need lunch box locker opinions....

[Ben824]

I need my fellow SEC brothers to give me some advice on lunch box lockers. I know they are a cheap locker that simply replaces the spider gears and side gears and they are not meant for hard wheeling. My Jeep is on 33s and sees 95% street duty. I know I wish I could take it out on more trails but I go to school in south GA (originally from north GA) and its just flat down here nothing fun to do and I am over the whole "mud boggin" phase.

Anyway the reason I am asking is something failed in my 8.25's trac loc and shattered leaving what was left in the bottom of the diff in chunks that I found when I changed the fluid recently. The results of the incident left the spider gears and side gears scarred and took some small chunks out of the a few of the teeth so I don't expect them to last much longer. Rather than put money into this axle I want to get the 87 XJ D44 I have underneath my Jeep finally. Only thing is is that it has an open diff. So I was thinking of a lunch box locker. I have heard people say they don't like turns, that they make a clicking sound when driving, and most sites don't recommend using them with tires bigger than a 32". So I wanted to get the first hand experience opinions of guys that use them on stuff that I would probably getting on and used them on the streets. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Tally_XJ]

I been running Aussie lockers front and rear in mine for the past three years. No issues or noise other than some ratchet noise on tight turns and the occasional "bang" when they release while being bound up on an incline.

They have never failed to provide excellent traction off road. They are almost not noticeable on road other than some occasional shift to the left when they release (if you suddenly let off the accelerator).

I don't wheel mine hard and it is a daily driver.

As to advice, I cannot say Aussie is the best as I have no experience with any other lunch box style locker. If I had the money I would certainly change to selectable lockers but I found these to be a very affordable option at the time.

The Aussies are great lockers and easy to install.

 

[wingnutooa]

i have only heard great things about aussie lockers. i chose to go with them myself and was extremely hard on them at one point in the wilson county fair offroad competition.



i ended up breaking my upper and lower ball joints on pass side, twisted the axle shaft off at the u joint, blew a tire, and twisted an upper control arm. locker was unphased.



as for ALL lunch box lockers they are a little annoying when running a 5 speed but in an automatic chances are you'll never even know its back there.


and if i turn sharp and let off the gas wrong, the front driveline bangs back and forth making the jeep shake a little and sound like its going to come apart.

but you cant get around that unless you get a full on locker.

 

[xjtrailrider]

Aussie

 

[shaggybob]

I'm running Aussie up front and powertrax no slip in the rear. I much prefer the no slip, almost never know it's there. The aussie in the front does make it's presence known in turns, but nothing bad, just some noise and sometimes feedback.

 

[Jamescad04]

wow good to know there are alot of people saying aussie. I have herd tons of great from them and have decided that im going to get them when the time comes. I always hear people talking about lockrights detroits arb all the big names but never aussie.

 

[Ben824]

Ok so what I am starting to gather is with an auto and a lunch box in the rear it is fine but up front I will get some noise and occasional feedback if I take sharp corners fast. Does this seem about accurate? I drive my Jeep like I stole it so if I am right from what I have gathered from all the advice I would be good putting the locker in the rear but up front I may want to consider a manual locker to maintain good street manners.

 

[Jamescad04]

yeah you will probably want to go with a lunchbox in the rear and a selectable up front if thats the case.

 

[themauler]

aussie. they can take abuse and install is a piece of pie. if your jeep only sees off road "duty" every once and a while just lock the front first and don't worry about the rear

 

[loki_racer]

Spartan FTW. I've run mine very hard with 33's and mildly with 35's. There is some unloading on the street, but it's nothing major. If you put a rear in, make sure your axle can handle the combination of wheels and locker. 33's on a D44 and rear locker and you should be fine.

 

[Ghost]

Lets see. I ran a lock right in the rear of a d35 and the front of a d30 on 33's. I ran a lock right in the front d44 with 36's. I now run a lock right in the front of my D60 with 42's. Never had a problem with any of them... except I wore the teeth or something in the d35 one. They work well, hold up well, are cheap, and if you break something or it you are not out $500 - $700. :thumbup:

 

[LiL Timmy]

Im running Aussies front and rear. Never had any issues, there stout lockers, you will get some noise from them but if your driving an auto you really dont get the kick to the left at all.

 

[Ben824]

As long as I don't get that jerking shaking symptom in the front then I will do it up front as well otherwise I will stick with the rear for the time being until I can get some more money together. Being in college doesn't exactly help my Jeep fund. But I will be graduating in May and hopefully starting a job in late July after I finish up two more classes. Then maybe I can throw a little more money into the heep and get her on the trails more.

 

[themauler]

You won't get anything from the front unless 4wd is engaged

 

[49erRider]

Yah in 2wd you won't even know its there.

 

[High2by]

I've run the Aussie's in the front and rear and I've beat on them pretty hard with 35's. I've broke alloy shafts in the front (D30) and rear (D44) but never had a problem with the lockers.

 

[Ben824]

Ok the concerning thing for me at this point is using one of these up front. This shaking feedback effect does it happen in 2wd as well? To clarify I have an auto 4x4 with the np231. I have definitely decided to go with one in the rear but up front I want to make sure it doesn't affect driving on the streets in 2wd. I won't lie I drive my Jeep like a race car and I will take corners sharp and fast when I can so if it is gonna try to equalize the wheels during this and cause problems for me then I am not going to put one up front.

 

[PacificEd]

I don't think you will have any issues. I have an Aussie in my D30 front. We towed a pop-up camper to Attica, IN and had zero issues with handling. The auto will help you a lot.

 

[JeepAddict85]

i had an aussie up front on 33's, daily driven. if i put the window down i could hear the racheting it would make as i went around turns (couldnt hear it when i put a flowmaster in). thats about it. never had an issue, always worked when i engaged 4wheel, i was very happy with it. it wont affect driving in 2wd, you can stomp on it all you like. its not seeing a load, so it wont lock up (if its installed correctly)

 

[Ben824]

i had an aussie up front on 33's, daily driven. if i put the window down i could hear the racheting it would make as i went around turns (couldnt hear it when i put a flowmaster in). thats about it. never had an issue, always worked when i engaged 4wheel, i was very happy with it. it wont affect driving in 2wd, you can stomp on it all you like. its not seeing a load, so it wont lock up (if its installed correctly)

Excellent! Thats exactly what I wanted to hear! looks like I will probably be locking the Jeep front and rear in the near future.