So as the title says I'm looking for the biggest difference between the two and why and when you would use either. . That is why they make dozers! There was a steep loose incline that I had some wheel spin without any switch on but after each load I tried one or the other and had no problems climbing the loose rock hill. The locked axles will tend to push you straight when you want to try. The dump truck has inter-lock dif, not full 4 locking diffs. Only use this for short periods of time at slow speeds below 25 mph. Thanks That pair of drive axles will pull together with the inter lock.
Regular diff lock should be fine. Well, as you may guess, it had both switches. Interlock locks the differential between the axles. But if you do any site work in slick mud where you need to stop and start with more traction the locking rears are a huge help. I read the manual and both are pretty much used the same way in off road situations mostly. It distributes power to both axles.
I know our Ryder daycabs automatically kick it off after 20mph or so. Also, you can use the interaxle lock at higher speeds but it's recommended not to use the diff lock above something like 25mph. In this case Inter-axle lock might suffice but Inter-Wheel diff lock will be helpful. You do need to know your limits. So if they have to spin a little let em.
You have an open differential on both axles, and an open differential between the axles. The mack auto power divider is great for normal dirt work and starts working before you feel the need for it. The stuff I do on site with a tractor trailer dump truck the full locking rear and locked in power divider on a dash switch has gotten me out of stuff that a Mack auto power divider would never have. Once I get in really bad traction conditions I engage the differential lock. Interlock leaves the truck pretty driveable, but you will have slightly less traction than with locked axles.
The other night I drove a dump truck. You can run with engaged all day long at highway speeds, just never engage it while you are actively in a spinout. It was a nice change of pace. With diff lock both sides of the primary drive, usually the first one will pull together. Both wheels on one axle will turn the same speed, but the power will go to the axle with the least traction.
I know what it does. Differential locks lock the differentials in each axle. Kind of a pita when you are sitting there spinning even though you are fully locked and your diff lock keeps turning off because the truck thinks its moving 25mph. The differential lock, which is on trucks that are specced for off road driving, will lock the front and back differentials. A tractor with two drive axles has three differentials. Overcome this by easing off the throttle in turns.
Think of it this way. I'll be running a dump truck more often in the summer and I'd like to know under which circumstances one would favor the other and why. Both together works fine to get out of a sticky situation, but as mentioned, steering will be less responsive. Most trucks I've driven have had a diff lock. I only use it for powering through mud in low range.
I'd often switch it on when going across mud, loose and uneven terrain, and if a wheel spins. When off road or in slick conditions of any kind I engage the power divider. I prefer the interlock with independant power to all 4 wheels on both axles. But if you throw both on. You will still spin the tires with the least traction on each axle. Looking at new truck do you think that Inter-lock diff and full locking diff are both necesssary on 66k tri axel dump truck? This is a picture that shows a truck with both options.
So on each load I tried one or the other. I believe in the manual it stated that the inter axle transfers even torque to all the drive axles and the diff lock did something similar by having the drives not run independently. . . .