Its probably been covered before, but I was wondering if anyone was prepared to share their thoughts & experiences of the myriad of axle difflocks now available in 2024 for the standard Landy axles, non-Dana/Salsbury in particular. Costs, longevity, ability to withstand the abuse from large displacement engines, auto/air operated (with the ARB being at the top of this pile I'm thinking). I seem to recall automatically locking difflocks, otherwise known as limited slips being a little twitchy on icy roads as they engage resulting in a damp forehead - or worst case scenario, a new pair of pants! The irony is, that I already have an ARB fitted to an unfinished Landy project that I have yet to see in action but that's another story. I have onboard air in my 90 so an airlocker would not require additional kit which may turn out to be convenient. I know of many of the stories ;- 'Should not need one unless you are into serious off-roading' or 'If you were experienced enough then you would not need one', 'Nah, you'll keep breaking halfshafts/CV joints,' 'Better to invest in a good winch - or two!' etc. Its very easy to get carried away. Just curious to hear of others experiences on this subject, good or bad.
300bhp/ton
Well-Known Member
Well for starters, paragraphs will help. Reading that was quite an effort! 
Ultimately it depends what are you trying to achieve, why and how much you want to spend.
Auto locking is not an LSD. The clue is in the name “limited slip differential”, ie it will never lock.
The diff centre is only one part of the drivetrain. There are other weak bits of you run big power, big tyres and drive with little mechanical sympathy.
Give a little more info on what you are trying to achieve and more focused answer can be provided. Because trying to cover off everything differential and axle based would be a novel in its own right.
Ultimately it depends what are you trying to achieve, why and how much you want to spend.
Auto locking is not an LSD. The clue is in the name “limited slip differential”, ie it will never lock.
The diff centre is only one part of the drivetrain. There are other weak bits of you run big power, big tyres and drive with little mechanical sympathy.
Give a little more info on what you are trying to achieve and more focused answer can be provided. Because trying to cover off everything differential and axle based would be a novel in its own right.
Ha, ha, yes, sorry about that. I blame the smartphone! I have some seriously challenging banks & ditches outside of my gate & I once watched a standard Volvo Sugga (they have axle difflocks as standard) walk all over terrain which would have stopped most vehicles including my 101 GS, & that was with its bumpers hooking out lumps of turf! Its virtual unstopability left me most impressed.Well for starters, paragraphs will help. Reading that was quite an effort!
Ultimately it depends what are you trying to achieve, why and how much you want to spend.
Auto locking is not an LSD. The clue is in the name “limited slip differential”, ie it will never lock.
The diff centre is only one part of the drivetrain. There are other weak bits of you run big power, big tyres and drive with little mechanical sympathy.
Give a little more info on what you are trying to achieve and more focused answer can be provided. Because trying to cover off everything differential and axle based would be a novel in its own right.
I'm not as physically capable as I used to be & although those I would embark with on little off-roading adventures would willingly tow me out of a 'stuck', I would like to have at least one 'get of jail free card' ( a 3 wheel drive Landy!) up my sleeve to help avoid such situations & one never knows, I may one day find myself stuck without someone to assist. I don't run big tyres, 235's, but do have a lot of torque under my right foot & would always apply this sympathetically - but... in low ratio. Its the 'buts' that I desire to cater for as there is a significant difference between a stuck Landy than a broken one, hence I would probably not fit one in the front axle unless I had invested in upgrading the internals.
With the ARB units rising ever higher in price I was just wondering how tough similar units, or alternatives like the Torsion gear driven units were in real world use. Yes, a good point to remember (LSD) & with our choices becoming more & more limited (excuse the pun!) in this world, I kind of like the choice of running open differentials until additional traction is required.
johnlad
Well-Known Member
Depending on which Land Rover your running, I found the Ashcroft air lockers best in terms of usability and longevity, paired with there uprated shafts, if running upto 35” tyres they used to give a warranty against breakages. Not sure if the warranty is still available, but I ran them for 7 years with 37” trepador tyres without any issues. I fitted front and rear air lockers with shafts and cv’s.
300bhp/ton
Well-Known Member
I assume you mean you have a 110 and not a 101? As 101's don't use regular Rover axles. What age is your 110 and what engine are you running? Latter 110s use a short nose Rover diff based on the p38 axle. Earlier ones will be Salisbury.
If you are in the UK check out Ashcroft transmissions. They offer a lot of diff options.
Home
We are a family owned business and have been supplying quality products and excellent customer service worldwide since 1988. From initially supplying just remanufactured Transmissions we now supply a whole variety of additional products for the Land Rover Drive Train, both for Off Road...
ashcroft-transmissions.co.uk
As for what type of diff. It really depends. Lockers are great if you need lockers, but they work best when you are lifting wheels. They also require manual intervention to lock and require more additional parts such as compressors and lines. You also can't use a locked diff on some surfaces and they will increase your turning radius when using them.
A limited slip diff like an ATB (Torsen). Is fully automatic and transparent and will work on all services without you needing to do anything. And will help keep both wheels turning on an axle, while still allowing you to corner. If you lift a wheel they aren't so good, although left foot braking can help.
All aftermarket diff centres like these tend to be strong enough, the weak bits tend to be half shafts, or the crown wheel & pinion. Lots of options such as pegging or going custom ratio to maximise strength of the gears.
I'm really drawn to your words 'longevity', '37" tyres' & '7 years!' Ta for the input.
Very informative! Yes, I've heard of needing to tap on the brake to 'wake' up non-lockers but I didn't know about the shorter nosed P38 diffs - in fact know very little about them apart from their pumpkins off-set to the opposite side & have always pondered over the reasons for this break from tradition on the last of the live axle Rangies - now a classic in their own rights.I assume you mean you have a 110 and not a 101? As 101's don't use regular Rover axles. What age is your 110 and what engine are you running? Latter 110s use a short nose Rover diff based on the p38 axle. Earlier ones will be Salisbury.
If you are in the UK check out Ashcroft transmissions. They offer a lot of diff options.
Home
We are a family owned business and have been supplying quality products and excellent customer service worldwide since 1988. From initially supplying just remanufactured Transmissions we now supply a whole variety of additional products for the Land Rover Drive Train, both for Off Road...
As for what type of diff. It really depends. Lockers are great if you need lockers, but they work best when you are lifting wheels. They also require manual intervention to lock and require more additional parts such as compressors and lines. You also can't use a locked diff on some surfaces and they will increase your turning radius when using them.
A limited slip diff like an ATB (Torsen). Is fully automatic and transparent and will work on all services without you needing to do anything. And will help keep both wheels turning on an axle, while still allowing you to corner. If you lift a wheel they aren't so good, although left foot braking can help.
All aftermarket diff centres like these tend to be strong enough, the weak bits tend to be half shafts, or the crown wheel & pinion. Lots of options such as pegging or going custom ratio to maximise strength of the gears.
Ha, yes, I do have a 101GS (LOVE this little truck!) & am aware of its super tough Dana/Salsbury axles being different from 'normal' Landys, but it is presently languishing under a tarp & is my unfinished project vehicle. My 90 runs a small block through a Santana box on 235's & I believe is running Rangie classic axles & is the vehicle I was thinking one day of fitting some sort of locking/limited slip in its rear axle as a 'get-out-of-trouble' device. Ashcroft, a great company producing great components keeps popping up so I will give them a call. ta for the input. You can never have too much information!
