locking a diff

[Gnat5680]

i want to lock my rear diff on my stock 95 xj.

what do i do?

 

[xj4life]

1) figure out what rear axle you have

2) search

 

[Rev Den]

Call ARB

Rev

 

[mack]

buy a locker.

 

[scorpion]

i want to lock my rear diff on my stock 95 xj.

what do i do?

Picking a locker:

There are many choices for getting a locker that's right for you. Many have opinions as to which one is best but be careful, some opinions are truely based on tolerance (aka don't care about the risks associated with their choice).

Welding the Spider Gears (aka lincon locker) - popular because it doesn't cost much. Bascially the internals of the differential get welded together so they can't have the natural slip associated with an open rearend. When you turn corners (on the street or trail) the inside tire will spin at the same speed as the outside tire. Because the inside tire travels a shorter distance, it will paw at the ground and chirp the tires. Changing lanes can feel a little different (tail wag) for the same reasons. The down sides to them is reduced tire life and increased pressure put on your differential parts (axles, carrier, etc).

Spool - Simply put, this is a machined one piece differential carrier that locks both axles into doing the exact same thing just like welding the gears. A spool is absolutely stronger than welded spiders and less prone to failure itself. It has the same drawbacks on other components as welded spider gears and same driveability characteristics. Cost: couple hundred

Locker (like Detroit) - This type of locker type gives you all of the benefits of a spool or welded spiders but opens up when it detects the tires traveling different distances (except under a load). Much more drivable. This type of locker comes in two different versions. (1) Replaces the spider gears - cost: ~$250+ and (2) replaces the full carrier - cost: ~$550

Selectable Locker - This locker can be turned off or on at the flip of a switch or lever. When it's on it's a spool, when it's off it's like stock. Pefect for the best of both worlds. There are a few options for these and they're all in the $600+ ballpark: (1) ARB - uses air to actuate the locker - does require compressor or CO2 Bottle (2) Electrac - uses electricity to enguage the locker (3) Ox Locker - cable actuated. There are a few others that actuate in similar ways.

Getting it installed:

I'd recommend stopping by a local 4x4 shop and checking their rates. Go on reputation - it's important that this is done right. It's also a good idea to talk to them about the process and what's involved. If you get a good feeling from them and hear good things about the shop, that's certainly a plus. Be careful as to asking their opinion about which type of locker they prefer. Remember that they may tolerate some downsides better than you so take their advice with a grain of salt. Do not let a tech do it on the side. Though he may be the one to go to when you take it to the shop, he may not stand behind his work like the shop will (again go with reputation here).

Also be careful of individuals in the community who say they can install gears for you because they know how. I have known (friends) certified techs who do installs for dealerships/offroad shops but do it by feel. Installs done using this method are more prone to having issues than ones that go by the book. You don't need to have all of the high dollar tools to do an install but you do have to do the install correctly.

If you have questions, feel free to ask. There is a wealth of knowledge on this BB but you do have to beat it out of some of it's members.

 

[cal]

scorpian .. that was very well written.