My Dmax had the AAM rear. It used an Eaton Gov-Lok.

Somebody explain what the antispin thingy is. Is it an AAM unit??? How does it work?

I notice the 11.5 AAM in the GM has a drain plug but this one does not. Looks like D/C specified some differences.

Now i'm wondering if my old Mag-Hytek rear cover from my Dmax will fit.

 

I just got a response from Mag Hytek. They claim it will bolt right up. Now I see why they designed it with a drain plug!!! When it was on my GMC I had two drainplugs next to each other.

 

alias- Limited slip. A notch lower than its cousin the posi-traction. It works the same as a standard differential on cornering. On loose stuff or snow it gives more power to the tire that has the most traction. Yes it's a AAM ( American Axle ),Dodge went to them in 2003. Dana used to be the one, but they had a little tiff. Chevy engineers are on the ball with their specs. They had the two differentials on a TV program, with the chassis twisted and one wheel barely touching, the GM spec'd rear axle gave all power to the other thus pulling it out.
__________________________________________________ _______________

2003 2500 6-speed 4x4 QC short-bed 3:73 LS 11.5" rear,CTD HO

 

Yep, the Mag Hytec from the GM 11.5 axle fits perfectly. Now I'm waiting for them to make a front diff cover. Then I will purchase them both and install them at the same time.

 

Your post leads me to believe it's the same Eaton Gov-Lok as GM uses but I'm not so sure it is.

 

Forstner,

I saw that TV ad too but think it's a little misleading. After all it was a Chevy ad! I ran a test on my Dodge by jacking up one rear wheel just enough to get it off the ground. The jack was very close to the wheel so not much weight reduction on the other side. I blocked the front wheels. Then with the truck running put it in gear and sure enough it spun the lifted wheel. But with a slight brake application it also spun the wheel still on pavement. That is a very good setup! And still street friendly. After all, these trucks are not really rock climbers.


Hoot,

It's an AAM system. Think it's called Lock-Rite. Check the AAM website to see the ones they make.


Wetspirit

 

What is it? Pre-loaded clutch packs? The Eaton Gov-Lok uses a centrifically activated cam to engage side gear clutches. It's wide open until one side spins 100 faster than the other at which point it locks.

I have a feeling this one is a preload limited slip.

Don't worry... I'll get the skinny soon when I install my Mag Hytek cover.

 

hey hoot take a gander in the may issue of car craft magazine on pg 81 they have an exploded diagram and good explanation ... it is a gear type limited slip ... i love the one in my wifes 10.5 no clutches to wear out ... no special lube and ours works great ... oh in the article upper right hand corner listed as tructrac ... exact same thing in our axles

 

Hey thanks. They are good units. I forget the name of them. I used to read FOur Wheeler all the time. Was it Torsen or something?

Like this...

 

One of the great things about this design is the fact that it doesn't rely on a speed difference to suddenly engage. Another is that it doesn't put all the torque to the slower wheel, like a rachet system, so it's street friendly and good on wet curves. Very smooth progressive increase in torque to the slower wheel. I think it's similar to the Gleason Torsen design where the idea is you can't put power backwards through a worm drive. The spider gears appear to be a worm system. So simple and very effective.
I've been looking for more info on them, that Car Craft article looks good.

Wetspirit

 

For those who don't know, there are three basic types of differentials: Open, Limitied (or Posi), and Locking. There is a forth, called a Spool, but that is for dirt racing only (both wheels are always locked up getting 50% of the engine torqe).

Yep, the Dodge 11.5 gets the TrackRite GT, which is a gear driven touqe biasing unit like the Torsen (developed by Gleason around WWII time - also known as a Gleason Ltd Slip) pictured above. I'm pretty sure the TrackRite GT is made by Torsen. It is the choice, IMO, if you prefer a limited slip (or posi-traction - same thing) over a locker (locking differential). This type of device is used on all Hummers, both military & civilian in both front and rear diffs. The H2 gets the same in the rear, front is open.

The GM uses the TrackRite LK, formerly known as the G80, in their 2500 and 3500 HD trucks. It got the nick name of "Gov Loc" somewhere along the way. It is a limitied slip just before locks up like a real locker. The locking action only works up to 20mph (for reliablity & driveablity reasons). It is activatied by centrifical weight. Early "Gov Locs" were prone to implosion with hard use. Eaton beefed them up to withstand punishing abusive use a few years ago. They work really well up to about 20mph (personal experience).

Some locking differentials are automatic locking (Detroit Locker), some are activated by air (ARB), some by a cable, and now by electic push button (Eaton E-Locker).

The Detroit Locker is bullet proof & works great & is inexpensive comparied to the others. It does, however, have some funky road (pavement) manners, so it's typically used by the more hard core four wheelers.

Ltd Slips (aka Posi-traction) are a great tool, depending on model (some are worthless) for those who don't venture into more advanced off-road use. They work great for snow/ice. Lockers can be very nasty on snow and ice, as they tend to throw the vehical sideways. A limitied slip diff is the best choice for most people. Most OEM posi's are clutch pack or cone type and are detuned to the point where they are not really very effective, which is why I really like the TrackRite GT.

 

Thanks Monkey Lips.... great explanation.

We no the GM Gov Lok is made by Eaton. Why the similar names? TrackRite GT and LK?

 

Thanks...not sure why? I'm just guessing that with AAM going out on it's own (was a GM subsid for last 80 years or so), they wanted to align & standardize their offerings. I suppose it looks better and more uniform on paper and during presentations when going after OEM business. I think it gives off the impression that they are well organized, which indicates to me that know what they are doing...

Take a look...

http://www.aam.com/technology/tech_prod_dl_diff.html

 

I'll chime in by saying mine worked great until I upgraded my tires to a larger size.
With the factory tires I could break "BOTH" rear tires loose in the rain in 4th gear. I went to 285's and that fixed the breaking the tires loose issue as well as the limited slip feature. The larger the tire, the more weight you apply to the diff making it harder for it to bias the torque. Even in the snow the rear now needs some input from me to get the traction I need sometimes.

 

MonkeyLips... I agree, great explanation!!!

Some years ago I put a Detroit Locker in a Dana 60 in the back of my 78 PowerWagon 440... It's a little uncivilized, but bearable.

Tends to squeal the rear tires on the pavement in a slow sharp turn if you give a little too much throttle...but not if your going faster than a few MPH.
The most annoying is it's habit of sometimes making a weird clunk & seeming to freewheel a bit before moving forward... only happens once in a while right after rolling backwards at a stop, if you happen to throw it in neutral for a moment!

Its good point is that they say you could completely remove one axle (it's a full floating system) and still drive home! Nice to know if you were to snap an axle out in the boondocks!

But I love the limited slip in my new 04.5 Dually, very smooth & it should help with the dually's notorious poor off road traction!

Defdog2