Truetrac in Titan - Review

Austin · 03-23-2006, 04:43 PM

I had a Truetrac diff from Detroit Locker installed a couple days ago. The Truetrac is a helical gear type limited slip differential.

Here's a link to the original thread on the Truetrac.

Here's a link to the Truetrac page on Detroit's website.

I've driven vehicles with all kinds of limited slips and lockers. Mechanical and viscous LSD's, automatic and ARB lockers. The Truetrac is far and wide the most amazing limited slip I've ever experienced. After 2 days with this diff I'm absolutely in love with it. It's as smooth and invisible as an open diff when putting around, and I almost can't tell the difference between it and a locker when I push the go-fast pedal.

I removed the OEM electronic locking rear diff (an open diff) to install the Truetrac. I can tell you this - if you're on the fence about getting the TrueTrac because you don't want to give up your OEM locker... get the Truetrac. It has all the traction of the locker when locked, all the street manners and ease of use/low maintenance of an open diff, and makes for great around-town driving.

I went to my favorite off-camber uphill dirt hill today to get one rear tire up in the air. Normally, with an open rear diff, as you unload one tire it'll start spinning (as it loses traction). With the Truetrac, I couldn't tell that the unloaded tire was off the ground. I had my big tow mirrors pointed down at my rear tires (which stick out nicely from the fenders), and I couldn't see a speed difference between the two. It felt just like a locker.

A couple other tests I've done -

Accelerate in a straight line on damp pavement, leaves two black marks.

Accelerate hard around a corner - kicks out the back end, feels close to how a locker feels around a corner. Very easy to steer with the throttle.

Accelerate hard with one tire on dry pavement (maximum traction) and one tire on packed dirt/moss/sand (minimum traction, off the road). I've done this test probably 30 times, at all different throttle levels. I can tell if the tire in dirt spins by the look of the ground afterwards (torn up, lightly disturbed, undisturbed, etc.), and I can tell if the on-road tire spins by the barking sound. This Truetrac is so close to a locker, it's unbelievable. I can't spin the off-road tire at all without hearing the on-road tire spin.

I can take off at partial throttle, and just take off - neither side spins. At a certain power level, the rear end goes from neither side spinning to both sides spinning. On an open diff, the tire with minimum traction (the off-road tire) would spin like crazy and the on-road tire would just sit.

I haven't had my SLIP light come on since the installation of the Truetrac. The SLIP light illuminates when the ABS system senses a difference in rotation speed between the left and right rear wheels and activates ABLS.

It's definite - I'm not going back to the locker.

baseballfanz · 03-23-2006, 04:52 PM

Sound like an awsome set up, any words on when Detroit will offer us regular smoozh a chance to get it?

Now I can go from being a 4x1 to a 4x2

travisreed · 03-23-2006, 04:52 PM

Austin, You have to tell me what shop did this for you! I HAVE to get this done, I can't take the onewheel peels any longer.

Onebadasstitan · 03-23-2006, 05:00 PM

U mean no more one tire fire! AWESOME!

Austin · 03-23-2006, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travisreed

Austin, You have to tell me what shop did this for you! I HAVE to get this done, I can't take the onewheel peels any longer.

Travis -

Bayview 4x4 did the install. I'd originally called Randy's Ring & Pinion to do it (they're huge, and they're over on your side of the water), but heard some bad things about them. Turns out Bayview has a Gear-God... he's done something like 2000 rear-ends.

BTW, Bayview is located in Bremerton, but only for the next 2 days... after 15 or so years there, they're moving to Silverdale this weekend.

travisreed · 03-23-2006, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin

Travis -

Bayview 4x4 did the install. I'd originally called Randy's Ring & Pinion to do it (they're huge, and they're over on your side of the water), but heard some bad things about them. Turns out Bayview has a Gear-God... he's done something like 2000 rear-ends.

BTW, Bayview is located in Bremerton, but only for the next 2 days... after 15 or so years there, they're moving to Silverdale this weekend.

I don't mind driving to get this done....maybe I can fit in a round of golf over there while they hammer it out?

Thanks for the info!

Mustard · 03-23-2006, 05:09 PM

What did it cost and how much was installation? Also are they available to all dealers?

Austin · 03-23-2006, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travisreed

I don't mind driving to get this done....maybe I can fit in a round of golf over there while they hammer it out?

Thanks for the info!

I don't really like the golf aspect of golf, but I definitely like the go-kart and beer aspects. I'll volunteer to be your golf chauffeur when you get this done... assuming there is room in the cart for a cooler.

I'll post a good source to buy from when Detroit releases the Truetrac - you can just have it shipped directly to Bayview when you're ready. Also, shoot me a PM when you're ready and I'll give you contact info for Bayview.

Austin · 03-23-2006, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mustard

What did it cost and how much was installation? Also are they available to all dealers?

Your installation cost will depend on where you go to have it installed. I'd guess between $100-$200, but that's just a guess.

The final pricing on the Truetrac should be somewhere around $500, but again that's just a guess. I'm not connected to Detroit in any way other than I know a guy... so I can't tell you what the price is until they set it.

got_titan · 03-23-2006, 05:23 PM

great news austin.....as soon as you hear about the release please let us know......i cant wait to get one of these babies on!!

got_titan · 03-23-2006, 05:37 PM

ok guys, if the part number in the original thread(913A582) is correct then summit racing have these listed and a price....heres the link so everyone can see if it seems fair...any cheaper places pleast post a link.

http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...gnsearch .asp

Kooshtaka · 03-23-2006, 05:51 PM

Austin,

Will this take care of the rear diff. blow-out that some of us have been having? <- To me this is the most important question. The next being: What do us with 4x4 have to do to make this work? either post or PM me a reply.

Thanks

Mustard · 03-23-2006, 05:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kooshtaka

Austin,

Will this take care of the rear diff. blow-out that some of us have been having? <- To me this is the most important question. The next being: What do us with 4x4 have to do to make this work? either post or PM me a reply.

Thanks

Austin's truck is a 4x4.

dareed02 · 03-23-2006, 06:01 PM

This may sound like a stupid question but, will this new diff work on non-offroad 4x4 Titans?

Kooshtaka · 03-23-2006, 06:02 PM

Yes I know that. If you read the original thread on this " http://www.titantalk.com/forums/tita...ker-titan.html " then you will see that there were a few things that needed to be done with the pre-production version. I was wondering if there were still things that needed to be taken care of.

Truetrac in Titan - Review - being discussed at Nissan Titan Forums in the Titan Engine, Transmission & Drivetrain section.