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Detroit Soft Locker versus Eaton E-Locker?

11K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  redx08 
#1 ·
Actually, it looks like Eaton and Detroit are both made by Eaton, but the real question I'm wondering is what if any is the difference between a soft locker and an e-locker? I know the e- in e-locker stands for electric locker (in contrast to an air locker or mechanically actuated locker) but the description I've seen of the soft locker is that its passive instead of selectable by the driver. Is this correct? And based on that, does anyone have any feedback one way or the other? I'm just trying to determine which would suit my lifestyle which is daily driver plus regular offroading (nothing too extreme, still sitting stock).
 
#2 ·
The detroit will lock whenever power is applied to it and then unlock when there is no load. The e-locker locks fully when you push a button and unlocks when you push it again.
 
#4 ·
I'm running both in 2 jeeps. E-locker in the rear of my JK and TJ. Detroit Locker in the front of my JK with selectable hubs and in the front of my TJ without selectable locking hubs. I was running Detroits in my old Suburban too, which I just sold.

Remember, all Detroit lockers are "soft lockers" now, and they do behave a little better than the Detroits of old. The Detroit requires no switches, electric devices, air, or input of any kind. It does its own thing; fulling locking the axle when needed, and unbinding during turns (but not always in the dirt or on slippery surfaces like icy or wet pavement).

My thoughts on the Detroit in the front: Absolutely awesome off-road, I very rarely engage my rear locker anymore. Your ability to make tight maneuvers off-road is not diminished at all. Some claim that they can't feel it up there on the street, but that has NOT been my experience. With the manual hubs on my JK, its not an issue. But on my TJ, you can feel it on the street while making tight turns - my wife will not even drive the TJ anymore.

My thoughts on the Detroit in the rear: Once again, good off-road, but it does slightly limit maneuverability in tight spots. For mud bogging, sand, rock climbs, and most trails it is OK, but it kind of sucks in the technical stuff. I don't think that there is anything stronger and maintenance free you can use than a Detroit. In the rear, the Detroit is fine on the street. It will push a little bit when going into a turn, but really not that bad. The rear detroit in my Suburban was flat-out DANGEROUS on icy roads. If you live in a place with heavy winters, I would consider a selectable in the rear too.

Eaton e-locker: I have wheeled mine in two vehicles over the toughest trails in the west, including the hammers and have never had an issue. Nor have I ever seen an issue with anyone else's Eaton e-locker (and a lot of folks are running them now). If you do the research, you will find that about 99% of people who have them are happy with them, and 99% of people who don't like them do not have them. The design is not as beefy as an ARB, but they seem to be more trouble-free IME. The only drawback to the e-locker is that is takes several feet more than the ARB for the locker to engage/disengage. If I wanted to run on-board air, I would get the ARB. But since I had no desire to go with an air system on my current 2 builds, I went Eaton e-locker.
 
#10 ·
So it sounds like the concensus is that a Detroit in the rear would be unnoticable in standard conditions yet provide the positive traction desired and even in the front it would be useful since it would only be engaged when in 4WD anyways. If this is the case, I could skip selectable locking and let this locker just do its thing! Unless there's some negative I'm overlooking.
 
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