K3WE wrote:
A few weeks ago there was a short grumbly exchange about "positraction" and locking differentials...
For my entire 50+ years on a standard pickup truck a "locking differential" was this automatic, self-contained clutch thing IN the differential that would lock up IF one wheel started spinning...
...but lots of posters were saying that it's a switch up on the dash...Some posters were livid- "you're crazy, pickup trucks don't have these"...
I also had my doubts- but was also very aware of farm tractors with differential lock outs- and who am I to tell folks there's no switch on THEIR truck because there's no switch on mine...still, are they smoking something, or folks with some crazy drag racing modification???
Well today, I picked up my new truck (Toyota Tacoma) and I wanted a locking rear differential and sure enough...there's a switch on the dash that simply locks the differential!
I dunno- maybe it saves weight and is the modern way (and yeah- traction control systems are also doing the job of addressing wheel spin too...but that you need the lock out for slow speeds).
Anyway- I feel the need to apologize for all the things I THOUGHT...
By the way, can my truck pull a 32 ft travel trailer? :-)
Electrically actuated (or air actuated) locking diffs have been around for a long time, but were mostly aftermarket only. Seems like over the last 10 years OEM's decided to get in on the action, and start putting in true selectable lockers rather than some version of a limited slip or mechanical locking diff.
Welcome to modern technology!
