Quote:
Originally Posted by dzl_
Wow, really!? I never would've guessed semis would have locking diffs, especially not selectable air lockers. How were they used? What sort of trucking were you doing?
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*Most* of the big trucks I've driven didn't have lock-able axles, they only had the "diff-lock" that locked the splitter - basically sending the same RPM's to both axles.
Normally the axles spin around the same speed anyway but there's a differential that allows one ring-and-pinion to spin independently of the other, which is good if the tires are slightly different sizes (not usually intended but a common result of tire wear). It's not good if you manage to high-center the front axle or low-center the rear ... if you manage to high side one axle and high-side the other, then you can still get "Stuck" (I've witnessed this in more than one gravel lot with large 'potholes').
I did drive for one company that spec'ed the trucks with diff-locks and axle locks as we hauled live chickens and out of muddy farms, so we needed maximum possible movement in these difficult places. There were 2 switches, one for the common "diff-lock" and another for the axle locks.