front locker question

The 4wd system is exactly the same but that is not what the 4wd system in a jeep is intended to do as there will be no wheel slippage which is very very bad for the t-case. Rain and nights where you may hit an icy patch are where AWD has a huge advantage over 4wd since the center differential is viscous vs the fully locked t-case of the jeep. But the key word in that statement is differential, anytime you have a fully locked differential, just like you do in the front or in the t-case, you have the 2 opposing forces fighting each other if there is no wheel slippage, which causes the odd handling characteristics and increased stress on internal parts. Like I said in my first post, I almost never use 4wd on the road, the only exception is if the road is 75% snow covered or better.

steve,
didn't you have the selec-trac in your KJ? that would account for the lack of pulling or tugging when engaged as it is designed specifically for that purpose.
chris

so since we are on the locker questions, anyone have experince on a aussie locker?

i run open both front a rears, and i gotta do something.

Quote from "joo"

so since we are on the locker questions, anyone have experince on a aussie locker?

i run open both front a rears, and i gotta do something.

talk to bluej...i believe he put one in the front of his tj as a replacement for a noslip or something.
chris

They are almost identical to a lock-right. It is a good cheap way to get a locker in your axle without doing a full gear install. The downsides are they are not as strong as a full carrier locker and they are not as smooth.

so maybe save my money and go for something like an ox locker?

Quote from "joo"

so since we are on the locker questions, anyone have experince on a aussie locker?

i run open both front a rears, and i gotta do something.

I have the Aussie locker in BlueJ. Turtle is correct, it's virtually the same as the lock-rite (he should know, he swapped my lock-rite out and Aussie in).

I don't use 4WD except for on the trail, and the Aussie works very well there. As with all lockers, my turning radius is impeded with 4WD engaged, but I just account for it on the trail.

My personal feeling is that selectable lockers (OX, ARB, Eaton) are just too much to think about on the trail, I prefer to just point and go. And Aussie and Lock-Rite are a lot cheaper than the selectable ones.

I'm running the Powertrax No-slip lunch box locker in the rear and it never makes any noises or gives quirky handling. I think it's pretty smooth. But I don't have experience with anything else.

Would it be better to put a locker in the rear or the front? I'm open all the way right now, and when I go to change the diff fluid at right around 25-30,000 I might as well do something then.

Maybe one of you experincend locker guys can help me out...?

Quote from "joo"

Would it be better to put a locker in the rear or the front? I'm open all the way right now, and when I go to change the diff fluid at right around 25-30,000 I might as well do something then.

Maybe one of you experincend locker guys can help me out...?

i think if u had to pick which to do first
i have heard the front
could be wrong tho

mine already has them so im not sure
lol

so what kind of lockers for the rear? auusie? loc rite?

or is there a special type for the rear??

Quote from "bmf24"

do the rear first. the front axle is the weakest point, so locking that and not having the rear will put alot more stress on the front. plus its alot harder to steer with a locker in the front than it is in the rear.

true its harder to turn with the front engaged
and i suppose if u were going to do the front it would be a good time
to install better axles

If you have a dana 35 rear, I would do the front first. If you have a dana 44 in the rear, then do the rear first.

dana 35 in the rear, dana 30 in the front.

any reason why??

Dana 35's are the weakest rear axle you can find in a modern jeep. A Dana 30 maybe weaker than the 35 but it sees much less stress being a front axle. I would never ever ever lock a 35 with stock shafts no matter how small of a tire you are running. I know there are the people out there that will tell you I ran this that or the other thing for 5 years and it was fine. But even if only 35% of 35's break locked with stock shafts, that is a 35% chance of screwing someone elses wheeling day I won't take. That is why I always reccomend locking the front if a dana 35 is in the rear :xmasbiggrin: