Now I love your post because it educates ME and I am learning something that I didn't know. What about the 8" limited-slip aside from those that are equa-lock, is it Trac-lock or Traction-lock??? The fact that one is, Trac-lock and the other is Traction-lock is not that big of a deal because the sound and over all meaning is the same and they are both FORD. Also I loved your post about using the term "limited-slip.ā€¯ So often the biggest argument FOR using posi is that that no one knows what the heck you are talking about when you say Trac-lock especially when talking to non-Ford people. Well the same people that universally understand what posi is should also know the term limited-slip SOOOOOO I am of the OPINION that on a forum like this that is all Ford all the time we use the Ford name Trac-lock, which IMHO could be considered an abbreviation that also includes "Traction-lockā€¯ and if a more universally understood term needs to be added to supplement Trac-lock than your approach of limited slip is brilliant. There is no need to sell ford short and use the word posi. All that said I am not a car racist, I love Ford, Chrysler, GM, Jaguar, and even the very occasional AMC and IF I owned some of these other types I would use posi, if I had a Chevy just as I would use sure-grip if I had a MoPar.

 

I quite agree, actually.

As it happens, I hada bowl of 'Special K' for breakfast this morning. It would have stuck out like a sore thumb (and perhaps drawn a mildly sarcastic comment from me) if I had been asked to pass the Corn Flakes.


Norm

 

LMAO Funny, this thread has been nothing if not entertaining!!!

 

I did poke around a little more on the 8" and all I found was that it is more of a downsized 9" than anything, and with a relatively short production run. That's more than I knew an hour ago, and is somewhat encouraging. I'd been slightly biased against the 8" mostly because the available ratios did not force every pinion tooth to eventually bear against every ring gear tooth. Currie's piece may be a pretty good solution for moderately built cars, though I doubt that 'Alumin8' will ever catch on as a "tradename-in-common-usage'.

Linky


Norm

 

I think the 8" is gaining momentum in the aftermarket. More options for gear sets are being produced all the time and many of the aftermarket companies are making "limited-slip" [8D] differentials to fit in the 8" carrier. At a rating of 400 hp for most streetcars the 8" is plenty strong, and uses up less HP to do it job. All things being equal a car with an 8" will put more HP to the road than the same car with a 9". So why is the 9" so popular, my guess is two things: First Ford made far more trac-lock 9" rear ends than 8" and so before there was an "aftermarket" it was easier to upgrade to a 9" to get what you wanted. Second why have a 260 when you can have a 289 or a 302, it applies to the 8" vs. the 9". The car lover obsession requires an attitude of bigger, stronger, louder, ohhh ohh, guhhhh. (Grunting some how looses something when written)

 

My opinion just call them limited slip, open, locker, spool... All generic terms that tell the story. That is of course unless you are trying to find specificinfo about your particular brand of differential.

However, it's funny that if Ford didn't make a "traction-lok" for a 9", then why is Ford Racing selling'9" Traction-Lok Rebuild Kit' (item #22 in Your Link.)

Also, Eaton, who makes the POSI for GM has a POSI unit that fits the ford 8.8" rear end. So, you can have a Ford car with a Ford rear end and still have POSI to boot.

 

After reading this thread I think I'll start using "posi" exclusively, if only to see who gets upset over it.

Daze: Like it or not, when you say "posi", everyone will know what you are talking about. So if you want to educate the masses then at some point you will still have to use the word "posi" (as you have done in this thread) and thereby propagate it as a generic term.

Besides, if we want to be pedantic, "posi" is not a GM word... "Positraction" is.

 

i think im just going to continue calling it posi...makes things easier

but i have an open diff and have gotten 2 black marks a few times, not very often but it does happen

 

As the thread started I would have said yes you are correct, but now if I cant use the term "tac-lock to get my point across I will use the term limited slip.

I wonder how long it will be before I am razzing some other pore poster of a thread with the term posi so we can rehash this old argument yet again.

 

Maybe we should just call this "argument #12". Might save a lot of typing in the future if we just refer to the number from now on.

So how do you feel about "HEI" when it's used as a generic term?