My 06 Suzuki Eiger manual 4x4, LTF400 has a " Torque-Sensing Limited-Slip Front Differential", OK most of you guys in this forum tell me its not a true 4x4, its a 3x4 and its not as good as a front differential with a locker. Yesterday I jacked up my Eiger, all wheels off the ground and started it up put it into gear and 4x4, all 4 wheels spin, and when I tryed to hold one of the wheels still on my front axle I couldn't do it, the wheel will stop for a second, but both front wheels spin with power, when I turn off the Eiger and I spin one wheel, the other wheel will spin the oppisite way. Final point: its a true front differential, its a true 4x4, just as good as a locker with an advantage when both axles are pulling the differential is still working, unlike a locker when the locker is in both axles are locked to the same speed so its almost impossible to steer, when the locker is in the differential goes away. My final, final point, The Suzuki torque-sensing limited-slip differential is better than a locker.

 

Sounds like you're pretty sure about the diff being better. I doubt the locker fans will be convinced though. The only way to prove it to them is gonna be a contest in the mud. I'm sure somebody will take you up on that. Be sure to post results here.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

Dave

 

As the owner of an Eiger, I'd love to agree with you, but it just ain't so.

It is a nice 4WD system and usually will share power between the two front wheels. But, there are times when the wheel with traction is not getting much, if any power and the opposite wheel is getting it all. It's easy to cheat it out by playing with the front brakes but you never have a truly 'locked' front drive system.

A true locker will put 100% of the available power to both front wheels 100% of the time. The Eiger front dif will share the available power between the two sides. Putting the bike up on jacks and watching the wheels spin can be misleading. I once pulled a small trailer through a creek in my back yard - the trailer got stuck and the Eiger had all four wheels on hard, wet clay. All four wheels were spinning, indicating power to all four. But, as I tried rocking or steering to pull it out, there would be times when one or the other of the front wheels would stop spinning altogether. A 'locked' front end would not do that.

Even without a front end locker, the Eiger is a great mud bike. While mine has gotten stuck in deep mud, I have also made it through and then pulled out my share of 4x4's with lockers that couldn't make it.

Jaybee

 

The last post is a good one. The limited slip will transfer power back and forth to the tires to get you "unstuck". Im sure it works fine, and im not one to bash a quad because of it, but i personaly think a manual "true" locker is the best way to go.

 

Personally i love the polaris AWD and yes it is a B!@CH to steer, but it gets the job done. I hate limited slip, the one wheel that you need the most never goes. my dads grizzly is a great example, i got it between a rock and a hard place, and it was leaning hard to the right side, so all the wieght was on the right wheels, it reg. 4x4 all other three spun like crazy, flipped the diff lock and i was on my way. but by the sounds of it suzuki tourque sencing is getting there, what does the can am diff have?

 

Sorry to say... but you are wrong. I've seen it too many times. Someone trying to climb out of a ditch, or the creek.... or even come out of an uneven mudhole where both front tires aren't on the ground and they struggle, and can't usually make it, because their limited-slip puts all the power to the tire not touchin the ground. Even climbing up hard packed hills, that are bumpy. Because the power isn't even in the front tires, they slip... and fail to pull the quad up the hill. (and no, I'm not talking aobut when you fly up it... I'm talking about having to crawl up it, because you don't have to room to take a run at it... )

The power-steering helps out a lot with the diff-lock... [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Yamaha had a slip front end for years and now look at the new one like the 660 grizzly or the new 700 the switch on the handle bars has one button for slip front drive then a second button to lock both front tires in. If the slip was better why bother to put the true locker switch ??? It is also hard like real hard to turn the front end when the bike is in true four wheel drive and most people could not handle a true 4x4 system because of the stering.Limited slip is just that limited true 4 wheel lock is just that all 4 tries pulling.

 

This is an interesting topic that I see come up frequently and it seems that the torque sensing systems are usually ridiculed as 3x4's and not taken seriously by some. As a current owner of bikes with a locker and a torque sensing diff I have come to appreciate both. And yes, I have had a couple of times where one front wheel of the Foreman is in the air and I had to gently apply some front brake to get the TS diff to bite. It's rare and not a big deal.

I do NOT ride exclusively in deep mud, I ride trails in the Ozarks which may include deep water crossing, deep mud puddles, steep hills, etc.

Since getting the Grizzly with the locker, I find myself using the locker occasionally to keep rolling through mud or on steep technical hills. But, I have had a few times watching a friend on my Foreman follow me in through the same obstacles and she seemed to get by just fine without stopping.

It CAN'T be that a girl is riding that much better than me, right? Right? Is it maybe because the Foreman TS diff quickly and automatically engages to keep the front end pulling? The Grizzly is essentially an open front diff until hit the button and I assume I can't engage the locker if I already have one front wheel spinning faster than the other, right? That means stopping, engage the front diff, then go.

The Grizzly is my preferred ride, but after riding and watching both perform, I have come to respect the torque sensing diff, especially when riding less than 10/10ths terrain.

GC

 

an honest post from someone with a locker and a torsen (not a clutch type, open, or viscous), rather than marketing hype or bravado. good post

 

My Suzuki Eiger, I always try to get it stuck and hung up on perpose to see what it can or cannot do, to find its limitations and it never let me down yet, I have climbed over giant downed trees where I had all 4 wheels off the ground and had to rock it back and forth to get over the tree, I have climbed hills with big rocks and had one side of the front and rear wheel off the ground at the same time and it still moved, I went thru mud deeper than the axle, I ran over ruts, ditches where the rear axle was off the ground and the front axle by itself pulled me thru. I never plowed snow with it yet, but im confident it won't have any problem with that. I ride in rougher areas than anybody and I can go anywhere without a locker, Bottom line: My Eiger will go anywhere ur ATV with a locker can go.