I've tried to find on here a way to check to see if this differential is operating correctly. My 06 does has this rear, I have the window sticker and ordered the truck with it, but when stuck on ice the other night, only one rear and one front spun. (Both pass. side). Is this correct? It sounds like the other rear should have "kicked" in at some point. Can this be corrected?

 

Try applying the parking brake lightly or lightly foot brake to make it work

 

I have the exact same problem with my ’06. I’ve read all the posts that say light brake application or setting the parking brake will work… nothing does. I’ve spent considerable time trying this every which way. I can have one side of the truck on dry pavement and the other on snow/ice and it will roll backwards all the way down the street spinning the tires. It’s embarrassing and frustrating. I need to lock it 4x4 when any two wheel drive with posi has no problem. My sons ’96 ram has no problems with the Dana.

 

I've heard that the unit applies torque to the tire with traction at the ratio of 5:1 of the torque applied to the slipping tire, rather than equally as in an open differential. So, if you want 500 ft/lbs of torque on the road, you need to make the diff see 100 ft/lbs on the slippery side. That's where the braking comes into play. You need to make the truck think there is SOME traction on the icy side. If you have zero traction on the icy side you will have 5*0=0 traction on the non-icy side. These are not designed to be a positive locking differential.

I convinced myself that mine was as advertised by putting one wheel in gravel on the shoulder of the road and in 2wd mashing the throttle. I left rubber on both the road and the dirt. An open diff would just spin the dirt side wheel.

 

is the 2006 AAM axle different than on my 2005? I also have the anti-spin, which should be a Tracrite GT correct? My rear will lock up all the time, in wet conditions, and recently towing my 5ver up a gravel hill... something wrong with yours I would guess.. or you don't really have it...

Even on dry roads, my rear will lock up in turns sometimes if I step on it, and rear end will come loose and hop and chirp..

 

How can I check which I have? I can't tell you how many times I've had one side or the other slip off into wet grass and the other tire just spin all day long.. it's embarassing for a truck this size to spin tires in wet grass. I know it's a 2wd, but still. I've even looked at some aftermarket Richmond gear PowerTraxx set-ups to get more traction to the rear tires.

 

Put one wheel on the shoulder of the road, the other on the pavement. Apply power and spin the wheel(s). If only the tire on the shoulder spins, its probably an open diff. If they both spin its certainly an anti-spin. To tell for sure, change the differential fluid and look.

 

It's a limitied slip diff, not a no slip diff. By design, there is some slippage going on.

Testing for an open diff is pretty easy:
- Jack up the rear so both tires are off the ground.
- Transmission in neutral
- Spin one tire by hand
- Opposite tire spins in opposite direction = Open diff
- Opposite tire spins in same direction = LSD

The standard LSD is a Gleason worm gear; no clutch packs. Very durable, very predictable. I have something similar on my track car - corners much better compared to the stock clutch pack LSD.

If you lose traction on one side, all power goes to that side. That's a good thing. If all power goes to the other side, you'll be making a hard turn in the direction of the loose tire or broken axle. That's a bad thing. A little brake application with the left foot will make the diffe think you're getting some traction, and send power to the other side.

 

my 05 is open it only ever spins one tire. i even opened it up and checked. its real annoying i always spin and cant use the power i have. it cost to much to have a lim slip andded and gears setup again prolly cheaper to swap the whole axle to one with lim slip in my case

 

That test doesn't confirm anything for a 3rd gen Tracrite equipped truck. Off the ground with no load applied, it will function much like an open diff.

 

My 2006 works perfectly. I have had it in two wheel drive going up hill on glare ice under one wheel, asphalt under the other and stopped the truck and slowly and smoothly started up the hill. Mud, snow, never a problem. I really like the diff.

I have changed the fluid once, and put no modifiers in it.

 

[QUOTE=.boB;2925126]It's a limitied slip diff, not a no slip diff. By design, there is some slippage going on.

Testing for an open diff is pretty easy:
- Jack up the rear so both tires are off the ground.
- Transmission in neutral
- Spin one tire by hand
- Opposite tire spins in opposite direction = Open diff
- Opposite tire spins in same direction = LSD

I will try this tonight. I'll even try putting some resistance on one side or the other and see if that forces them to turn the same way as suggested in other posts.

If it is open, what's a good limited slip diff to replace the stock rear end with??

 

What CrazyCooter said. Don't bother jacking the truck up to check for an LSD on a 3rd gen. That isn't they way they work. There are no preloaded clutch packs that will link both rear wheels together when static.


Your choices are limited for an AAM 11.5 LSD: The OE AAM unit or a Detroit Trutrac. Neither one has wearable parts like clutch packs. I wouldn't hold one over the other as performing obviously better.

 

I'm less than impressed with the "limited slip" on my '06 . I think that "limited traction" would be a better way to put it. I have no complaints on how it works under most conditions, except for when it matters. When on dry or wet pavement, gravel, or dirt, with both tires on the same surface with the same load and moving it works fine - both will spin - not much different than open diffs I have driven. Now, if the rear tires are on different surfaces it's a different story, especially if pulling away from a stop. Five inches of snow on my flat concrete driveway it's a 50/50 chance of both will spin or not. I cant really screw around with trying to apply the brakes to get it to bite otherwise when the snow melts the driveway is dotted with small black spots. Its also counter productive to try and load the diff to get traction with the brakes while trying to accelerate and grab gears! I think that the older dana LSD's with clutches worked much better.

 

Agree 100%... Every winter (year after year) I always try every tip I've read from web postings (light application of brakes, this and that) and nothing works for me. I ALWAYS wind up having to engauge 4x4 just to go up my street and driveway when there is snow and ice on only one side of the road. I really miss the DANA! I'm talking conditions when every other car and truck has no problem in 2WD... I need 4x4. It's just wrong.