Been running Lock Right from Richmond gear. The price is getting mighty close to the same as the Detroit Locker.
Haven't had any issues with the Richmond part. Is there a reason to go with the Detroit over the Richmond?
(Building a second 8" rear with a different ratio.)

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I have not seen anything except for 'personal preference' between the two. My uncle used the detroit locker only because that was common for Ford and his vehicle. Since your car is pretty much trailered to the track and not cruised that much, why not cut the price and go with a spool? (Too bad this wasn't 20 years back as my apprentice at the time was taking machining courses in his spare time and used to make spools for his rigs for materials +$50.)

-D.Idiot

The only reason I could see is that going with the Lock Right, you reuse the original carrier assembly and axle spiders. If there is excessive wear in those components, the system does not work well or for very long.
When you get a Detroit Locker all parts are new. For the relatively small cost, I would opt for the Detroit.


Mike

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An officialis Tyrde-Browne Racing membrum

I choose not to run a spool for safety reasons. Break an axle with a spool, and the car is headed for the wall. I'm running OEM axles, and the car is still relatively heavy @ 3020#. Most companies will try to talk you out of running a spool if the car weighs more than 1800-2000#. Some will simply not sell the part if they know what you are intending to do with it.
Per NHRA rules, any car regardless of ET must run aftermarket axles when running a spool. That would cost more than the locker. Welded spider gears are prohibited in all classes. (Rules 101 for today!)

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Breaking an axle with a spool will only send you to the wall if you have some horsepower.

I have never heard of anyone not running a spool because of car weight. I had one in the red car and it was barely noticeable until you were trying to make a sharp turn, or push the car around a corner. It weighed over 3200# w/me in it.

But yes, spool requires aftermarket axles.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I don't know about the statement companies don't like saleing spools due to weight, I know many heavy off road rigs running spools.

I did not see what axle you are working with. If its an 8.25 I would go with the Aussie locker same as the lockright but cheaper. You can get them in 27 or 29 spline. I put over 4k miles of street and rock crawling on mine in my cherokee before I sold thr rig.

But they aren't on pavement that has been 'stickied' for maximum traction, they are on dirt, mud, and occasionally rocks...
He's using a ford 8", so his logic makes sense in asking about the detroit locker, if he'd used one of the bigger more popular rearends then the aftermarket shafts might be less in price and the cost would even out (there are a fair amount of Ford projects getting 'dumped' on the market up here due to economy, so the 9" aftermarket shafts are common).

-D.Idiot

Ford 8" and 9" axle shafts are interchangeable as long as the lengths are correct for application, spline count, and bearing size.

Currie Enterprises part No CE-0016 is the part No for their standard axle package for 8" or 9"..,only $459.95 +sh ready to install

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An officialis Tyrde-Browne Racing membrum

Look around, you can find a mini spool for an 8" for less than $200 easy enough. Buddy of mine has had one in his '64 Falcon street car for over 15 years.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I have never used a lock rite locker.


But I did spring for a detroit locker for the 69 dart when I raced it. and It had decent street manners... Spool when u need it .. rachets Open when you dont. I wouldnt reccommend one for road course twistys but for street / drag racing its' fine.


My detroit locker was built in 2005 for a mopar 8 3/4" with 4.10's in it.. I used to dump the clutch at 5000+ rpm with no issues.


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

Nope, just spinning much bigger and heavier tires on stick and slip surfaces. I see an off roader being far more capable of breaking axle parts than a drag racer. Some of the crawler types have a first gear, stupid low overall ratio in the 200:1 range. So multiply a common 300 ft-lbs engine torque by 200, add in a rock surface that is about 5 grit and a 39" tall, ~150 lbs. BFG Krawler that is no less sticky than a typical cheater slick and KABOOM! What I was going to say as well.

Something that should also be said, breaking an axle with a Detroit won't necessarily not also send you into the wall. Except that when you break an axle with a Detroit it typically also breaks the Detroit. Seen it happen off road enough times.

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Thom

Cross-threaded is tighter than Lock-tite

I'm running a stock axle, 4.62, 8" Ford in the 'Brick (1430 lbs, mostly aft), and 6" bias street hides per HA/GR class rules.

I couldn't find anyone making a spool for the 8", so went with the mini.
Ten meets last year, six of'em at heavily glued strips. So far, so good.

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Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link

fwiw my friend has been running a spool with drag radials on his 72 grand prix for a couple years now. he drags it and it is his dd. stock axles.

[hijack]As an aside, solid pinion spacer or crush sleeve? After further crushing an 8" crush sleeve in a street car my local diff guy told me that the 9" spacer kits work in the 8" I now use a spacer where ever a crush sleeve is normally used, like also in Toyota 8" diffs.[/hijack]

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Thom

Cross-threaded is tighter than Lock-tite

Crusher this first time around, due simply to having the parts on hand when I put'er together.
I now have spacers & shims waiting for when next I have to go into'er.

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Sex, drags, and rock & roll.
Dick, 225% crazy.
Hobby (cars, that is) Photos link