Hmm I may be interested in getting one. I would like a locker but don't know that I would use it enough to truly justify the cost.

 

I'm in the same boat,

I did some research on LSDs off road, and I'm still learning about how they work. I know I'll have to play with the e brake a lot. No differential is perfect, I even found some bad reviews on the ARB. But, I can't justify the value of the ARB at 1500 installed.

If someone can explain the effectiveness of an LSD when using the brake and how much life I can expect out of one (ie 80,xxx miles?) That'll help a lot. As well as compare it to the current 4 wheel ABLS and if this is redundant equipment.

Pulling the abs fuse will disable the vdc, abs, and abls which may or may not be helpful in some off road situations with these LSDs

 

I'm in the same boat,

I did some research on LSDs off road, and I'm still learning about how they work. I know I'll have to play with the e brake a lot. No differential is perfect, I even found some bad reviews on the ARB. But, I can't justify the value of the ARB at 1500 installed.

If someone can explain the effectiveness of an LSD when using the brake and how much life I can expect out of one (ie 80,xxx miles?) That'll help a lot. As well as compare it to the current 4 wheel ABLS and if this is redundant equipment.

In terms of capability you have open, LSD, Locker. Lockers come as selectable & auto. For serious off-road there is no substitute be it in the mud/sand or on the rocks... Full power to both wheels on an axle. Issue is when cornering. If you are on pavement or slickrock 1 tire will have to scrub while in a turn. In Mud/dirt/sand/snow/loose rock not so much an issue (still have scrub but the ground lets you slide just fine) If you apply lots of power while scrubbing or when tires are held firm (like trying to bump over a ledge) you can break something. This is why Lockers,Sliders & Skids go together... go low, slow, & let them scrape... speed breaks.
Autolockers will click when cornering on hard surfaces. JeniorNV has a review of a SPARTAN she put in her rear (post #6 on her build thread) and she has reported loving it & (once the diff oil was sorted) had no drama with it. Properly set up an autolocker should not be overly obvious... Except on snow/ice... that is 1 area that a selectable/open will be more controlled/predictable (on-road) unless you are in deep powder, in which case different discussion...

LSDs are great (on-road) that they give you 1wheel spin, but control it. Makes for a more compliant/predictable ride in rain/on snow-ice. However, most LSD are clutch-driven. That clutch wears out. I've seen them go as little as 40k mi. Depends on how much you spin your wheels & how much you press the GO pedal... I looked at the seller's site briefly but couldn't find pics or tech discussions on what KIND of LSD it is... example, the Detroit Tru-trac is categorized as an LSD. Its a helical-gear style which means no clutches to wear out.
You will have to practice the e-brake pop to get an LSD out of a stuck, but if you are familiar with it, no big deal.

I don't know how it would work with the ABLS as this is the first "real" LSD. The TT works fine with the ABLS and it doesn't seem to ever engage as the TT steps in before the ABLS thinks it needs to do something.
ABLS on its own is lousy. Its better than nothing and will get you pretty far, but It let me down a few weeks back. Between the ABS trying to kill me (sheet ice on the trail, downhill slight off-camber section, Had to grab the e-brake to the roof to get the ABS to lock the brakes... I was skidding to the edge, ABS was content to just let me keep sliding as it kept slipping the brakes) and the ABLS not bothering to stop the open-diff wheelspin much at all on an uphill mud/rock/snow/ice mix... SLIP light flashing like crazy but not doing anything to get me going... I did better when I pulled the connector on the YAW sensor to disable the ABS/ABLS/VDC system and just spun the wheels up the hill.

Powertrax has a lunchbox locker for the rear that you can try, and LOKKA has a locker for the front that many have reported on here that while it's not perfect (some push) its pretty good, and if you're in 4hi and on the throttle you're going to push whether its open or locked 9/10 times.

That said, I'm interested in these IF I can find more info about these folks & what kind LSD it is... Then I have to decide if I just build up the spare set of m226/r180 I have waiting in the garage or forgo the regear & just do these LSDs... Original plan is Lokka in front, TT in rear, 3.54 gears all around (current 3.13) and 33" tire.

This is what they have on their site

"
How Does It Work? Traction Concepts Style

Cornering and Braking:*Our Traction Concepts LSD Conversion kit’s precision cut disc plates function as a disc-type limited slip during cornering and braking. Disc plates exert equal load against spider/axle gears using spring pressure to control the amount of slippage at the wheels. This allows you to accelerate quicker, while sustaining higher speeds through corners.

Hard Launching, burnouts, etc.:*The Traction Concepts LSD Kit also functions as a locker- type lsd offering 100% locking in hard acceleration. When torque is applied through acceleration the disc plates will pivot, locking the spider/axle gears, causing both wheels to exert equal power to the ground, providing less torque steer than an ordinary open differential."

I still need to see a pic/diagram/illustrated parts breakdown as they make it SOUND that it drops into your open carrier... every LSD I've seen is a carrier replacement. Only drop-in has been a locker that is replacing the stock spiders...

 

This is what they have on their site

"
How Does It Work? Traction Concepts Style

Cornering and Braking:*Our Traction Concepts LSD Conversion kit’s precision cut disc plates function as a disc-type limited slip during cornering and braking. Disc plates exert equal load against spider/axle gears using spring pressure to control the amount of slippage at the wheels. This allows you to accelerate quicker, while sustaining higher speeds through corners.

Hard Launching, burnouts, etc.:*The Traction Concepts LSD Kit also functions as a locker- type lsd offering 100% locking in hard acceleration. When torque is applied through acceleration the disc plates will pivot, locking the spider/axle gears, causing both wheels to exert equal power to the ground, providing less torque steer than an ordinary open differential."

 

Thanks for the input!

One thought to entertain is that the abls could help the LSD activate, braking the spinning wheel like the driver would do

 

ideally, a mechanical (real) LSD should engage before the ABLS does, if everything is working "right". It takes a bit to get the ABLS & VDC to start handicapping you. Once it starts, its aggressive. I'd rather have a mech that is allowing a measured slip than the ABLS clamping down on the disk, inducing all that shock load into the spider gears, AND impeding your forward movement incrementally (it's arresting the spin of your wheel each time it clamps down, then releases, looks for a difference in wheelspeed between the 2 wheels on the axle & ifso:repeat) Just like ABS does when you slam on the brakes, except your Off the power when braking. In this application you're ON the power. No, I do not like ABLS in any form from any manufacturer. At least the VDC (power robber) can be disabled by design in the truck. ABLS you have to cheat the system (disable the YAW sensor) which kills ABS, ABLS, VDC, & airbags. The first 3 are desireable to defeat when off-road, the airbags.... personal preference. The ABLS was designed as a workaround so the marketing/ad gurus & salesmen can tell you "you have an electronically controlled locker/limited slip diff and you'll never even know its there..." Its fine for the folks that never head into the woods, towing trailers, or muddy jobsites & the like. But if you have your truck/xterra/jeep double as a billygoat to get you deep into the wood it will let you down. Like it did me. And eventually you'll brake something either due to the system working against itself or because you have to hit the obstacle harder/faster to get over/through it. Then you have the stucks that REQUIRE copious wheelspin... like mud & sanddunes. ABLS will keep slowing you down there too...

I found some more info about this "LSD" friction block thing. here and here. Seems this thing sits between the spider gears. The spider gears are already shatter-prone. Xterra guys break the r180 spiders on a fairly regular basis... usually from wheelspin/shockloading (hit an obstacle hard then when the tire grabs, Bang!) So while this would allow you to hit it slower, you'll still have wheelspin... and when the tire grabs you'll still have shockloading, just less of it (less wheelspeed on the tire in the air).
I think I'll keep on with my original build plans, Lokka up front, TT in the rear, regear to keep my ratio at/above factory with the larger tires...
3.54 will let me go upto 285/75/16 and have the same effective ratio as I have now with stock gear&tire. Only other thing I'll want is a shiftkit to fix the AT gearchange time & rev point. Too often functionality & mechanical longevity is sacrificed to the altar of NVH. A trans that shifts lightning fast and "hard" is actually easier on all the internals and will last much longer. The TC absorbs all the "slam" in the trans, whereas currently designed the friction disks slip (&burn up) to make it feel like a softer engagement. Thats why a trans that is worked hard (towing, off-road, drag racing,...) burns up so quick. There is no good reason an AT can't go 150-200k (before rebuild/friction plate R&R) if designed properly. Just like you see on here folks that can get their MT to get 100-150k on 1 clutch. Efficient shifts with no slippage.

 

Spiders are what goes on these pos diffs...I have blown mine 3 times. The carrier is weak too. Just way too small of a rear end for a 300 hp, 5000lb truck. I am limping around with mine welded right now until I can find an m226. Hopefully dude will come through soon...