Powertrax

[icarl]

Anyone try the PowerTrax Traction System (http://www.powertrax.com)? If so how does it change your vehicles handling on and off road?

 

[hyde]

jeepjeepster got the locker I think

 

[Eddo]

It does have some quirks though. It will make some noise. Like a pop or click when making a turn. It's barely noticeable to me, however to some it too much to handle. There is also an increase in drive line slack. It's not alot, similar to the increased slack you often experience when driving a manual. Something you become use to in the first day or two.

It will cause the inside tire to slip more in a turn, because only the inside tire is powered in a turn. And if you stay on the gas and the inside tires spins enough it will lock up and then you will fish tail. Just another thing to get use to. If you feel the inside tire slipping, then let off the gas. Some people like to stay on the gas even thought its slipping, and that will cause problems.

It's really a matter of personal preference. Alot of people hate the powertrax on road manners and some people barely notice it. I barely notice mine. It all depends on how sensitive you are to changes. Some are more sensitive than others.

Off-road it is great. You can't beat a real locker off-road. If you are just the casual off-roader and don't do anything where tires are frequently off the ground than a LSD would probably be a better bet. Better on-road manner and alot better than an open diff off-road.

Either way I think the powertrax is probably the best bang for the money when it comes to increasing off-road performance.

One last note. If you do decide on the power-trax go with the power-trax no-slip. It's about 150 more than the power-trax lock-rite, but there is a huge difference in on road manners between the two, its worth the extra money its your daily driver.

 

[JeepJeepster]

Eddo covered that very well.

The only time I have a problem with the inner tire slipping, is when I am accelerating or going uphill and turning at a slow speed. Ive learned to give very little gas or just coast through the turns so that it will not put so much strain on the drivetrain and tires.

This is the first winter for me with the No-Slip, and I noticed it pops like crazy when its really cold. It was 18F the other morning and it would pop during every turn that I took. It didnt take the fluid long to warm up though and it stopped.

The No-slip can be very dangerous during rain or snow situations if you give it to much gas during a turn. I found myself facing the other way one day going through an intersection in the rain. Since then Ive gotten some A/T tires and Ive not had any more problems like that. O

The locker makes a world of difference when offroad. \/

 

[hyde]

why can't the someone come up with switchable locker? LSD / NSD with a button? I think KJ even slips too much on 4x4LO, and still gives most of the torque to rear tires, although it is supposed to do %50.

Would it be too much trouble or too difficult to do?

Or how about torque adjuster, give the sucker to front time to time.. ?

 

[JeepJeepster]

ARB makes a switchable locker. its over twice as much as the No-slip though. O

What do you mean the kj slips to much in 4low?

The front and rear is locked together, so the power must be split 50/50. O

 

[icarl]

Does anyone have a powertrax locker in both the front and rear differentials? Would this be too ******* the liberty's front end? Or, maybe too unsafe to drive on the wet road or ice?

 

[ogfalcon]

The Detroit TrueTrac is a good limited slip, as well, and it doesn't have any clutches at all so it should not wear out. I've been extremely happy with it; seemless highway behavior, but locks up quick in the soft stuff. According to detroit, you can only put a TrueTrac in the rear diff...not sure about the others.

 

[KJ04]

According to detroit, you can only put a TrueTrac in the rear diff...not sure about the others.

There's a lot of us running True Tracs in the front that need to take them out then, I guess. (Aeh)

 

[ogfalcon]

I thought you could run them in the front diff as well, but the Detroit techs I talked to said you shouldn't run them in the front diff on a KJ. I don't know why, but it may be worth a call to the Detroit techs to ask why. A TrueTrac in the rear is good enough for the wheeling I do, because 3-wheels supplying power can get most people out of almost anything.

 

[Cableguy]

I thought you could run them in the front diff as well, but the Detroit techs I talked to said you shouldn't run them in the front diff on a KJ. I don't know why, but it may be worth a call to the Detroit techs to ask why. A TrueTrac in the rear is good enough for the wheeling I do, because 3-wheels supplying power can get most people out of almost anything.

Pretty sure it has something to do with the all-aluminum front diff housing not being able to take the stress.

 

[icarl]

The Detroit TrueTrac is a good limited slip, as well, and it doesn't have any clutches at all so it should not wear out. I've been extremely happy with it; seemless highway behavior, but locks up quick in the soft stuff. According to detroit, you can only put a TrueTrac in the rear diff...not sure about the others.

Is the detroit any better than Ford's Posi-Traction LSD. Because my dad got his Ford F150 4x4 stuck in snow ruts once and Posi-Traction was useless. One wheel would spin on the ice and the other didn't move just like on an open diff. We stil had to dig the vehicle out and push it.

In fact I just have open diffs on my jeep right now and I made it farther down that trail then he did without getting stuck. I did get stuck in deep stuff though but that was my own fault. The Ford didn't even make it to the deep stuff. He was supposed to be coming to pull me out but got stuck on the road there. We had to dig both him and I out with a shovel.

 

[icarl]

I found a very good article that explains the differences between some of these diffs.

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fastcar/diffey.html

 

[hyde]

ARB makes a switchable locker. its over twice as much as the No-slip though. O

What do you mean the kj slips to much in 4low?

The front and rear is locked together, so the power must be split 50/50. O

a few times I had 1 wheel lose traction and spin when I was climbing on snow. Does that mean there is something wrong?

 

[icarl]

Now here's an idea. What if you ran a detroit truetrac on the rear diff and a powertrax no-slip on the front axle. That way when you are on road you can run it in 2 wheel drive and have little or no problems with the powertrax because there will be zero torque applied to the front wheels. Plus you have the benefit of the rear LSD on icy and changing road conditions. In offroad conditions you can then engage the 4 wheel drive and enlist the help of the powertrax. :-k

 

[ogfalcon]

If you still want good on-road behavior, but off-road performance similar to a real locker, the TrueTrac is fantastic. It came highly recommended to me from the chief Jeep shop tech up in Tucson, and it hasn't let me down yet. It is as close to a locker as you can get, without actually being a locker. And at around 400 bucks, it's a very good deal.

 

[icarl]

If you still want good on-road behavior, but off-road performance similar to a real locker, the TrueTrac is fantastic. It came highly recommended to me from the chief Jeep shop tech up in Tucson, and it hasn't let me down yet. It is as close to a locker as you can get, without actually being a locker. And at around 400 bucks, it's a very good deal.

I'm leaning towards getting a TrueTrac for the rear for now and seeing how that improves things. How much did it cost you to get it put in?

 

[ogfalcon]

I went to a Jim Click Jeep dealership and had their specialist install it because the DCX 8.25 can be tricky, and I wanted it to be done right the first time. It takes around 5 hours to do correctly; it cost me about 200 bucks at the dealership. If you're Military, any Jim Click dealership gives employee rate labor and parts (basically half price)...that's how I got it done so cheap.

 

[seabass1858]

I have a powertrax no-slip in rear and trutrac for front cant wait to try it out in the sand