noise. His looked just like the ones I have, but when he split it open, there were no collars and nowhere to install them.
You can get the traditional Lockers, the more streetable "soft" Locker, or an air-controlled Locker that you can turn on and off with a small air compressor mounted in your trunk.
The Lockers make some noise around corners because the inside wheel Ratchets becuase its slower. Friend of mine has one in a 1940 dodge military ambulance, scared the crap out of him the 1st time it rained. He was leaving a parking lot after a cruise in. She got a little "Squirrely. My Brother inlaw had one in 70 in a 70 454Rat, M22, Hurst, Chevelle when I was a kid, always left the hole in 2nd gear, Devowering camaros and corvettes, He loved it. Thats probably what Im gonna do with my mav. I like the Airlocker concept, Years ago I drove an airlocker 6x6 Tractor Trailor hauling High explosives at YPG, That Airlocker saved my life.
I have one in my Maverick's 9" with 3.70s. I love it! It never fails to scare a passenger when it suddenly unloads and makes a loud clang and the car wobbles a bit We named the phenomena the Detroit Shuffle. I have an older unit and I hear they are more obnoxious than the newer ones. After installing it and driving it for a few weeks I almost never have clanging and banging unless I want it to. I just changed my driving style a little to keep from causing it to lock up while turning. It almost never protests while turning if you learn to tame it. The trick is to get a little velocity before the tight turn (like a store parking lot) and do not apply too much throttle while turning. You can give it a little push but too much and the lady's pushing their groceries to their cars are giving you the stink-eye.
Mine came from an E-Bay shop reselling used circletrack stuff. Has the yellow spring... Makes a light ticking on low speed corners and a huge clunk/jump on higher speed tight turns.
