Detroit Truetrac worth the extra cost?

[melloelky]

Same here. I have 2 Auburn pro's going on 25 years + with no issues. Those that say Auburn's suck likely have units that have been clapped out, abused or lubed improperly. Mine always leave 2 solid black marks on the road

my first one came in the form of a 9" from a highly regarded aftermarket rear end company from corona California. I filled it w/dino plus the additive.acted like an open diff from the get go.pulled it apart and it was all blue and scored,clearly no good.
i called them and they had stopped carrying that model for unrelated reasons..
so i ponied up for another new one from summit.had the center section set up locally.in a straight line it would dead hook but if you turned the wheel even a little bit the outside wheel would give up the ghost.auburn had the stones to insist that it was acting this way because my vehicle was so lightweight towards the back(are you kidding me?)and there was nothing wrong with the unit.after much pestering they offered to take it back to check it out.they reported back to me that it was a manufacturing tolerance out of spec(two in five years?yes)and i did nothing wrong as they could smell the limited slip additive upon opening the package.they also said there was no way i could've done anything wrong as the center section's set up itself has nothing to do with their unit's operation.it's operation is not effected by any gear pattern problem i may or may not of had.they offered me a brand new one(#3) for no charge and i unloaded it.i still have the Friday afternoon tech guy's half sh*t faced voice mail where he's telling me about my weight bias problem's front to back why their product isn't working for me on my phone.for my money,not again,not ever.that and i don't have enough Friday afternoon Jerry 12 packs giving me the business in life as it is..

 

[L92 OLDS]

Supercharged111 and Melloelky thanks for sharing your first hand experiences. It’s clear that there have been some quality issues over the years and I’ve been fortunate not to have problems with mine. Based on your stories I would likely look at an alternative if I needed another posi carrier! A lot of guys have problems because they’re using the GM additive or synthetic lube in an Auburn both of which reduce friction and cause problems.

 

[melloelky]

everyone's experience is gonna be different. I used the included additives both times.you're rite oil selection on conventional limited slips is very important.
when I thought I lost the bottle from auburn the woman I spoke to from customer service said to use the additive from ford. couldn't argue with that.

 

[500/600]

Those two surfaces are never ever supposed to touch each other. When they do it is totally worn out. Auburn differentials are definitely an engineering marvel. They possess less than 50% of the surface to surface contact area of a clutch type differential and are really not rebuildable. Just not much of a limited slip differential compared to most everything out there. Very passive. A gov-bomb might be worse. Maybe.

buy one of those Chinese worm gear lockers on eBay if on a budget.

 

[Gonzo1970]

No worries as an automatic and no drag radials/slicks.

I knew that... which is why I chose the route. 350/350 isn't enough to break a 7.5 with 28 Spline Axles.. even WITH Slicks, IMHO. The 200-4R will be okay as well with a mild build.. Want to keep the OD with 3.73's to keep the highway cruising viable.

-Gonz

 

[Gonzo1970]

everyone's experience is gonna be different

Amen to that.

I run into the same thing with computer components.. Highly recommended, highly sought after, best of the best... pay more for it... and wham... failure.

Fact is, no company can put out 100% no-defect. It is impossible. Period. Its all about how they take care of the problem, should it arise.

To me, paying more for "better quality" affords me a little more leeway.. always has. I buy the best you got, or the best out there, and they charge a premium for it, I am going to.... GOING TO... hold their feet to the fire if needed. I have the same outlook on Insurance. I don't buy the cheapest, I dont buy the "bare minimums". I buy the "best you got" and I expect the "best you got" IF I have a problem.

And for the record, I've had no issues with insurance companies, ever, when I've bought the best coverage available. My old man always said "You buy the best, expect the best... You buy the cheapest, well... you know what to expect". And it's held true..

Example: Many years ago, I bought a boat. Never owned one. I did my due-dilligence, got educated about owning a boat.. learned.. took multiple safety courses.. got the best insurance my insurance company had to offer. A Freak boating accident happened (nothing any safety course could have warned you about, and were implemented since) and I had no issues with the insurance, and they even went beyond my limit by $50k instead of saying "Well, your coverage is for ~this~ and we paid it.. the rest is on you" (which, they could have).

Point being, thank god my old man saying "you get what you pay for" stuck with me because it applies across the board... and an amazing amount of people don't understand that.

-Gonz

 

[64nailhead]

So you’re getting a 7 5/8 if you’re running 28 spline axles. The 7 5/8 is a little better than the 7.5, but the 28 spline axle is a must on a drag radial IMO.

I don’t want to mislead you, you can still break it if you can hit it hard enough on the launch. Sticky tires are the problem. Anything goes as far as I’m concerned even if you have a Dana 60 if you’re hitting it hard enough - rears are a maintenance item if drag racing - they need bearings, oil change, reset of pattern as needed if you plan to be racing every possible chance. But, as I mentioned before, with a street tire they work ....... most of the time without issue.

Best of luck - Jim