Gfaules Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Not that one Covini! I bought my 68 GT500 brand new with the Detroit Locker and God only knows that for 400K it has been absolutely bullet proof and boy is it fun to drive when lighting them up but now I am building a GT350 and my mind was pretty much made up to install another Detroit Locker. But as soon as I got to my rear-end guys shop and told him what I wanted he tried to talk me out of it. He is telling me that cars that are properly set up to race tracks like the ones we run on should not have Detroit Lockers. His theory is that DL's completely lock up in tight corners thus you either create too much drag. On the other hand if you gas it too much your rear tires will break away too soon thus loosing traction. His recommendation is to install a limited slip type of possitrac such as a Trac-Loc. This results in still having a positrac however on tight corners the posi will slip enough to allow the axles to rotate thru the corner and keep the tire traction at a max. My question is what do you guys run and what is your opinion if you have run both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Many of us in CMC are using the stock Ford Trac-Loc differential. The Torsen as well as a few other new differentials work really well for road racing. The trac-loc works well but will not last more than one season with a fast driver. I am not sure what other options you have for the 9". ( assuming you are using a 9" in your first generation GT350). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jay A. Posted May 13, 2007 Members Share Posted May 13, 2007 I hope this is NOT what you are trying to say? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1KKpWkssKI Pretty funny. Keep the volume down if the kids are around. You can thank Mickey for this one. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gfaules Posted May 13, 2007 Author Share Posted May 13, 2007 Many of us in CMC are using the stock Ford Trac-Loc differential. The Torsen as well as a few other new differentials work really well for road racing. The trac-loc works well but will not last more than one season with a fast driver. I am not sure what other options you have for the 9". ( assuming you are using a 9" in your first generation GT350). I have the big bearing 9 inch housing with rear disc. Do you have any personal experience with the Detroit Locker regarding being harder to drive than the Trac-Loc? I am finding it difficult to believe it is a problem as compared to the Trac-Loc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I dont think it is a problem, but I havnt driven with one yet. I do believe there is a cmc mustang with a Detroit Locker. I will find out and post back here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmrracing Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I have been using detroit lockers for 10 years on the track. I use the 1 Ford Motorsport sells in they're catalog .I have not had 1 problem with them, the only thing that does happen is you do get a little bit of a push on initial turn in but that is about all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gfaules Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 Colin & Bill, So far so good. I'm hearing what I had hoped to hear. Like I said, I have beat the liven day lights out of the Detroit Locker in my 68 GT500 since the day it was new and the 4:11 gears in it are still like new. I like the way it locks up and seems to add good car control if anything. So far I am convinced what little difference it cost between a DL and a TL that I will probably go with a DL. But of anyone has any reasons why not to use a DL I'm not afraid to hear. In the mean time what gear ratio are you guys running for example at Thunderhill of Sears Point? Keep in mind that per the rules that I am required to run a four speed and unfortunatly can not run a five speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 I havnt driven the west coast tracks (yet). I couldnt imagine that you would want anything bigger than a 3.27. That is what I use and I occasionally use 5th gear. ( a short 5th at that). Some mustangs are even using 3.08:1 and not using 5th. That might be your best bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gfaules Posted May 14, 2007 Author Share Posted May 14, 2007 I havnt driven the west coast tracks (yet). I couldnt imagine that you would want anything bigger than a 3.27. That is what I use and I occasionally use 5th gear. ( a short 5th at that). Some mustangs are even using 3.08:1 and not using 5th. That might be your best bet. Interesting. Coincidentally, 3:20's are exactly what I was told most well set up cars are running in the La Carrera Panamericana. It's nice to get some sort of confirmation before buying a set of gears. Thanks. As a kid driving my big block Shelby with 4:11's I can remember being wound out all the time. Whenever I used to take off for a weekend to drive 550 miles up the coast of California to go visit my parents in Oregon several things would happen. First of all I had to stop in San Francisco for my first tank of gas. That was less than 35 miles from home. LOL. Then if I was winding the hell out of the engine I was only doing about 90 mph. Because I only had glass packs on the car whenever I would get to my parent's home after the 10 hour drive my parents would always have to ask, "Why are you yelling?" That long road is still beautiful but it is not as windy as it was years ago. Before my father passed away he used to laugh and say, "Gary's driving straightened it out." I still have what is now a very rare factory Detroit Locker sticker in the glove compartment as well as a factory Shelby sticker. The Shelby sticker has one line that says, "Caution. When driving at speeds of 100 miles per hour for one hour or more see owner's manual page 61." Not many cars have a sticker like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 ... Some ... are ...using 3.08:1 ... ... 3:20's are ...what I was told most well set up cars are running in the La Carrera Panamericana. ... Thanks. I dont ever claim to know everything, but I have not yet seen a 3.20:1 gear set. (Three point two zero to one). As a kid driving my big block Shelby with 4:11's I can remember .... only doing about 90 mph. Many of my friends in high school had 4.11:1 gear sets and couldnt leave town because highway driving was less than pleasant. I always opted for road gears no greater than 3.55:1 making me the driver on most road trips. I still have what is now a very rare factory Detroit Locker sticker in the glove compartment as well as a factory Shelby sticker. The Shelby sticker has one line that says, "Caution. When driving at speeds of 100 miles per hour for one hour or more see owner's manual page 61." Not many cars have a sticker like that. That is VERY cool and NO I dont think there are any cars that state that today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Matt Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 I'm assuming this is for a Ford 9-inch. If so, 3.25:1 is a commonly available gearset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gfaules Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 I'm assuming this is for a Ford 9-inch. If so, 3.25:1 is a commonly available gearset. Yes it is a 9 inch and I see many offer Detroit Lockers with 3.25:1 setups including Currie and Summit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 Have you gotten any info from other drivers using the top loader as to final drive ratio? The 3.25:1 seems like a good choice, but depending on how much low end grunt your motor has, an equivalent closer to the 3.08:1 available for the 8.8 might be a good gear if alot of the tracks you plan to hit have high "average speed" numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gfaules Posted May 16, 2007 Author Share Posted May 16, 2007 Have you gotten any info from other drivers using the top loader as to final drive ratio? The 3.25:1 seems like a good choice, but depending on how much low end grunt your motor has, an equivalent closer to the 3.08:1 available for the 8.8 might be a good gear if alot of the tracks you plan to hit have high "average speed" numbers. I plan of taking up to Thunderhill and Sears Point and let'er rip before heading off to Mexico. That's going to be the best way to feel it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renntag Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 I imagine you are trying to get info from drivers with similar drive train. Best of luck......and have fun in Mexico. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmrracing Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Check out Motive Gear a excellant product . They are used by all Nascar truck teams and a lot of Nextel. They have gears that are only a couple of points appart from 2.50-6.0 so pick what you need also they're reasonably priced. If you are running a small block unless it is one hell of a motor you might want to rethink your gear ratio. I use a 3.89 with a 5 sp but only on very long straights ever use 5th. 140 at 6500 rpm in 4th is normal 165 in 5th is woweee ! using a 25.6" tire. Small blocks don't make a huge amount of torque so you need gear to get you out of the corners and accellerate faster. The 3.89 was the most popular gear shelby used back in the day's 4.11 and even4.30 on short tracks. I build a lot of cars with 3.50 that is a good all around gear that gives decent acceleration and you can see 140 at around 6000 -6250. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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