awhile ago i had a friend give me a locker i told everyone about and havent put it in yet since ive been so busy. i used to work for NAPA and would diliver parts to shops. i noticed at one of the shops one day a 8inch laying on the ground just like the one my friend gave me for my car and since it looked the same i thouht it was a locker and asked the person would he wanna sell the locker since its laying on the ground and he laughed and said it is only an open not a locker. so my question is can i tell the difference between a locking one and a open one just by looking right at it and what the differences would be..... i know more about 9 inch stuff and not 8 inch yet since my dads mustang we rebuilt is 9 inch ha. havent dug into a 8inch yet ha. here soon though i will.
If it is a factory open - the ring gear bolts will not be countersunk into the spool. Factory traction-loc has bolts that are countersunk into the spool. Easy to spot the difference from a distance. OPEN: TRACTION - LOC:
also a locker can be put into the stock open case. there is a hole that you can see the spider side gear through. if you dont see the gears through that hole then you may have an actual locker.
bryant were would that hole be???? on the one i have personaly it is a FORD locker from a mustang i think that came stock.... if that hole is closed would there be a roll pin through it or what??? thank you
locker is the wrong term. a limited slip is what ford would have used stock. the pics above are accurate. a limited slip uses clutches against the side gear and case to create the limited slip effect. a locker gets rid of the spider and side gears and replaces them will inter locking plates.
some came factory with a locker and only few i think..... im pretty sure some 8 inchs came with a locker. might not have been a maverick but i kno something did im pretty sure?? i have a locker not a limited slip and i do kno tho differences thank you tho ha.
there were not factory 8" locker. only a track lock witch is a limited slip. a few 9" did get Detroit lockers but those are extremely rare used in very limited production vehicals
Traction-Lok's(which are a limited slip type) were available in 8"s, and they were available in mavericks as well. Up until last year everyone thought it was a myth, but there's a thread with proof of two cars that had them. It's almost impossible to find one though, I've been going to junkyards for almost 6 years and I've never found a 8" Traction-Lok. And then you have to get it rebuild, so in the long run those e-bay $350 specials look good. Or even the $700 ready to run with the 3rd member all set up.
in one of your earlier replies bryant you said you would be able to see the spider gears from a hole and if you cant you have an actual locker? were would that hole be and if it has something in it what would it be? A good sized pin? or what?
so im looking in google images for a good pic of an 8" carrier to show the hole. well i came across this http://www.mustangandfords.com/tech...p_0904_ford_8_inch_rearend_build/viewall.html that is me building the diff in that article. anyway im not sure if the hole is there in the open carrier. i havent an 8" open in a long time. in the track loc ones you see the hole that is right by the ring gear teeth in the passenger side case of the carrier. if your case has no hole that allows you to see the spider gears or disks then you can just stick your finger in the hole and try to turn the splines of the side gear. if you can turn it, its an open if you cant its either a locker, mini spool, or too gummed up to turn.
The 8.8 track loks have the z spring in the middle of the diff. And you can see the clutch plates on the non-ring gear side. I took one off my 86 mustang donor... Took my two days of hard work and perplexity to realize that the 79ish or what ever granda my rear casing was from was an 8.75... I assume when people was sayin 8" we was talkin about the 8.8 or is there really a 8" I know of 7.5 8.75 8.8 and 9.
