IMO, the viscous lock that the Bomb's use it the best all around locking differential on any ATV and Polaris’s “True 4-WD” is the worst. The only time Polaris works is going forward aggressively (if all the switches and sensors, and hubs are working, this has to be the highest failure 4-wd system of any ATV). Coming down steep hills the rear wheels lock up and you just slide down the hill (saved by the one brake lever).

I would guess the "lever-lock" like Yamaha uses would be #2, but they seem to be too restricted by limiters.

Lockers are more aggressive than limited slips, no argument there. What we have works great for us in all conditions, rock crawling, mud, snow, trail riding, and anywhere we point it.

 

I just heard from the neighbor with the new 700 sportsman. He claims that when he is going down a steep hill in low range, that the stopping action of the engin compression is on the rear axil only. The front axil just sort of-----well does nothing. Well I guess you can use the hand brake!!!! Would this be true?

 

The people you are talking to are misinformed. I own a Bomb with Visco lock and countless times I have been in off camber situations with the right or left wheel a foot or two in the air..................believe me, ALL wheels spin. When that clutch pack locks up, it locks up, and all wheels pull.

 

Then I assume that there truly is no reason for "lockers" then!!! Why should ANY rock-crawlers or serious mudriders even consider such a system!!! I think when I go back to my mountain that I am going to go up to every single owner of jeeps, trucks and Hybrids that have lockers and just give them a good ole slap in the face!! LIMITED SLIP is the way to go!!!!

 

The Viscoe lock on the bombs are good they act just like a locker when you need the traction of a locker but I like the locker on my grizz because you know its locked when you hit the button, The bombs are I guess like an AWD system, It sends power to the wheels that need it, Myself I dont like this. I would be afraid it wouldnt engage.

 

I'm with grizz76,
No guess work,, I'm locked and ready to roll....

 

You know those Bombs don't need lockers they get traction the same way a train does lots of weight. Thats how they got the idea of copying the jeep quadratrac type differential. Figured the Bomb was just as heavy as a jeep so should work. Thats why the same motor as is in a ds650 in their utility can't even out run the Honda or the Polaris, heck I don't think it can even keep within site of a Grizzly or a Prairie. Just crush the rocks don't go over them.

 

TellicoGrizz660 its just a different way of doing the same thing. And where did I say that there where no advantages to a locker? There is. The advantage of a locker over a Visco lock system is there is not time lag. It may take a quarter turn or more of the tire to pump up the clutch pack and get locked in. With a locker, there is no time lag, it's all mechanical and it is like a straight axel with a spool. That is why serious mudders choose a mechanical locker. That small time lag may make the difference between getting across that mud hole or not. That is why Polaris will out mud a Bomb.

Now, I've talked about the advantages of a true locker. Now let me talk about the advantages of a Visco lock. With my Visco lock I can go up a very steep hill that snakes back and forth with no problems. I can steer where ever I want because the Visco lock allows on wheel to slow down so I can steer. Try that with a true locker. They want to go straight. Not a good thing on a winding steep trail. That is where the Visco lock would have it over the true locker.

Sometimes it is. A friend of mine just took out his true locker in his jeep to put in a clutch type system. Another took out his Detroit locker and put in an air locker. Another disadvantage of a true locker is the fact that both tires are locked together. Sometimes this is not a good thing. If one tire has good traction and the other does not, and you make a turn, it will brake the one with good traction loose. Not good.

There are advantages and disadvantages to all systems. If you drive in a straight line 100% of the time, I agree with you, go with a true locker or better yet, a spool. If turn on steep winding trails then an auto system like the Visco lock is the way to go. In snow or ice, AWD is superior to a locked system because it allows wheels to slow down and not loose grip.

 

sooner or later every manufacturer will have some sort of diff lock on there high end 4 wheel drive machines

 

[quote]
Originally posted by: RhinoOffRoad

With the chair and everything else, I am assuming that you went to either "Guardrail, Helicoptor Pad, or Slickrock to watch the jeeps try it right???????? I love that place!!! Thats exactly what I do, I pack me a folding chair and some drinks and a lunch and ride out to slick rock and watchem flip and stuff, there or Rock Garden on Lower 2!