Another question on winter traction

I can have the tires at full steer and be plowing straight ahead. You almost never want to have your front differential locked. You have to have gotten yourself in really deep doodoo to need your front differential locked. Of course there isn't much that is more fun than finding that really deep doodoo with a couple of buddies... where you are grateful that you have the option of locking your front differential.

This is true. I was driving a Ford Bronco with an optional front diff positraction around a wet cloverleaf. The front posi kicked in and I became a passenger and went straight off the road. Luckily I wasn't going very fast and there wasn't anything there to hit. I'd never have anything that locks automatically in the front. A manual locker is great, tho.