Limited slip, posi, trak-loc, etc., etc. are all names for the same thing. They may have their patents and their different ways of doing it, but there are only three types of diff no matter what any redneck says about "posi," be it "true" posi or otherwise: There is the full-time locked axle - a spool or mini-spool. This type does not allow the wheels to spin independently of each other. Both wheels spin, and they spin at the same speed, period. Good for the track, not so good for the street, very bad for wet roads, ice or mud. (At least if you want to turn corners.) Then there's the rearends that are "part-time" lockers. These are your Positrac, limited-slip, Detroit lockers, tru-track, trak-loc, whatever your manufacturer calls it. These rearends lock the wheels together when you need them to, (when one wheel starts to slip, it "limits" that for instance) but will also let go and allow them to turn independently for cornering. Much better on the street, good for the track... This is what everybody wants. The only caveat is if you give it any throttle in a turn on a slick road you might break both wheels loose. The third type is what every Maverick has stock - an "open" diff, "peg-leg" etc. This is a 2wd rearend until one wheel starts to slip. Instead of locking the axles together when wheel slip starts to occur like in the example above, all the power gets transferred to the wheel that's spinning loose. This is (debatably) the safest rearend for the street because it's harder to lose control, but it's the worst rearend for drag racing because you don't get much traction when one wheel spins.
Actually the Detroit Locker is in a class of it's own... (along with any other ratcheting diff by any other names) They are essentially a spool that can disengage for corners. The good thing about lockers is that you get full power to both wheels. "Posi" type diffs only send power by friction... Lockers are locked, just like a spool.
You don't have to have a limited slip or a posi rear end. 3.55 gears will work great with your AOD. I get the impression that you have little or no auto mechanical knowledge. I think changing the gears in a differential is not something you want to tackle by yourself. Find a buddy who has done it before or a shop that will let watch and help with the change.
My cousin is helpin me with it and putting the 302 and aod that i'm working on, in. i just never needed look in to anything past the trans. thanks for all the help, i understand how it works now and i have prices for the rear end pieces and the parts i need for the motor install.
I knew somebody was gonna say that... I agree, those are another animal. But for purposes of my sweeping generalization they still fit into one of my three neat newb-friendly categories.
Won't Mustang rear ends work? I'm thinking 80's-90's, posi, good ratios and brakes. Aren't they narrower?
