jamesm113

My van has an open diff. Manual says 3.42 ratio (I think this is common for all the 6 speed equipped vans). Little homework says it's the GM 14-bolt 9.5" axle. Van also has stablitrak as it came standard starting in 2008 I think.

I know my 155" WB van is not a Jeep, I'm not trying to get into rock crawling or anything crazy. However, I would like to get something that is less likely to get me stuck in light off-road situations (sandy fire roads, etc)

I might have a lead on a dirt cheap G80 axle from a 2015 Express. The donor van also has 280k and a questionable service history, but it does run and drive.

Anyone know if the G80 axles on these vans are the auto locker or limited slip axles? Would the donor axle with 280k be worth the hassle of swapping?

It appears my other options are:

• ARB ARBRD197 Air locker
• Detroit Locker DT225C-135A
• Eaton Posi EAT19590
• Lockright PT 1950
• Eaton Detroit TrueTrac 914A538

Triaged

The G80 is a governor controlled "locker". It does also have a clutch pack that will provide a very slight limited slip action under normal conditions. There is no spring preload at all so the only force on the clutch pack in normal driving is from the forces on the spider gears in the differential. That's a lot of miles to want to swap in without rebuilding first!

I came across these guys searching a while back. I've been considering getting a rebuilt unit and swapping it into mine.
https://www.betperformance.com/produ...rential-parts/
I have a 9.5" 14-bolt... Might also look for a 10.5" that is lightly used.

jamesm113

Gotcha, so the G80 is both a limited slip and an auto locker? Would I be looking at replacing just the clutches or gears and governor mechanism too?

Considering the cost and time of rebuilding the G80, I'd wonder if I'd be better off getting the TrueTrac (I believe it's a maintenance-free torsen limited slip) or even scraping together enough extra pennies for the ARB air locker system.

Triaged

It is a very, very, mild limited slip and also a mild auto locker once the differential wheel speed is 100 RPM or so. In most cases they aren't even noticed. I noticed on an old S10 I swapped a G80 into that it would spin both tires in the rain without waiting for the clunk of it locking. YMMV. Good for people that don't want to even know it's there. If you engage it often they can explode... At least with the 8.5" size.

I've contemplated a TrueTrac It is is a good diff that never fully locks. Using the parking brake a bit can help it lock more. ARB would be very nice to have but lots of cash. I can't tell you what to use because I haven't made up my own mind yet but I also want something that will keep me from getting stuck on family camping trips. If I go ARB I'll do something stupid like put air horns on too.

mountainmanjoe

The G80 or Gov-lock differential provides limited slip action under normal conditions, as well as full lockup of the rear axle when the difference in wheel speed exceeds 100RPM. At that point there is 50/50 split of power between wheels on both sides. I think the clutches are there mostly to soften the locking engagement so it's not shock loaded.

Here are some excerpts taken directly from the manufacturer documentation:


I think it would work well for your application. If you're not rock crawling , and not hammering on the throttle like an ape, then they are durable too. I've been using them for about 15 years, and use them off-road (including beaches and sand), and they work great for me. No failures at 200k miles. They are a good inexpensive option, and easy to find. Open up the cover on the donor axle and see the condition it's in.