Spartan locker in a hot rod

shocker998md

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2007
Location
grantsboro nc
Alright guys im trying to weigh my options and would like some opinions. I have a 28 spline 9" in 66 f100 with a warmed up 390 in it that is a run around beater hot rod. It has 3.55 gears and is open right now. I've been thinking about running a Spartan locker in the rear of it. I think it would hold up, its not getting flogged on the strip on slicks.

If I went to a Detroit It would be a very spendy ordeal. I could get a nascar take out for 31 spline and the correct bearing size for about 180$ on ebay. But then I would have to find a center section out of a 73 and up truck with a gear ratio id like, then because its going in the 66 housing id have to order new axles from strange for the right length. So it would be over a 500$ deal just to have a locker and it would turn into an entire axle build which im really not wanting to do.

So since there's plenty of people here who have ran a Spartan, I have but it was a short period of time in a Dana 60 with a weak 360 powering it, do you think it would hold up to being ran a bit hard on the street with 28" tall tires? Thanks for any input.
 
I think it would serve you just fine. Sounds like it would take less of a beating than a rig with 36-37" tires bouncing on rocks. I say go for it.
 
Ive never ran one in the rear but I've got one in the front of my jeep. I think it will be stronger than the axle shafts. I'm not sure whether mine has ever unlocked though. If I was you I'd weld/mini spool it and be done.
 
only one I could dig up right this minute. .40 over 390, decent crower cam, c4ae heads with cobra jet valves and a good amount of bowl work, performer intake, 600 cfm Edelbrock carb, 2800 rpm 10" stall, C6 and 3.55s out back

ai192.photobucket.com_albums_z251_shocker_marine_IMG_20131014_143418_146.jpg
 
if it was a track only truck I would spool it for the money, but since it does get driven around a bit Id like something that unlocks a little bit at least.
 
I'd say go for it, I've been running a lock-rite in the back of my 1967 2wd C10 since 98, vortec head 350, GM 12 bolt truck w/3.73's, 29" tire and a moderate stall. it's seen lots of street and highway time as well as some dragstrip use on slicks. the only issues i've had are it makes a hell of aloud noise from one wheel unloading if you happen to hit a pothole while extremely hard on the gas-also had to use 85w-140 gear lube in it to keep it smooth & quiet. it also needs a little wider turning radius when pulling into a parking spot
 
X2 on the thicker gear oil. Keeps it much quieter. I've never had a ton of noise from any of the lunch box lockers I've ran, except the occasional and when least expected BANG when it unloads. Sometimes make you think you broke something real bad.
Also, its highly possible they seem reasonably quiet to me because they've all been in Jeeps, which make all kinds of racket if they are not sitting still with the engine off...
 
Oh and we all expect video update with a nice smoky burnout posted here afterwards.
 
The issue isn't as much the very weak shafts as it is the super shitty carrier, that is what typically breaks first and the spartan doesn't do anything to make it stronger.
 
I think the best differential for your application would be the Detroit TrueTrac. They make it in a 28-spline for the 9". No banging, weird handling traits, risk to the carrier, etc. Yeah, it's $450, but rarely is anything good inexpensive.
 
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