One locker, front or rear first?

[muddeprived]

I locked the front first and wish i hadn't. This past winter was a bad one and i was required to use 4wd to get going from a stop. Using 4wd and having the front locked, i had NO steering. The jeep would keep going straight and i had to slow to a crawl just to get it to turn.

Off road, the locker up front helped tremendously and i can't complain about that.

 

[red_01_xj]

I locked the front first and wish i hadn't. This past winter was a bad one and i was required to use 4wd to get going from a stop. Using 4wd and having the front locked, i had NO steering. The jeep would keep going straight and i had to slow to a crawl just to get it to turn.

Off road, the locker up front helped tremendously and i can't complain about that.

thats why if you use 4wd in the winter or not while offroading you are better off putting a selectable up front thus not having to worry about the problems you encountered

 

[muddeprived]

thats why if you use 4wd in the winter or not while offroading you are better off putting a selectable up front thus not having to worry about the problems you encountered

Right but my previous experience with a locker up front wasn't a problem. I owned a tj for four years prior to this xj (had the xj for 6 months now) and locked the front (and rear) with no issues turning in 4wd on snowy roads. I figured it would be the same with the xj but i was wrong. I guess the wheelbase and width play a big part.

 

[fubar XJ]

Some good back and forth on the rear vs. front locker issue. I tend to side with the old-school thinking of rear locker in favor of front, if you're only doing one. A rear locker is very predictable and easy to get used to, and in most off-road situations is more desirable IMO. Weight transfer on hillclimbs puts the majority of the weight on the rear, where it can provide traction if locked. I've also had issues with a front locker "plowing" on the trail, wanting to push straight ahead instead of turning. This can be particularly troubling on steep downhill descents where you need to hold a line in loose terrain and the rig just wants to go straight. Resistance, both acceleration and decelleration, is what "locks" an auto locker, they only ratchet and differentiate when "coasting".

The other fellas made some good points in favor of the front locker only, everyone's experience is different. For the type of wheeling I enjoy and my personal experience, I'd go rear only.

 

[Sierra Drifter]

I understand your logic here, but it's highly overstated. Many, many thousands of people run lockers in their D30's, and do thousands of turns on hard rock surfaces without breaking any parts. Your point almost seems to be against running a locker in front at all.

Yes, and I was one of them, I ran an ARB in my Dana 30 for 4 years and I never broke anything either. But I was 'selective' :laugh3: about when I used it.
The only 2 times I've actually witnessed an axle fail were both Dana30, locked with 35's. Which is exactly what I used to run, so I guess I've always been paranoid of breaking the D30

In reality, the front binding on a turn is when both axles are locked, if the rear is open then it doesn't bind and there is little stress on the front axles......

I'm not sure I can agree with this, certainly without the rear locker trying to push the vehicle straight the stess would be reduced, but you can still bind up a front axle on a sharp turn, the ujoints really don't like lots of gas + lots of angle on a high traction surface. The loading/unloading that comes with spining on rocks is hard on those little joints.

Additionally, an automatic locker does allow the outside tire to overspin the inside in a turn, which is exactly why it's an automatic locker.

I used to run a no-slip in the rear, and if I powered around a corner I could make the inside tire chirp everytime. An autolocker can alow the outside tire to be driven faster by the pavement, but under hard throtle if often doesn't.

...rear locker only will usually out climb a front locker only....
....with the front locked, the tire simply climbs the ledge...

I think we are in agreement on those 2 points.

...but if I had the choice of running only one, based on my experince, I would only run the front. In Utah last year we ran a very steep, narrow trail called Chainsaw, with a bunch of big climbs and ledges. My rear locker wasn't working, so I ran the whole trail open in the rear.

In my experience in Moab traction was seldom an issue on the petrified dunes, slickrock and redrock. I was there for 10 days when I was still runing the stock axles with ARB's and I rarely locked either. I had more issues with my brakes on some of the insanely steep descents. Also, I did bypass many obstacles as I was not with a group.
My point was that you can run front locked and rear open with confidence in your D60 front. On a stock D30 with stock shafts and ujoints and a choice of only one locker, I would lock the Chrysler 8.25. I believe it would be stronger and less likely to break. There will always be situations where one will be better than the other, but overall with most obstacles requireing climbing, I prefer the rear locked.
Also, I don't have the luxury of testing a lot of different locker configurations. For example, I have never personally drive a rig with a detroit in front and a selectable in back.

The whole concept of running a selectable front locker to be able to turn better is being proven incorrect........even though that has been the way folks have been doing it for a very long time.

Selectables and Detroits have been around for a long time, if the Detroit front - Selectable rear is the superior configuration, I would have expected this to have been discovered a long time ago.

Anyway, good discussions, with good info. Let the reader make their own analysis.

Indeed. :wave:

 

[Mdub]

What do you mean a bad winter? You wanna talk about a bad winter, here in Phoenix, one day it got down to 40 degrees ! I even had to turn the heat on at night for like a week. Brrrrrr. Do you know what it's like to have to wait for your windows to defrost before you can drive? That happened like twice this winter. So cry me a river okay Pennsylvania boy. You don't even know winter. Heck, it even rained a couple times.

Back to the topic: I ran a No-slip in my 8.25 for quite a while. Had great luck with it, onroad. And offroad, WOW what a difference from open.... BUT, several of the guys I was running with were locked in front and seemed to have better traction and better ledge scaling ability than me. I recently ARB'd my front and holy craparoo, dude stay out of my way...I literally feel unstoppable. It is AWESOME. So my vote will depend on what type of terrain you are subjected to and if you have harsh winters to deal with.

Harsh snowy winter (like the occasional Everett, WA winter) = rear
Dirt, mud trails = rear

Rocky ledged trails (like here in AZ) = front


My guess, based on your location (NW - where snow is a real probability and the trails are not nearly as rocky as AZ, CO, UT) you would probably be happier with a no-slip or auto-locker in the rear. Well, not IN the rear lastara but you know what I mean.

p.s. Would love to see your name in Red. March is membership drive month. Pony up the cash, join the club and sleep better at night for it.

I locked the front first and wish i hadn't. This past winter was a bad one and i was required to use 4wd to get going from a stop. Using 4wd and having the front locked, i had NO steering. The jeep would keep going straight and i had to slow to a crawl just to get it to turn.

Off road, the locker up front helped tremendously and i can't complain about that.

 

[muddeprived]

What do you mean a bad winter? You wanna talk about a bad winter, here in Phoenix, one day it got down to 40 degrees ! I even had to turn the heat on at night for like a week. Brrrrrr. Do you know what it's like to have to wait for your windows to defrost before you can drive? That happened like twice this winter. So cry me a river okay Pennsylvania boy. You don't even know winter. Heck, it even rained a couple times.

Back to the topic: I ran a No-slip in my 8.25 for quite a while. Had great luck with it, onroad. And offroad, WOW what a difference from open.... BUT, several of the guys I was running with were locked in front and seemed to have better traction and better ledge scaling ability than me. I recently ARB'd my front and holy craparoo, dude stay out of my way...I literally feel unstoppable. It is AWESOME. So my vote will depend on what type of terrain you are subjected to and if you have harsh winters to deal with.

Harsh snowy winter (like the occasional Everett, WA winter) = rear
Dirt, mud trails = rear

Rocky ledged trails (like here in AZ) = front


My guess, based on your location (NW - where snow is a real probability and the trails are not nearly as rocky as AZ, CO, UT) you would probably be happier with a no-slip or auto-locker in the rear. Well, not IN the rear lastara but you know what I mean.

p.s. Would love to see your name in Red. March is membership drive month. Pony up the cash, join the club and sleep better at night for it.

I'm trying. The lady won't let me open the wallet until after we move. Need every penny man...every penny. I don't have any problem supporting this site. The red is coming.....

 

[Turfzilla]

I locked my front (aussie). I like it, it works for me, it was relatively cheap, traction was improved.

 

[xalexjx]

It doesnt mater, because once you lock one you will have the other locked within two months...I went front first then rear... Depends on your driving style and what your wheeling,, rocks/ rear ,, woods/ mud front

 

[karstic]

Subscribing for some great info

 

[asp]

i locked my rear yesterday with a no-slip and have driven a fair amont since in everything except snow (dry pavement, wet pavement, mud, sand) and have absolutely no complaints. i live in new england, and this winter was worse than many others in the past, as stated previously- had to use 4wd from a stop. i can't say for myself, but i would imagine as others have said that a front would plow onward and not steer well, especially a spooled one. i've been toying with the idea of an automatic for the front, but where i don't have selectable hubs and live in new england, i don't think i'm going to. overall, i think it depends what terrain you drive on, how often the locked vehicle is driven on the street, and whether or not the vehicle has selectable hubs for wear and tear purposes.

 

[jimbo45]

wow, really great post. lots of good input and points made. it sounds like if you are going to lock the front, which is what iam planning on doing, it will be better to upgrade the axle shafts, u joints ect on a stock D30.

 

[Daedalus454]

it sounds like if you are going to lock the front, which is what iam planning on doing, it will be better to upgrade the axle shafts, u joints ect on a stock D30.

That depends on how big of tires you plan to run. I'm running a locked D30 with the stock shafts on 31" tires with no issues whatsoever. Also, it seems that usually the U-joints break before the axle shaft, as I've seen 2 U-joints break that then destroyed the shafts, but I don't think I've ever seen just a shaft break. So I would say if your U-joints are in good shape, you should be all set.

 

[00Classic]

How many of you guys who have locked the front use these rigs as a daily driver. Im in the process of spending money and can't figure out if I should lock the front. It gets driven 50 miles for work each day and only will get to the trails 5 or 6 times this year.

 

[XBoBJ]

i have a lockrite in my d30, i drive it everyday 26 miles to and from work, full turn i notice a little noise other than that its normal, i dont regret it not one bit, pretty easy to put in too! DO IT!!!!!!

 

[vetteboy]

I was doing 80-100 miles a day with mine locked in the front. Invisible.

 

[99XJWhitey]

If you drive it on the road daily, etc. I'd lock the front first if your going with a lunchbox style locker. That way you dont feel the effects of it when your accelerating out of a turn and whatnot.

 

[00Classic]

Thats funny, the rason I searched this thread is because I called PORC today to place an order and he told me I did not want a front locker on a DD. Talked himself right out of a sale. He said most of his customers come back and complain and he said he see's a lot of pinion and carrier bearing problems with locked DD 30's. More so in the low pinion.

 

[99XJWhitey]

it shouldnt really put any extra stress on your pinion or carrier bearings. Until torque from the driveshaft is applied to the diff, a lunchbox locker just kind of floats around in there. I think his customers were probably wheeling theirs pretty regular.

 

[squidd]

Hey! Took the plunge last night and ordered myself an Aussie for the front. Supposed to arrive thrusday of next week. I'll have to let everone know what I think. Thanks everyone for all the great input.