Is LSD worth it?

[Edub]

I'm in a unique situation. I've scheduled a regear in the coming weeks. I already have onboard air, the switches, and budget ready to go. The goal/intent was always to get ARB lockers installed while doing the gears. Now that the day is coming up, I'm second guessing myself.

My question/concern is, is my LSD doing more than I suspect it is in day-to-day driving? Am I shooting myself in the foot by losing that functionality? I'm in the south and don't see any snow, but we do see a lot of rain.

would love to hear some input on this.

I do offroad/rock crawl moderately when the opportunity arises but its honestly used more as a daily more than anything. Sport S Max Tow

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[Benbean66]

I can't speak for having lockers, but I do have a Max Tow as well with the LSD, and I love it. I've towed a lot, rock crawled, done a good bit of driving in the snow, and have a little over 76K on my JT. Me personally, I'd probably keep the LSD in the rear, and maybe put a locker in the front just for some added peace of mind. Just my $.02

 

[Edub]

I can't speak for having lockers, but I do have a Max Tow as well with the LSD, and I love it. I've towed a lot, rock crawled, done a good bit of driving in the snow, and have a little over 76K on my JT. Me personally, I'd probably keep the LSD in the rear, and maybe put a locker in the front just for some added peace of mind. Just my $.02

I thought about that. I don't tow but its good to know its there.

 

[Wild thang]

I installed a true track in my rear differential.
I also live in the south and I love it!

 

[Zachanadandy]

Your lsd isn't doing anything in day to day driving in Houston. If you lived somewhere that snow and ice were a daily occurrence the lsd might be worth keeping over a locker. Anywhere else you either have enough traction you don't need a limited slip at all or there's so little traction that a locker will outperform an lsd every time. Don't over think it. Open dif<lsd<locker in almost every terrain aside from light snow and ice. Even heavy snow a locker will outperform an lsd.

 

[Edub]

Your lsd isn't doing anything in day to day driving in Houston. If you lived somewhere that snow and ice were a daily occurrence the lsd might be worth keeping over a locker. Anywhere else you either have enough traction you don't need a limited slip at all or there's so little traction that a locker will outperform an lsd every time. Don't over think it. Open dif<lsd<locker in almost every terrain aside from light snow and ice. Even heavy snow a locker will outperform an lsd.

sound advice. thanks.

 

[TheRealStreetcommander]

People will likely advocate for whatever they have.

I intentionally bought an LSD equipped model because it’s superior for 99.9999% of the terrain I encounter. Lockers are only really required for hyper-technical off-road. An LSD is superior for everything else.

The perfect setup would be LSD rear and a locker front diff. You give up too much control and performance during regular driving with the rear locker.

 

[Volt0]

Another concern might be maintenance, service, and/or possible issues. The air locker might not mechanically wear like a clutch pack, but you may need to replace air lines every so often ( or a compressor ).

edit: I would expect an open diff to cause less wear on tires in a daily driver.

 

[Edub]

Another concern might be maintenance, service, and/or possible issues. The air locker might not mechanically wear like a clutch pack, but you may need to replace air lines every so often ( or a compressor ).

edit: I would expect an open diff to cause less wear on tires in a daily driver.

call me weird, but I rather enjoyed installing the onboard air and running the lines.

your point about the open diff makes sense.

 

[Chestnut]

My advice is where are you most likely to get stuck? Is it driving around every day or in the thick of a trail? For my use LSD is exactly what i need because it's always working but i don't wheel or rock crawl.

Your lsd isn't doing anything in day to day driving in Houston. If you lived somewhere that snow and ice were a daily occurrence the lsd might be worth keeping over a locker.

I respectfully disagree, living in snow and ice i get more benefit from the LSD in rain and wet conditions.

There are a lot of arm chair experts that like to point out on snow and ice LSD is more dangerous than open as it has a higher likely hood to lead to over steer aka fishtailing. I have the maturity of a 15 year old and love wagging my tail end around corners so the LSD is like a drug to me for winter driving...

 

[Bear Hunter]

I have lsd on my Willy's and love it. I have had lockers on other vehicles and if I had to choose one or the other I would choose lsd. Both would be great but if only one I'd do lsd. Better for almost everything except rock crawling...

 

[Wild thang]

Living in Mississippi, we ride a lot of Sandy , muddy trails.
I also have truetracks in the front and rear of my TJ.
Off camber situations are the only place I truetracks don’t shine imo. I love not having to think about locking and unlocking just put your foot in it and it will lock up?

I will say, I’ve been to Moab Colorado & New Mexico, and if I lived in those areas, I would want air lockers!

 

[ChrisNLA]

I wheeled my 2016 JK all over the country. All it had was a factory LSD in the rear. Fourteen badge trails, including six or seven in Moab. It performed well. Would have liked a locker twice in the six years I had the Jeep. Used my winch both times so I didn't beat on it needlessly to clear an obstacle. If I kept that Jeep and had re-geared it, I might would have did a rear locker.

I don't wheel the new Gladiator (Max Tow w/ the factory LSD) like that and so the LSD works perfectly for my daily needs. The one wheeling trip it went on to Merus Adventure Park, it performed fine.

 

[Zachanadandy]

My advice is where are you most likely to get stuck? Is it driving around every day or in the thick of a trail? For my use LSD is exactly what i need because it's always working but i don't wheel or rock crawl.


I respectfully disagree, living in snow and ice i get more benefit from the LSD in rain and wet conditions.

There are a lot of arm chair experts that like to point out on snow and ice LSD is more dangerous than open as it has a higher likely hood to lead to over steer aka fishtailing. I have the maturity of a 15 year old and love wagging my tail end around corners so the LSD is like a drug to me for winter driving...

You said you disagreed, and proceeded to agree with me? Winter driving is the only place it does anything a locker won't do better. The lsd "always working" is hilarious, have you ever been stuck on dry pavement? Wet pavement? What is it working to do? Give you the same ability to drive as the prius next to you on the road? As far as wagging the tail, ever run a locked dif on the wet pavement? Even there the locker destroys the lsd. There's a reason most drift cars run spools. A locker wins over an lsd everywhere but ice in my experience.

 

[Edub]

Living in Mississippi, we ride a lot of Sandy , muddy trails.
I also have truetracks in the front and rear of my TJ.
Off camber situations are the only place I truetracks don’t shine imo. I love not having to think about locking and unlocking just put your foot in it and it will lock up?

I will say, I’ve been to Moab Colorado & New Mexico, and if I lived in those areas, I would want air lockers!

And this is where my mind is at. We frequently make our way to Colorado as well as Arkansas (the main reason for the regear).

I'm not trying to fool myself here, I know I won't use the lockers much but they will be used. I'm just more concerned about what I will lose.

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