Best locker combo.........

[Rawbrown]

depends on your budget and many other factors. most everyone is going to tell you arbs front and rear.

as a "drivetrain" guy I help customers make the right choice for there type of wheeling and driving ability and vehicl and budget.
I'd be happy selling you ARB's but that might not be the right setup for you.

 

[Steelerfan]

I voted for the ARB's front and rear even though I don't run them. I do like them a lot because you can engage them and disengage them when ever you want. But they are just to expensive.

 

[fatwreck]

I voted ARB front, detroit rear. If something goes wrong with your compressor on the trail....it would suck to have no lockers!

 

[Bigblack]

So that you always have lockers on the trail I vote Detroits F/R.

 

[BIG98XJ]

I`m running a Detroit in the rear and a powertrax no-slip up front on 37" SSRS, good setup

 

[Amund2]

Buying a spool is just silly when you can weld the stock diff. (Unless your stock carrier can't take it welded, but I'd like to see that happen).

I say locker rear, selectable front. Running a No-Slip rear now, no problems in snow, nice on road, shines off road, wouldn't swap it for a selectable. Front however - selectable. That's my opinion.

 

[crazy_cooter56]

Well I just ordered a detroit for the rear and am getting ready to order an aussie for the front, figured I might as well give it a try for the price and the detroit was virtually my only option for the rear. Hope it works out good and I'm sure it'll be fun in the snow hehehe

 

[REDXJ4FUN]

Buying a spool is just silly when you can weld the stock diff. (Unless your stock carrier can't take it welded, but I'd like to see that happen).

A spool isn't silly at all when you realy look at them.a stock carrier when welded can break not alway but they can and when they do its not pretty. either they can blow with a big bang or little parts start break off and F'up the gears. Plus in some situatios you either need to change because fo a carrier break or going with bigger axle shafts. and plain and simple for some off us we want to know whne we put it on the floor its not going to break and I have never seena spool break but weld carriers, detroits,and arbs will break at some point. and your always locked with a spool and if you break a shaft it wount detro your locker.

 

[Ed A. Stevens]

Maintaining good street and foul weather driving manners are reasons to buy a selectable locker, and if the XJ is the daily driver and you see these conditions at speed, then it's probably worth the cost. If it's not the daily driver, and you are not a foul weather speed racer, the expense may be better spent elsewhere.

For the price of a selectable front locker and the electronics or air system, you can install an EZ (Lock-Rite, or other bolt-in locker) and save the difference for a 2Lo kit (or an Atlas). The places where you need to open the front differential are places where 2Lo is all that is needed (unless you are bombing a snow rally, where a torsen or true-trac works better).

The rear axle is where a selectable locker is nice if you travel twisty icy roads at speed, to keep the rear from swapping ends or kicking out. Many people also like to be able to open the rear diff to maintain a nice street ride (they cannot get used to the minor lane change rear steer feel of a true locker). Street manners are probably the only reason (IMO) to choose a selectable locker in the rear axle.

The XJ is not a short oxcart buggy with loose leaf bushings like a CJ5, one that will swap ends on the freeway with a locker and minor throttle changes. I would drive a fully locked XJ, on (2wd) and off-road (2wd/4wd) to see how it feels, before dumping the budget into selectable lockers.

 

[Matt]

front and rear

Ditto on the front and rear spool - gotta love no moving parts!

 

[XJoachim]

Detroits F/R, never will drive anything else again. Had selectables and lunch box lockers and spools and will never again get anything else than a detroit. Just plain love it.

 

[dennisuello]

if you can afford it go for ARB front and rear. it's nice to have an option to have open diffs for regular street driving.

 

[Danno]

lockers

I'm running OXTRAX in front and ARB in back. That way if the compressor has a problem then at least the front locker is working.
Actually it really doesn't matter in all practicality. Two ARB's is great and so is two OX's. The selectible lockers are really the best in my opinion if its going to be run a lot on the street. I've done the lunch box locker route and much prefer pushing a botton or pulling a lever and being open on the highway.

 

[DrMoab]

Well I am running a Detroit in the rear and ARB in the front and I have broke both of them. That being said its the combo I would run for ever. I wouldn't have anything but a selectable locker in the front for the simple reason you really don't need a front locker that much. You do however need to have 4wd alot and if you have a unselectable locker in the front it can be hard to turn.
As for the rear I like the fact that if something goes wrong with the arb...and this can be many things...compresser,relays,air lines,switches,the locker itself... At least you can get out on the rear locker of almost anywhere.

 

[bj-666]

sorry 3 pages is too much for me to read thru so if this has already been said forgive me. How about an Auburn Ected. It is a limited when open and with a push of a button it locks. i just purchased one for my 8.8. it isn't even wired up yet but its in there. prob wire it up later this week and let yall know how it works.

 

[ladywolf]

i have lockrites front and rear in my CJ....they just take getting used to.....i love ARB, they have great stuff, but like people said its only as good as the installer, and you have to be careful when it comes to your airlines and everything else. i've never dealt with detroits or anything else, so i dont really know.....i'd say just go with whatever fits the individuals setup the best

 

[fordtech]

In my opinion its a budget thing. If all you can afford is lunchboxer's, then you run those... if you can afford ARB's, run those. Of course there is more to it, but in ANY mod I do $$$ is a factor.

 

[BlueGerbil]

DL f&r :thumbup:

 

[egon]

Detroit TruTrac front and rear. Great for a daily driver and great on the trail, even on the rocks.

--Matt

 

[XJ_ranger]

i wouldnt want a full time front in snow, its hard enough to keep cornering traction with my detroit rear

a spool would kill a DD tires

im gonna say - detroit rear and ARB front

this is a realy old thread btw...