One of the original traction differentials and currently the most popular Rover traction diff in Europe. This Differential, recently released for Land Rover applications, is fully automatic. It can sense unintended wheel spin off road but is able to compensate for differences in turning radius on road. Since this differential doesn't have the added complication and cost of selectable controls - no compressors, air or vacuum lines and no electrical connections or relays - they are extremely reliable and cost effective - less expensive to buy, less expensive to install - a great value! You install them and forget about them - other than enjoying the additional traction now available. Detroit Lockers have traditionally been considered suitably only for hard core off roaders because they were noisy while cornering and they had a reputation for affecting the handling of the vehicle on road. This is no longer the case, they are available only in the newer style, referred to as soft lockers. These have nylon shims in the carrier which greatly reduce the noise generated. Also in a vehicle with full time four wheel drive and longer wheel bases, such as all late model Rovers, any handling variations are almost imperceptible. Some of the criticism of these diffs was undeserved, often times in their enthusiasm for additional traction people installed them in front differentials, which is very strongly discouraged. They are for rear diffs only - see next section for our favorite front diff. These diffs are in a 4 pinion design so they are much stronger than stock carriers. We highly recommend the installation of 24 spline axles in any Rover 10 spline application or at least an upgraded 10 spline axle, particularly any part time 4 wheel drive system i.e. Series ll and lll. We can also supply the conversion kit and axles necessary to install these in Series ll and lll Land Rovers.   

This is a gear driven limited slip differential. TruTrac limited slip differentials work by being able to sense differences in wheel spin and are able to compensate for this by biasing more torque to the wheel that has the most traction. They operate very smoothly, are completely automatic, have no adverse effect on handling and are very durable because they have no clutches or cones to wear out unlike traditional limited slip diffs. They are also very reliable and cost effective because they have no actuating mechanisms such as cables, air lines, compressors and electrical connections to malfunction. They can be installed in either the front or rear diffs, although we consider them ideal for the front diff for one huge reason - you can steer with them fully operating! They allow one wheel to rotate slightly faster than the other, allowing this diff to totally compensate for the different distances traveled by your tires even in a sharp turn. One major disadvantage of a fully locked front diff, whether fully selectable or automatic, is the inability to steer or the effort required to steer. Consider this - you are negotiating a very difficult and highly technical section of trail with a sharp turn somewhere in it. Your options are 1) try to remember to unlock your front diff at just the right time hoping that there isn't too much preload on your axle components and that your diff actually unlocks because if it doesn't it may require you to stop to do so. 2) the other option is to try to muscle your steering around as required. The problem with this option is that if you are not successful you need to stop, unlock your diff, backup slightly, steer, relock diff and proceed. Oftentimes, if the turn is not too sharp, you can successfully negotiate the turn but you will put a tremendous amount of stress on your front end components, particularly if you have power steering, hence risking the possibility of a catastrophic failure of these components. Personally when I'm negotiating a very difficult and highly technical section of trail, I like to concentrate on picking and maintaining my line and using just the right amount of momentum to successfully negotiate the trail. A Trutrac allows you to concentrate on your driving!

The only minor disadvantage of a Trutrac is that when you are stopped with no forward momentum and the unit is not engaged, it can function as a conventional diff. This situation is easily rectified by briefly, lightly applying the brakes to "fool" the unit into thinking you are moving and it will engage. This situation is very uncommon, particularly when you have a fully locked rear diff and occurs only when you are fully stopped. Another thing you will notice with this unit is that your steering will feel slightly "heavier", although only slightly. If you aren't used to the vehicle you probably wouldn't notice it. Note: This only app lies to vehicles without power steering! These minor disadvantages are more than offset by the many advantages of this unit and as a result this isn’t diff of choice. This diff also makes a great rear diff if your four wheeling doesn't run to the extreme. If you prefer off roading that stops short of the extreme but would like the benefits of a traction diff, TruTracs make a great rear diff also - effective, smooth operating, inexpensive and easy to install. TruTracs are a 4 pinion design and as a result have the benefit of being much more durable than a stock diff carrier.  We can also supply the conversion kit to allow these to be used in Series l. ll and lll Land Rovers.