WaveTrac Differential - Gauging Interest

I emailed Wavetrac about a rear differential application for 9.75" Ford 35 spline for 2017-2018 Raptors. Need about 30 orders to make it cost effective for them. If anyone is interested, reply here. Wavetrac already went through with a 2010-2012 8.8" Raptor diff for the Gen1 guys that didn't have the Torsen up front.

Wavetrac differentials function similar to an Eaton TrueTrac/helical/Torsen unit but don't have the same issue those differentials do if a wheel is able to freespin. In a conventional helical differential, a freespinning wheel (on ice or in the air) won't have the load to 'lock' the differential. Wavetracs function in a way to lock the diff completely with excessive spin and overcome this issue.

Why would a wavetrac be better than the factory electronic locking rear diff?

They don't have the same issue those differentials do if a wheel is able to freespin. In a conventional helical differential, a freespinning wheel (on ice or in the air) won't have the load to 'lock' the differential.

Wouldn't you have to swap to 34 spline axles to make that work?
I have a 9.75" 34 spline Truetrac limited slip from my 2014 FX4 but I can't use it because my Raptor has 35 spline axles.

MGD said:

They don't have the same issue those differentials do if a wheel is able to freespin. In a conventional helical differential, a freespinning wheel (on ice or in the air) won't have the load to 'lock' the differential.

Click to expand...

eh nice copy and paste.

With a selectable locker like we do stock, you lock it and both wheels spin at exactly the same rate and there is no freespinning wheel.

If you are talking about when unlocked, then you are referring to a form of LSD. And then my question is can I still lock when necessary using factory elocker

If you aren't interested in it, that's fine. It's not a true locker, but lockers are typically not very drivable, or require servicing, and many of these trucks will see more driving around town than they do pure offroad excursions.

I was mistaken in saying 34-spline. OP corrected.

The factory e-locker won't engage in 2WD without a module to overcome this, it also doesn't engage over 20mph to prevent it from being torn up. This has been posted in every facebook messageboard I've been a part of and is a complaint on multiple forums.

Something like a Yukon is a true LSD, but those require servicing of their clutch components and more frequent gear oil changes than a gear-type differential does. If you were to install a Wavetrac (or an Eaton TrueTrac standard helical-type), the factory e-locker would be entirely removed. You would lose a pure locking differential. There are pros and cons to this, for sure, but that's up to the owner to weigh out. Military Humvees run helical differentials front and rear, so it isn't like a helical differential isn't capable of off-roading, especially higher speed baja type runs. The Wavetrac takes the helical all-gear design a step further and works in zero axle-load applications. To continue, a Torsen/helical differential isn't actually an LSD, but a torque-biasing differential (or torque sensing differential), and the OE rear e-locker is an open differential when not engaged.

This seems like a downgrade for a Raptor owner

That ultimately depends on how much the owner likes their open differential's drivability and limitations of the factory e-locker.

I would install the module to allow locking the diff whenever...I hear all the flack about the Raptor torque tearing up the diff and that's why it was removed from 2wd usage...but if you only locked it the dirt I don't see how that would tear it up...
This wave lock, is this to replace the front Torsion?

No need to replace the front Torsen in my opinion but no this would be for the rear 9.75” to replace the factory e-locker. I’m not sure of the differences between this Raptor’s 8.8” and the 8.8” from the 2010-2012 but that I guess is also a possibility.