How much beating will the Truetrac take?

[Morley]

I am planning on "upgrading" my welded diff to something more forgiving when I can afford to.

After reading&searching through a lot of old and confusing threads, I got the idea that the Truetrac is the thing to get.

But how much beating will it take? Anyone blown one up yet? Somebody on a Norwegian board said it will outlast the axle shafts? Opinions and experiences, please.

[mikep]

In my opinion, the high preload one is great, but the front Jeep version is not good.
You want the one ending in 411.
I don't know anyone who has destroyed either one, and from looking at the build quality, I think it will take much abuse.

[Morley]

In my opinion, the high preload one is great, but the front Jeep version is not good.
You want the one ending in 411.
I don't know anyone who has destroyed either one, and from looking at the build quality, I think it will take much abuse.

The 411 is the one to get, yes. However, it's marked as 3.73+ gears only. Slight oops. Mine is 3.54.

I assume this has to do with pre-loading, right? In my brain&theories all Volvo 1030 and 1031 carriers are identical...so it won't matter much.

[Captain Bondo]

The difference in the 3.74+ and 3.54- is something to do with the pinion height being different, but surely there's a way around it... but I'm guess guessing.

The trutrac replaces the spiders which is a good thing. At that stage you'll probably break an axle before anything in the pumpkin lets go.

[Morley]

The difference in the 3.74+ and 3.54- is something to do with the pinion height being different, but surely there's a way around it... but I'm guess guessing.

The trutrac replaces the spiders which is a good thing. At that stage you'll probably break an axle before anything in the pumpkin lets go.

I am sure you mean complete new carrier? Or else there's a brand new confusion going on...;-)

Anyhow, just need to figure out if the 411 will work with a 3.54 gear. Then we're ready to order!

[242Fast]

when i bought the 242 from john lowe, it had a 3.31 with a trutrac in it. didn't know it was in there till after i changed to a 3.91 with open diff. he said that he used a 3.91 when he was into racing then went to the 3.31 since he used the car on long trips. i just recently put the trutrac from the 3.31 in the 3.91 so far it's fine, drives everyday. it also drove fine with the 3.31

[dl242gt]

I have the Jeep version Tru Trac and it has served me well. I have done 4 races at the drag strip and autocrossed with it a couple of times. I'm not making a whole lot more power like you are but I beat it up with everyday driving and it survived the axle rotation from driving with broken torque arms on the rear axle. I've used it for 62k miles. They told me at the shop that installed it that it can take at least 300ft lbs of torque but no one could come up with anything in writing. That was just their experience with using them with Jeeps with built up V8 motors. The preloaded one was a made available because of the requests by Volvo customers using the Jeep version in a rwd application.

I really like it and want another one in my wagon.

[gsellstr]

I'll be getting one for the wagon as well, since it's served so well in the 140. Granted my 140 also hasn't seen the massive power (yet), it's still taken it's share of abuse with no issues to date, in about 30k miles. I've got the high-preload version(912A411), though I'm also running 4.10's as that's what the car came with and makes for plenty of fun. Those running the smaller gears and haven't verified which model they have may have the Jeep version (912A311 iirc). Might check with Rieder Racing or a diff shop on your side of the pond to make sure though on fitment of sub-3.73 gears.

[mike nz]

For what its worth I`m a great fan of the 1041 / G80 combo axle and locking diff, mine was off a 93 year turbo 940.

They can be directly exchanged, will be cheaper, and contrary to popular opinion are tough and take serious abuse.

I`m into my third season of drags with it, have an electonic line lock fitted and do monster burnouts with no harm thus far.

Cheers Mike

[Captain Bondo]

I am sure you mean complete new carrier? Or else there's a brand new confusion going on...;-)

Anyhow, just need to figure out if the 411 will work with a 3.54 gear. Then we're ready to order!

The point I was trying to make is that the spiders are no longer there. It does replace the carrier, but the significance of that is that you replace the spiders, which are the weak point. So that's why I mentioned them specifically....

Like if a bird sh*t in your hair and you might say, "I'm gonna take a shower and get this birdsh*t out of my hair", I could say, "well, showering washes your whole body..."
:rofl:

[gsellstr]

Mmmm...no spiders. I hate spiders...oh, right.
Correct Bondo on the lack of spiders. The new generation (well, last few years anyway) of the TruTrac's are the improved ones as well. The first run only had 2 helical gears, which had a tendancy to not like the massive power output of some vehicles. The current models have 3 gears.

[towerymt]

I have the Jeep version. It's OK, but it's not perfect. I did an autocross a couple weeks ago and I had trouble with spinning one rear wheel on some corners. I think it's partly because I went back to using the 19mm front sway bar, instead of a 25mm.

[CHESH740R]

For what its worth I`m a great fan of the 1041 / G80 combo axle and locking diff, mine was off a 93 year turbo 940.

They can be directly exchanged, will be cheaper, and contrary to popular opinion are tough and take serious abuse.

I`m into my third season of drags with it, have an electonic line lock fitted and do monster burnouts with no harm thus far.

Cheers Mike

Did you have any speedo Compatibilty errors when installing this???

I have a 1041 axle round the side of the house but havent installed it, due to having read that it won't work with speedo in my 87 740.

[Morley]

The point I was trying to make is that the spiders are no longer there. It does replace the carrier, but the significance of that is that you replace the spiders, which are the weak point. So that's why I mentioned them specifically....

Like if a bird sh*t in your hair and you might say, "I'm gonna take a shower and get this birdsh*t out of my hair", I could say, "well, showering washes your whole body..."
:rofl:

I was just looking at some of those LSDs that go inside the stock carrier and replace the spiders, just before you posted. Hence the question.

Cause that system looked weak.

[gsellstr]

Powertrax I believe has a 'soft locker' or something like that. Been looking into options and that was given to me by a friend. Yeah, it gets rid of the open diff and the spiders, but I still like the smoothness of the Trutrac.

[JohnLane]

I blew up a True-track (wow).
It lasted longer then any other limited slip I have tried.
When it did blow up it made an impressive mess of junk in the diff and was utterly undrivable.
In my car the True-track would allow a tire to spin well ahead of breaking an axle.
With one wheel on ice the True-track WILL NOT apply power to the other wheel.
The 'Tight' True-Track is a little better about this but will loosten right up with use.
I welded up the spiders in an open diff after blowing up my last True-Track.
It IS nice and smooth in use on the road.

Weld it up!!

JL

[Stereophile33]

John I am surprised you ar ento running a quiaffe in your rearend...but I guess you are running a different diff.

Has anyone tried a quiaffe?

They are pretty cool how they keep you turning into a turn instead of puling you out of it like a locker.

I ran one in a rx-3, and 240 z. I was always impressed.

[gsellstr]

If memory serves, the quaife's use a similar design to the Trutrac with the helical gear design/torque biasing style diff.

[JohnLane]

To drive a car equipped with a Quaife you would swear that it was equipped with a True-Track.......

I had a pair of Quaife close-ratio gearsets in the late nineties and loved them right up to when they died very violent deaths due to my newly turbocharged V-6. Hindsight being all that it is I should have upgraded the gearbox with the turbocharged motor.......but I was younger and dumber.....

JL

[DaButcher]

I would say that for most of the brick owners, a truetrac is one of the best ways to go.
A welded diff is not exactly ideal for a-b cars :P
It will eat tires, etc. and here, it's actually illegal! (So I've heard, and I'm not surprised, as everything is illegal in Norway).

I'm very pleased with the truetrac, how much it gives for that little sum of $$.
A new volvo LSD costs approx 70% more in Norway!

[mikep]

You have never lived until you have run a welded rear and a set of snow tires. You can put fear in the 4x4s with that.

[mike nz]

Did you have any speedo Compatibilty errors when installing this???

I have a 1041 axle round the side of the house but havent installed it, due to having read that it won't work with speedo in my 87 740.

If your car has ABS, then sweet as ; the 1041 would have to have come from an ABS car ; if not it won`t work ....

Cheers Mike

[JohnLane]

You have never lived until you have run a welded rear and a set of snow tires. You can put fear in the 4x4s with that.

Many many times I have driven right on around the 4X4 things in my 240 with four studded snow tires and some manner of limited slip. 'Tis amusing to watch the looks on their faces as they have a rear-drive Volvo motor past them on the 'Unpassable section of road.'

JL

[mikep]

Last year Chris and I saw a Ford Explorer stuck in a drift, so we drove through the drift and shoveled him out (we had 2 shovels, he had none). Then we pushed him out, turned around, and drove BACK through the drift again. This was in the 245 with TrueTrac and Winterforce snows.

[gsellstr]

Last year Chris and I saw a Ford Explorer stuck in a drift, so we drove through the drift and shoveled him out (we had 2 shovels, he had none). Then we pushed him out, turned around, and drove BACK through the drift again. This was in the 245 with TrueTrac and Winterforce snows.

Hah, Volvo for the win!! Guess that's one MORE thing exploders suck at.

[JohnLane]

My experience has been that Exploders are good only for enriching your friendly neighborhood mechanic: ME.