Just a heads up since you live in the snow belt and have a stick. I rebuilt mine with new clutches and set it up pretty tight. It works great going forward but I've had two occasions where on slick surfaces in two wheel drive just getting off the throttle was enough to break the rears loose (turning slower than ground speed) and kick the rear out. One was entering an on ramp (road was dry, hence the 2WD but the ramp had drifted snow across it) and let me tell you, it was really hard to get back on the throttle to straighten it out. Every instinct you have is to keep your foot off the throttle.

 

That's what the Clutch is for...

I just don't see the issue/worry about having the truck get fishy on ice. I've actually found that the locked up rear makes this more predictable and easy to deal with( comming from one who scrapes the side windows when it snows and ignores the windshield ).
cheers,
Douglas

 

In my case with 4:10 gears there is enough inertia in the drive train that the rears don't come back to speed before the truck is sideways. After it happened the first time I went out and played with it. The most effective thing I can do is use the engine to bring the rears back up to speed.

It's not an issue if I'm playing and expecting it, it's those "Oh Hockey Puck!!!" moments that will get you.

 

I would much rather have both wheels spin then have one just sit there. I hate when in my truck you can be on wet grass an the one tire will spin, making me get out lock the hubs and well you get the point.

 

The only issue you would have is traction in bad weather. I always had to really take my time as with a LS rear, it will break free a lot sooner than if you didnt have the LS. I personally like the LS, but I think you have to be a little xtra careful when driving on snowy roads or in water soaked roads.

 

Right. My last truck before I moved from Alaska in 2000 was a 97 F250HD (old body style still) with a 351W. Cool truck...they had to pull the showroom doors off to get it out when i bought it...anyway...back on topic.

I was driving down the highway one day...they don't use salt there and so by the middle of the winter it's pretty much asphalt, packed snow, ice, and then gravel and snow that you drive on...I remember one day just cruising at 65 or so and the *** end just broke loose. Luckily up there it's just hub-lock city for about 5 months, so it was easy to pop it in 4 and get back under control with the skinny pedal.

 

You want something to get used to, drive a newer Chebby with the self-locking differential. I looped the thing 4 or 5 times before I figure out what was happening. When I feathered the throttle to get the slipping wheel to grip the thing locked. And around I went.

 

I have a couple chevy tonners with the G80 locker. Its 100% when it locks for sure. I broke one already at around 6K miles with the dmax twisting on it.

 

Ok, now I'm a little confused. The tag on the new axle reads:

520069124 LS
354 605588 10

...which is apparently out of a 94-95.5 w/ABS.

I'm not sure what's going on, as the guy swears it was from a 92. Grrr...

 

Now that LS unit will be the single clutch Trac-Lok v. the earlier twin clutch Powr-Lok that came in the Gen 1's. It is easy to tell them apart; the Powr-Lok carrier is two pieces bolted together with 4 spider gears and the Trac-Lok has a single piece carrier and two spider gears.
cheers,
Douglas

 

Is that better or worse, generally speaking?

 

IMO, generally speaking, it is worse. The Powr-Lok is remarkably easy to re-Clutch; just a matter of unbolting stuff. The Trac-Lok on the other hand requires working against springs. I'd bet the Trac-Lok does not have the holding capacity of the Powr-Lok either...though I don't have a citation to justify that.
cheers,
Douglas

 

Right...dang...I think I'm going to pass on the whole shebang. Dude wants $400 for the axle, complete, plus an extra set of drums, all mounting hardware and 2 new axles.

But, there's really nothing wrong with the axle I've got, except it's a 1 wheeler. But for like $450 I could stick a locker in it...soooo...yeah.

 

No trac-loc in there.

Pull the cover if you are in doubt. If you know what you are looking for, you can see it right through the filler plug hole.

The 605588-10 BOM D70 has a powr-lok in it unless someone changed parts inside. The newest 2nd gen LS D70 I have been into was a 1998, and it was a powr-lok as well.

Keep in mind it is from a 2nd gen truck though...

 

i would do it! last year i swapped the carrier out with with a used one out of my parts truck and it is nice having the extra tire grabbing now im looking for on for a 96 i cant believe dodge didnt just make that a std thing