Eaton TrueTrac worn out

[JKaechler]

After 6 years and around 275000 hard miles, my Eaton TrueTrac seems to be wearing out. I have noticed excessive play in it. When you pull up to a stop sign, and then step on the gas to move forward there is a noticeable slop. Once the gears engage it all works smoothly, its just that initial slight delay between the gas pedal and the gears catching up. You feel in in your butt as it engages. As such, I am real nice to it. Not punching it off the line.

Yesterday I took the rear diff cover off, and its definitely in the helical gears. The ring and pinon, as well as the ujoints are solid. But the axles are loosley spinning for a few degrees of rotation before they engage with each other. This is with the rear off the ground and the trans in park so the driveshaft was locked in place. The gear oil was still full, and has been changed about once per year since i put in the Truetrac. Did not seem to have an excessive amount of metal shavings in it, but there was some.


Its not so bad yet that i feel i should immediately park it till i get parts, and its my daily driver (i drive a lot for work). So Its time to start looking at replacements.

I have liked the TrueTrac a lot. It has gotten me thru muddy roads and pulled several people from the ditch. What I like less is the price tag. Around $550 right now.
I see an alternative from Powertrax, the Grip Pro model. Anyone have any experience with that?

For a daily driver that sees bad driveways and muddy roads fairly often, do you all have a different recommendation?
What about the friction plate type of limited slip? They do seem to be a bit cheaper, but will they do what i need?

 

[Geotrash]

After 6 years and around 275000 hard miles, my Eaton TrueTrac seems to be wearing out. I have noticed excessive play in it. When you pull up to a stop sign, and then step on the gas to move forward there is a noticeable slop. Once the gears engage it all works smoothly, its just that initial slight delay between the gas pedal and the gears catching up. You feel in in your butt as it engages. As such, I am real nice to it. Not punching it off the line.

Yesterday I took the rear diff cover off, and its definitely in the helical gears. The ring and pinon, as well as the ujoints are solid. But the axles are loosley spinning for a few degrees of rotation before they engage with each other. This is with the rear off the ground and the trans in park so the driveshaft was locked in place. The gear oil was still full, and has been changed about once per year since i put in the Truetrac. Did not seem to have an excessive amount of metal shavings in it, but there was some.


Its not so bad yet that i feel i should immediately park it till i get parts, and its my daily driver (i drive a lot for work). So Its time to start looking at replacements.

I have liked the TrueTrac a lot. It has gotten me thru muddy roads and pulled several people from the ditch. What I like less is the price tag. Around $550 right now.
I see an alternative from Powertrax, the Grip Pro model. Anyone have any experience with that?

For a daily driver that sees bad driveways and muddy roads fairly often, do you all have a different recommendation?
What about the friction plate type of limited slip? They do seem to be a bit cheaper, but will they do what i need?

Others will disagree with me, I'm sure, but in my experience the factory G80 is pretty hard to beat as long as you're not hooning around with it. They'll go 500K+ if you don't abuse it and maintain it well.

Apart from that, the TrueTrac is the replacement of choice for guys here, but I've heard decent things about the Yukon Dura Grip too.

 

[Doubeleive]

After 6 years and around 275000 hard miles, my Eaton TrueTrac seems to be wearing out. I have noticed excessive play in it. When you pull up to a stop sign, and then step on the gas to move forward there is a noticeable slop. Once the gears engage it all works smoothly, its just that initial slight delay between the gas pedal and the gears catching up. You feel in in your butt as it engages. As such, I am real nice to it. Not punching it off the line.

Yesterday I took the rear diff cover off, and its definitely in the helical gears. The ring and pinon, as well as the ujoints are solid. But the axles are loosley spinning for a few degrees of rotation before they engage with each other. This is with the rear off the ground and the trans in park so the driveshaft was locked in place. The gear oil was still full, and has been changed about once per year since i put in the Truetrac. Did not seem to have an excessive amount of metal shavings in it, but there was some.


Its not so bad yet that i feel i should immediately park it till i get parts, and its my daily driver (i drive a lot for work). So Its time to start looking at replacements.

I have liked the TrueTrac a lot. It has gotten me thru muddy roads and pulled several people from the ditch. What I like less is the price tag. Around $550 right now.
I see an alternative from Powertrax, the Grip Pro model. Anyone have any experience with that?

For a daily driver that sees bad driveways and muddy roads fairly often, do you all have a different recommendation?
What about the friction plate type of limited slip? They do seem to be a bit cheaper, but will they do what i need?

you might take a look at your rear control arm bushings I was having a issue where I "thought & it felt like" the rear end or some component of the drive train had a unusual bit of slop, I could feel it when stopping and going. turned out in the long run the "feeling" was the rear control arm bushings were toast, this caused the rear end to "move" creating the slop feeling.
just something to maybe take a look at.

 

[JKaechler]

I actually had a similar issue on my old suburban and went looking in the same place. But the play is distinctly in the diffferential. With the cover open you can see the axles turning before the diff center section starts moving. I have also had the issue of the panhard bar bushsing getting worn and making the thing slop side to side. I wish this was bushings. that would be easier than a diff swap.

 

[JKaechler]

Others will disagree with me, I'm sure, but in my experience the factory G80 is pretty hard to beat as long as you're not hooning around with it. They'll go 500K+ if you don't abuse it and maintain it well.

Apart from that, the TrueTrac is the replacement of choice for guys here, but I've heard decent things about the Yukon Dura Grip too.

Well, I think i am one of those guys. the factory G80 exploded on me. I didnt feel like i was abusive of it, but bang it went.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@JKaechler It's hard to tell from your comment but a broken motor mount can cause a similar sensation if you don't have visual confirmation the problem is something else.

I will say that the G80 is usually good, but if you find yourself blowing up diffs it might not be the diffs fault

 

[JKaechler]

@JKaechler It's hard to tell from your comment but a broken motor mount can cause a similar sensation if you don't have visual confirmation the problem is something else.

I will say that the G80 is usually good, but if you find yourself blowing up diffs it might not be the diffs fault

its very clearly described in the initial post. with the diff cover open i can see the slop in the unit. by slop i mean how much the axles will turn indepenently before the helical gears engage with each other. And its not blown. It has worked very nicely for the past 300 thousand miles. Its just worn out. I am not really suprised that a system that puts tension on gears every time i turn has worn.

Also, in the documentation for a TrueTrac it calls out the fact that you are not supposed to run it with tall tires. My tires are right on the line for the high end of their recommended limit. 31 inches. And a short wheelbase vehicle will generate more rotational difference on the back axle when turning a sharp corner or manuevering in a parking lot or something. So i suspect that the TrueTrac is not really best for this application. Yet it held up a reasonable lifetime.


My question - or not question but looking for some input - is the choice between another Truetrac or something like a Dura Grip clutch based LSD. The benefit i can see on the clutch type is that its rebuildable, and that if the clutches do go out it just becomes an open diff and does not fail.

Also thinking about my driving needs, i am probably 90% pavement. When towing happens it is lightweight small trailers. When offroad happens its bad dirt roads and bad driveways when it rains. After talking to some local guys, and watching way to many youtube videos to be healthy I am leaning towards the Dura Grip as my next diff.

I originally was looking at Powertrax, but quickly realized that it would probably have the same issues. Another comment on this thread called out the Yukon Dura Grip and down that rabbit hole i went. Seems to be a good option.

 

[Geotrash]

its very clearly described in the initial post. with the diff cover open i can see the slop in the unit. by slop i mean how much the axles will turn indepenently before the helical gears engage with each other. And its not blown. It has worked very nicely for the past 300 thousand miles. Its just worn out. I am not really suprised that a system that puts tension on gears every time i turn has worn.

Also, in the documentation for a TrueTrac it calls out the fact that you are not supposed to run it with tall tires. My tires are right on the line for the high end of their recommended limit. 31 inches. And a short wheelbase vehicle will generate more rotational difference on the back axle when turning a sharp corner or manuevering in a parking lot or something. So i suspect that the TrueTrac is not really best for this application. Yet it held up a reasonable lifetime.


My question - or not question but looking for some input - is the choice between another Truetrac or something like a Dura Grip clutch based LSD. The benefit i can see on the clutch type is that its rebuildable, and that if the clutches do go out it just becomes an open diff and does not fail.

Also thinking about my driving needs, i am probably 90% pavement. When towing happens it is lightweight small trailers. When offroad happens its bad dirt roads and bad driveways when it rains. After talking to some local guys, and watching way to many youtube videos to be healthy I am leaning towards the Dura Grip as my next diff.

I originally was looking at Powertrax, but quickly realized that it would probably have the same issues. Another comment on this thread called out the Yukon Dura Grip and down that rabbit hole i went. Seems to be a good option.

Let us know where you land! I'll be curious to see how you make out. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

 

[Doubeleive]

@JKaechler It's hard to tell from your comment but a broken motor mount can cause a similar sensation if you don't have visual confirmation the problem is something else.

I will say that the G80 is usually good, but if you find yourself blowing up diffs it might not be the diffs fault

I have literally blown the crab out about 5 G80's that's why it's called the grenade 80, there weak
same with the 4L60's

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@Doubeleive My statement might apply to you too lol

Seems there are two types of people in this world, those who haven't broken a 4l60e and then those that have broken multiple