I did a search, only found one little relevant thread. If you were to install some sort of auto/lunch box locker (I'm sort of hoping for the aussie to be availbe for my truck soon) how, if at all, would it affect towing/maneuvering a trailer?

I am referring to installation in the rear diff, not front.

(BTW, I stink with a trailer, but sometimes it has to be done_

Thanks, y'all.

 

shouldnt really affect it much at all... would help out a on a slippery boat ramp though.....

 

Nope.
Having a locker or any traction aid is a bit different from not having one, but if you have one it makes little difference whether you are towing or not. It won't affect your ability to back that trailer up one bit...

 

Thanks, my trailer skills would be hard pressed to get worse.

 

what I wouldnt do is tow the max limit with an auto locker if your a stick.

Sometimes a huge load gets a little hairy. An auotlocker will give you whats called rear stear on occasion which can make the sway a bit.

The rear steer is amplified by a manual transmission. Its cause by the transfering of power in the locker. Although the locker provides equal power in a slipping situation, they are designed to be able to make turns with so it lets one wheel turn faster then the other (outside wheel spins faster) when there is no torque applied. When you apply gas the wheels will lock up. If you are cruising down the high way you arent on the gas as much as you think, you are going from hardly any to alot...alot. So you'll in decel you feel the rear end pulling the back one way and on accel it will pull it the other.

Its really hard to explain unless you feel it. I had a detroit in my jeep and I liked it, it felt really cool. But it would make we a little wary about towing anything that was pushing the limits of the vehicle.

Also the clicking and ratchetings was a little annoying on the road. I dont know how a lunch box locker will vary. Might be alot better on the street then my detroit was.

 

Intersting stuff. Do you feel the rear steer when not towing?

I'm waiting for the aussie locker (rather than getting a detroit) to be available for the Tacomas based on peoples opionions in other trucks, and especially on the write-up the got from pirate (I think).

 

you know i'm not really sure...the rear steer i'm talking about isnt something you can see, but you can kinda feel it. Maybe with a large load it will hold the back end straight.

in all seriousness it probably wont be too bad...i'd just go for it...

 

Well, like I said, I'm waiting for my locker to be released, so plenty of time to think about it. I guess you are saying that you do notice the rear steer when you you are just cruising on the highway and don't have a load, yeah?

 

yeah exactly...on the highway going from decel to accel and back....

I noticed it esp. going through curves on back roads