It's difficult to decide which traction-adding differential is right for your Jeep. Your decisions range from inexpensive lunchbox lockers and spools to high-end selectable lockers with factory open diff characteristics and hardcore lockability. Well, here's one more unit to jumble and cloud your head--or maybe clear it.
The Detroit Electrac from Tractech was several years in the making. We caught glimpses of it over the past three years but weren't allowed to touch until Tractech had completed all the necessary testing and tweaking. What the company ended up with is a selectable locker that's very different from anything else in the aftermarket but similar (in function only) to the lockers found in the new Wrangler Rubicon. When the Electrac is unlocked, it acts as a limited slip. When locked, it's essentially a spool and locks both axleshafts together for the ultimate in off-road traction.
West Coast Differentials was one of the first distributors to get the Electrac in stock, so we shot out an order for a Dana 44 rear unit. Dana 60 units are also available with AMC 20, Ford 8.8 and Dana 30, 35 and 50 models coming soon. To make sure our install went as smooth as possible, we also ordered up a Sierra master install kit just in case we found any worn components in our axle. At the very least, we recommend ordering new carrier bearings and shims with your locker; that's cheap insurance. Once our Electrac and install kit showed up, we shot down to our local 4Wheel Parts Performance Center in San Marcos, California to have Jay Miller set it all up. Here's the skinny on the shock locker.
How it Works
Sound's simple enough--flip an electric switch and the locker engages, right? Well yeah, but there's some pretty high-zoot stuff spinning around inside the Electrac carrier. Here's how it works: The locker is controlled by a lit electric switch in the dash, which powers an actuator that's mounted on the included differential cover. The actuator moves a fork inside the diff that unlocks or locks the shafts together. The locker mechanism is a cam/roller design that distributes the load throughout the inside surface of the machined carrier rather than through the few teeth or pins commonly found in conventional lockers. When disengaged, the Electrac has all the features of the gear-driven Detroit Truetrac limited slip.