Front detroit, custom fronts?

[DougH]

I figure this question would be going toward Frank, but these lockers are a little more common where you guys are. Over in the US Shwartzy is the only one with the front traction aid, aside from Kary (BigBlue) who has some type of custom lsd.

These things are regular detroits right, with machining to make them work in the mitsu platform, correct?

What axles are they offered for. I know my axle is different up front than Franks 93, even though we are the same year truck. His is a manual, mine is an auto.

If they are custom cases for the diffs, why hasn't any one adapted a ARB or some other type of axle.

If you can take a detroit made for a ford and stick it in a mitsu, then the arb locker for that same application should be just as adaptable right?


I am going to have to be setting up the front gears for the truck with the new 5.29's. I wish I could stick a traction aid in the front, but I drive on the road in 4wd to much. And when I move next year I will be seeing alot of that powdery wet slick shiet we call snow.

So what do these usually run? I cant run one up front, but I am curious.

[Bitsamissin]

Dougie, they are the full Detroit locker. They are CNC machined from scratch from a billet but to drawings specifically done for the Mitsu diffs, they are not a modified Toyo one made to fit the Mitsi diff for example.
I spoke to the guy the other day and mine is delayed due to a problem with their CNC machine.
He has done front Gen 1, 2, 4 cylinders, 3.0 V6's, 3.5 V6's, rear of the same models but he hasn't done a rear 3.5 V6.
I asked him if he has seen a small version of the front super select (7.5") and he said no he has only seen the one size in the super select (8") which is the same size as the front Gen 1 V6. The Detroits are the same for all of the front V6's he said only the crown wheel and pinions are different as I have said. The only other variant he has seen is the smaller front 4 cylinder (7.5"). He said he has some on the shelf to suit the 4 banger but has to check if they are front or rear.
He could probably do one if he had the smaller super select front diff to work with just that no-one has done it.
The advantage you have with the smaller diff is the 5.29 will bolt straight in (there is no 5.29 for the 8" super select diff) but there is no Detroit for yours.
If I want to go 5.29's later I'll have to put in a Gen 1 V6 front diff (the Detroit will fit this as it's the same) and source the same 5.29 I got Lloyd for his front. This is virtually a bolt in swap, have to plug the hole left from the free wheeling hub and drill a few new mounting holes.

[Lordtrunks]

Speaking of detroits I emailed shane back frank if you talk to him before he gets the message i sent a couple days ago let him know i'll take detroit now and when he finds the 5.29' just let me know then i'll fire off the money to him for that.

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Lordtrunks is firing off money like he's got two jobs or something...wait, he does have two jobs. I went wheelin with him and Auto-Mon last week, and this guy could use a set of 5.29's and lockers, all right. Say, would the ARB mentioned above possibly fit our front in 4 cyl SWB Gen 1 manuals? Now that's worth waiting for! Lloyd was real leery of taking his through the snow because of his front Detroit a couple of weeks ago, so to answer that part second-hand, I would have to think it's not very confidence inspiring. I can say that mine is rock solid in all the snow I've driven through- - last week even, as Lloyd and I took mine north for our last trek in the 'Shell Game' trip. So the open/locked scenario sounds good to me. Please keep us informed.

John B.

[Bitsamissin]

Johnny I very much doubt it. I think ARB (if they go ahead with it) will only be doing one for the 8" front Gen 1 and Gen 2 super select (active trac) front diffs as this is where the majority of sales will be. They would be the same part no and will even fit the Gen 3 models also.
I fear the 4 cylinder front which is the same size as our early Gen 2 2.5tdi and Doug's 3.0 auto may miss out as there just wouldn't be the numbers there.


Frank.

[DougH]

Johnny I very much doubt it. I think ARB (if they go ahead with it) will only be doing one for the 8" front Gen 1 and Gen 2 super select (active trac) front diffs as this is where the majority of sales will be. They would be the same part no and will even fit the Gen 3 models also.
I fear the 4 cylinder front which is the same size as our early Gen 2 2.5tdi and Doug's 3.0 auto may miss out as there just wouldn't be the numbers there.

If I really really wanted one, I would just swap in a genI v6. The whole active trac is in the tcase with the center diffy. So with a genI front diff you could still run 4wd at highway speed on the roads. And if you kept the hubs locked if you were expecting bad weather... you could still shift on the fly.

I am not going to worry about the arb right now, its a long time in the future. And its only if we can pull of the numbers.

In two years or so I hope the GenII is only a recovery vehicle, and daily driver. I want to get the genI a solid front axle, and a new drive train. But first I need to finish building a garage, and I need to figure out if I can affoard to get something to tow it.

[Swartzy]

Lordtrunks is firing off money like he's got two jobs or something...wait, he does have two jobs. I went wheelin with him and Auto-Mon last week, and this guy could use a set of 5.29's and lockers, all right. Say, would the ARB mentioned above possibly fit our front in 4 cyl SWB Gen 1 manuals? Now that's worth waiting for! Lloyd was real leery of taking his through the snow because of his front Detroit a couple of weeks ago, so to answer that part second-hand, I would have to think it's not very confidence inspiring. I can say that mine is rock solid in all the snow I've driven through- - last week even, as Lloyd and I took mine north for our last trek in the 'Shell Game' trip. So the open/locked scenario sounds good to me. Please keep us informed.

John B.

Off-road in the snow is ok, I am talking 45mph+ on the road in the snow, about as big a problem for you as the average Aussie! Been putting in long hours on my rig lately. I was so pissed after AZ that I am working on everything, right down to wiper blades and my CB mount that kept knocking the center cup holder shut. Going to get the bumper cut tomorrow so I can actually mount that 35" spare. FYI the ARB failure was the pressure switch, that was rusted. I had spares though, just no spare trannie :(