Maxi-drive are no longer and therefore it would only be existing stock sitting around if you want one.
Detroits are very hard on axles in that it is mostly driving through one axle rather than both. That is, it is only locked when driving on a straight bit of road with no bumps, or conditions of low traction. In any other condition is is unlocking and locking itself. While unlocked it is only driving through one axle. Where normal diffs, and locakble diffs, are always driving through 2 axles unless you have a wheel off the ground.
With the continual locking and unlocking of a detroit they are continually putting shock loads through the axles. This has been known to break axles and the locker. For example, you are going along a trail and one wheel goes over a rock and the other is on gravel. The Detroit will unlock the wheel going over the rock as it is travelling a greater distance than the one on the gravel. By putting all the drive through the wheel on the gravel it causes that wheel to break traction and the locker engages again. This happens time and time again and each time it shock loads the system.
I have seen what they can do to axles and the locker itself. I would much prefer the possibility of an airline coming off (not that I have ever come across that happening, you can protect them pretty well) than the diff and/or axles self destructing. For that reason, along with the sideway slide on slippery surfaces, I would never recommend a Detroit to anyone. The truc trac is a different issue and is fine if you want improved traction without being fully locked. It also apparently works quite well with traction control.
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