Front or rear locker

[DirtRoadXJ]

I can only afford one right now and i really want one. what would be most useful? i do dirt, rock, snow and occasional mud. Also a daily driver. d30/8.25. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Jeep450r]

For rocks and trails?:
Front. Dont let anybody tell you anything else lol.

Rear lockers tend to push you into rocks, while front lockers pull you up and over.

I locked the front of mine first, and honestly I couldn't tell a difference when I put a posi in the rear.

 

[Rob D]

I've also heard that if you need to choose just one then the front is the best choice. I have only had lockers in the rear tho, either a Lock-Right or Detroit. I never had a problem with them offroad or on and they did make a world of difference compared to my factory limited slip. Either way, if you can afford it, I'd go with a selectable locker for a daily driver. A Detroit isn't too bad in the rear but you will feel it every time you get into or out of the gas on the freeway or in turns. But you can get used to that.

 

[MaxxXJ]

I say go rear locker first. I heard or read somewhere where a guy broke something in the rear and was trying to climb a hill with just the front tires... He had a front locker too btw, anyway, all the weight was on the back tires and he couldn't climb out forward, but he got it turned around and drove out of the hole without much effort in reverse.

As they stated a front locker will pull you over the rocks and the rear will push you over them, once your front tires are on top, your front tires won't have hardly any weight for traction to pull you the rest of the way over. I went with a rear locker and I'm glad I did. I like the idea of locking the stronger axle first and making the front work not as hard...

 

[SeansXJ]

heard people say go with the front first...idk which is "better" cause Ive never just had a front locker so I can't compare.....but I vote for a rear locker since thats what I started with and no problems on the trail ot complaints about being pushed over any rocks cause the front tire up front will always do work if you know where to put that front tire...wheeling with no lockers for awhile makes you that much better I feel.

 

[Alex E]

I vote for rear locker first. I will admit I did notice a big difference on adding the front locker after the rear was already locked but the rear locker gets you through 90 percent of everything, its amazing. Plus, with a rear locker I wouldn't worry about breaking a front axle shaft as easy. With just a rear locker you'd be surprised what you can go though in 2wd. The biggest area I noticed a front locker would be climbing up rocks while flexed out and it helped a lot in the desert rocky/sandy wash outs and what not, also its nice being locked/locked while trying to climb out of a creek with a steep exit. My rear locker never let me down in any of those situations. I think the front locker is icing on the cake after you already have the rear locked.

My 2 cents...atriot:

 

[Ben H]

Front first, both better

 

[jeepme]

Definately front first. As mentioned above the rear locker will tend to push. With a front locker, in two wheel drive you will hardly know its there. Not the case with a rear locker, unless we are talking selectable locker then street driving is a non issue.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

what are your current specs ? what tire size, steering, bracing etc do you have up front?

do you plan on keeping that 8.25 or going up to a 8.8 or a 44, or a 9" ?

if so, id lock the front first since youre probably stuck with the 30 for much longer than you might keep the 8.25. just remember that steering box bracing, inner, outer, and across will eventually be needed when you lock the front and run bigger tires, since you will be putting alot more stress on the steering, steering box, and anyware on the frame where the box mounts and the trackbar will see more stress as well.
beefing up steering with a front locker is a good idea too.

also need to consider carrying spare front shafts with a locked front for 35s and up.
id hit up craigslist/pnp for a cheap rear end with a posi for the interim, and try to find a cheap used lockright for the front and do both at once. like a 8.8 with a posi or something like that.

a DD you wont notice the front as much. i have a lockright front, full detroit rear, i dont notice anything unless im trying to make a U turn.

 

[Mike1331]

I say go rear locker first. I heard or read somewhere where a guy broke something in the rear and was trying to climb a hill with just the front tires... He had a front locker too btw, anyway, all the weight was on the back tires and he couldn't climb out forward, but he got it turned around and drove out of the hole without much effort in reverse.

me and blondejohn saw a jeep buggy on slickrock have do this after he busted his rear driveline.

If your going to do any type of hill climbing when you wheel, which is almost always around here...you want a locker where the weight is transfered to, front end is lifts up in a hill climb and the weight is transfered to the rear.

I vote in the rear if your going to choose and like sean said getting traction is all in tire placement which is a lot easier to do with your front tires. Eff this push pull bs, learn to drive and where to place your tires and lock the rear...

 

[DirtRoadXJ]

thanks everyone so far for you advice.

current 2" on 31s. looking into 3" and 33s. i want selectable front and rear so i have been considering a new rear. other than that its all stock. (well in the suspension and steering. lol)

i do like the the fact that with a rear i can get that extra traction on the downhill side of the truck when climbing. (the only reason i didn't say heavier was bc someone once said that the heavier is in the front bc the engine.) also i do tow a bit and dont want to always dig into 4wd if i dont have to.(boat ramp)
the pull over of the front though seems really nice for rocky trails and thats about it.

so these were some of my thoughts about it.

 

[z06elmo]

I think you have to consider what axles you are locking up too. Is it better to lock up a D30 or the 8.25, which axle is stronger and which can take the abuse better of being locked up. Locked front puts a bit more abuse on your front steering too.

Just keep that in mind. I locked on my rear only b/c i have a 44 back there vs. the LP30 i have up front.

 

[MaxxXJ]

me and blondejohn saw a jeep buggy on slickrock have do this after he busted his rear driveline.

If your going to do any type of hill climbing when you wheel, which is almost always around here...you want a locker where the weight is transfered to, front end is lifts up in a hill climb and the weight is transfered to the rear.

I vote in the rear if your going to choose and like sean said getting traction is all in tire placement which is a lot easier to do with your front tires. Eff this push pull bs, learn to drive and where to place your tires and lock the rear...

I don't think I've encountered many trails that were flat, all my stuff in Cali is rocky mountain climbs...

 

[tj'sxj]

not to be fooled though! those d30s r stronger than ya think, as i have seen peeps ie-alboy run stock gears w/ 37s on a 30. not to say they wont grenade eventually. pleanty of people on 35s on a d30 (me) its all in how you drive according to how its built as i have learned! no (SKINNY PEDAL).the more stock the less pedal the more built- well drive it how ya feel just remember who your rollin with and not wanting to be the guy who was drunk/ hot rodding it and is now broke and holding up the trip(remember that guy)!!

 

[Alboy97XJ]

im currentley locked f&r on 37's with stock shafts and gearing... havent had any issues with the front YET but i did break a rear 44 shaft... I started off with a front locker on 33's and i swear i broke a shaft in the front every other trip... i would lock the rear first if i had to do it agian... the biggest issue with the front being locked is when your turning the ears on the shaft like to spread and lose a cap or just bust fro the extra stress... once i locked the rear it equaled out the stress and didnt have near as many issues with the front breaking shafts.... just my .02 on the subject

 

[Johnnie Walker]

I would recommend a selectable locker in the front, like an Eaton E-locker. Insert or full case locker (or selectable as well) in the rear.

 

[Skipper51]

I would lock the rear first because as you go up a hill most of the weight is transfered to the rear wheels thus most of the traction needs to be there.

I have a Lock Right in the rear and I don't know it is there on pavement. Right after it was installed I forgot to put it in four wheel drive going around Gold Lake because the traction was so good.

 

[Jeep450r]

[:lecture:]

I look at it this way:

Say you have a shopping cart full of jeep parts (or food, beer, gold, diamonds, or whatever) that you happen to be pushing around town, and you get to a part of town where you need to jay walk across the street to get home. So you drop down off the curb and roll the cart over to the curb on the other side of the street.

You have two ways to get up this curb. You can either (A) push the cart from behind into and up the curb, or you can (B) push the cart forward until it bumps up against the curb, and then walk around to the front of the cart and pull the cart up and over the curb.

Option A simulates a rear locker pushing you into a rock (or curb)
and
Option B simulates a front locker pulling you up and over a rock (or curb)

In my opinion, it would be much easier to pull the cart up and over the curb (option A) than to push from behind and ram the cart into the curb until it goes over (option B).

Did that make any sense?
:dunno:

[/:lecture:]

 

[MaxxXJ]

[:lecture:]

I look at it this way:

Say you have a shopping cart full of jeep parts (or food, beer, gold, diamonds, or whatever) that you happen to be pushing around town, and you get to a part of town where you need to jay walk across the street to get home. So you drop down off the curb and roll the cart over to the curb on the other side of the street.

You have two ways to get up this curb. You can either (A) push the cart from behind into and up the curb, or you can (B) push the cart forward until it bumps up against the curb, and then walk around to the front of the cart and pull the cart up and over the curb.

Option A simulates a rear locker pushing you into a rock (or curb)
and
Option B simulates a front locker pulling you up and over a rock (or curb)

In my opinion, it would be much easier to pull the cart up and over the curb (option A) than to push from behind and ram the cart into the curb until it goes over (option B).

Did that make any sense?
:dunno:

[/:lecture:]

And now that your front end is up on top of that ledge lets PRAY that you have enough traction with that front locker to help pull your rear end up too.

Here's a senario jeep450r(I have done this), get a Honda civic and a Cherokee in 2wd side by side both front tires pushing on a curb, now climb it, the Honda does as you explained climbs the front tires up and easy on the curb but when the rear tires hit the front tires don't have the traction to pull it the rest of the way over the curb, but the rear wheel drive keep has no problem completing the entire task

In all fairness if I take my Honda at an angle hitting most curbs its a piece of cake climbing over them

Here's what I feel both lockers help equally, one will help more efficiently in different situations/terrains. In the rocks I think I would rather have a rear locker, most of the time traction will be there, you just need a tire with traction. Ive been told by many guys who run selectable front lockers(jk guys in my group) that its really hard to turn with a front locker If your in the rocks. they say they will turn it off most of the time until its really needed, it's a PITA otherwise but In mud snow sand etc I could see a front locker being very helpful in low traction situations. But where I live in the desert we have rocks and sand so for my general application a rear locker is better

Question should be less vague, it would be ether titled as which locker is better for "this" application. Agreed?

 

[DirtRoadXJ]

Question should be less vague, it would be ether titled as which locker is better for "this" application. Agreed?

Agreed. the application is the sierras. rock, trail, snow. year round.