Locker in the mud

[wolfpackjeeper]

true, but with more speed comes more weight tranfser, exactly how much weight transfer do u expect to get while crawling at say less then 5mph??? not very much......not enough to make the rear locker worth it. now if your doing 80 across the desert obviously the locked rear would be much better, but not while crawling

thats what I am saying.

 

[BlueCuda]

Its hard for me to tell since mine is locked in the front and rear. I do know that the front locker didn't make as much of a difference as I had hoped. It did help greatly on steps and ledges but so far thats about it. IMO I noticed a greater difference when locking the rear. However I like the combo of both bieng locked .

What we need is someone with front and rear ARBs to do test for us. Wheel something locked in the front and do the same locked in the rear and report back.

 

[The Hard Struggler]

Weight transfer doesn't only happen on acceleration. How often do you drive uphill? Major weight transfer when climbing!

I'm ARBed front and rear, and I only use the front locker in very tight sections.

My .02... always lock rear first.


Struggle on.

 

[Built2Flex]

Weight transfer doesn't only happen on acceleration. How often do you drive uphill? Major weight transfer when climbing!

I'm ARBed front and rear, and I only use the front locker in very tight sections.

My .02... always lock rear first.


Struggle on.

Well there you have it. ARB f/r and he uses the rear before the front.

I say start with the rear.

 

[the_weirdo]

I still can't figure out why people would lock the front first. I would do the rear first before the front regardless of the terrain.

The reason I would lock the front first: If you have a D35 axle (like I did) and don't want to put that much money into it.

 

[asp]

front locker and open rear is useless. lock the rear first for any sort of performance offroad

i've wheeled with billy and xbobj, and the thing that is the biggest difference between all our rigs is what we have locked. billy had both fr and rear locked (before he rolled it ), bob has a lunchbox in the front, and i have a lunchbox in the rear... and i would say that billy's setup was ideal, but after seeing how bob's performed with only the front locked, i wouldn't trade my rear only for anything. even if it does chirp a tire on the road.


good lord won't this topic die? !!!1

http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=946928&highlight=front+rear+locker,

 

[BlueCuda]

The reason I would lock the front first: If you have a D35 axle (like I did) and don't want to put that much money into it.

Now that is a good reason

 

[Los Lobos]

If you have a locker in the front and you encounter an obstacle the tires will want to climb over said object. With an open front it more than likely will cause the rear to spin out and not climb(unless you hit the object with some speed which vectors your tire over the object). There will forever be the great debate on selection of types of locker but I would personally save my money for a selectable locker for the front. It may cost as much as doing both ends but the abilty to change by the press of a button is huge.

I went wheeling with Torx last summer and he ran the front locked with the rear open and I was very impressed with his abilty to take on alot of the obstacles. I would PM him for his personal views if you want to know more. I can't remember but I think he also sits stock height.

 

[Mike H.]

mud is an entirely different animal than rocks etc.
you'll be spinning the tires in order to clean them, thus carrying speed/momentum, so, crawling up an obstacle is a non issue.
given you'll be spinning the tires, if the front is locked, and the tires are spinning, the rig will want to go dead straight.

lock the rear;
1. you will have the ability to turn the rig while under power.
2. you will already have momentum, so crawling up something is moot.
3. the locked rear will allow you to pivot the rig under power.

lock the front;
1. under power, while spinning, the rig will want to go dead straight.
2. you will need to kill momentum to turn... in mud... you decide.
3. if you try to pivot the rig, you will go straight.

If you wheeled rocks and ledges, I would advise a front locker...
You wheel mud, where wheel speed, momentum, steerability and ability to pivot rules.

 

[Ironpirate]

If you were to take two identical vehicles, lock one in front, one in rear, AND use the same driver, you would find the one locked in the rear goes more places, and works better on switch backs. I've had a rig locked only in the front, another locked only in the back, and one locked front and rear. By far front and rear are best, but my second choice would be locked in the rear,you'll find you can go ALOT of places and not even put it in 4 wheel drive. m2c.......

 

[PapaGeno21]

The hardest part of this topic is, it comes down to everyone driving style and WHAT they are driving over.

There is no set answer to this question, but from just plain old common sence, most people without looking things up, locked the rear first.

I tried using the stock LSD that was in my 8.8, but it proved useless...

 

[Sierra Drifter]

This subject comes up every few weeks and is debated to death every time. If you have a Dana 35 rear, don't waste any money on a locker for it. Lock the front and upgrade the rear axle when you can.

Most obstacles involve climbing something, as soon as the front goes up there is weight transfer to the rear, and that is where the traction is. Unweighted front tires locked or not will spin and provide little traction. Both front tires spining on a hill will often cause the front end to slip off to one side, not fun.

I have ARB's front and rear, I run rear locked and I rarely ever need to lock my front, even on tough trails. As for the locked rear just pushing the front into things, don't forget that at least one front tire will be turning and pulling even on an open diff.

A locker in either end will deffinately improve your offroad capability, and a locker in each axle is the only way to go if wheel much at all. But if you only lock one, it should be the rear, IMHO.

 

[Dustin_XJ]

Thanks to the post from Mike H., i think i will lock the rear first since i am usually in the mud.
My second question is: In the future when i am able to lock the front, will it still be ok to use as my DD for snowy road conditions?

 

[jmop]

Everyone will have their own opinion on that.

I used to DD my rig locked front and rear. I also DD it with an autolocker in the front and spooled in the rear. This did include going over snowy/icy passes in the winter.

Like anything use a little common sense and it might be a good idea to hit some snowy forest/dirt roads just to get a feel for how it acts.

 

[adamusmc2002]

Why can't you figure it out. The front is pulling, while the rear is pushing. Think about it this way, you have a VERY tight bolt, would you rather pull on the ratchet or push on the ratchet?

Have you ever taken out the rear driveshaft, and try to make it over anything though? (Locked front) Doesn't work. take out the front shaft though, with a locked rear, and you can still make it most places. For wheelin, locked rear is Betta. IMO.

 

[heyjpark1]

front locker and open rear is useless. lock the rear first for any sort of performance offroad

Not at all true: most of the time when wheeling, we're going uphill. When you're heep is going uphill, most of the traction is on the rear wheels (because of gravity, obviously). It stands to reason, therefore, that your rear wheels will slip less then your front wheels because they have more weight on them and hence greater traction.

Lock the front, where you have the least traction, to improve your overall traction. If your rear wheels have greater traction from the weight transfer, they won't be slipping as much.

 

[yellowta]

Lock whichever one you can afford first.

 

[jmop]

Have you ever taken out the rear driveshaft, and try to make it over anything though? (Locked front) Doesn't work. take out the front shaft though, with a locked rear, and you can still make it most places. For wheelin, locked rear is Betta. IMO.

I think this is the best argument yet. I drive around in FWD in twisty trails so I can use my DL parking brake and do front digs to turn sharper. If the trail is to slimy or rough though I will have to engage the rear. Most times I can get through the same spot in RWD only that I could not do in FWD only.


Not that it really matters though, both axles should be locked.

 

[XJLI]

a locked front would cause the tires to pull the vehicle in the direction they are pointed. i used this method to regain control on slick snowy roads when i lived in utah.

that is 100% wrong and backwards to boot.

 

[Mike H.]

yep.
take a front wheel drive car in the snow, stand on the throttle and start cutting the wheel back and forth... you go straight.