Front diff, locker or limited slip?

It depends what vehicle and what purpose...

A front locker makes steering pretty hard and can more or less be only
used when needed on rock climbs and mud ..

A slip is more driveable but will only give you some traction to the
other wheel ..

If going for the locker make sure your axles will hold up to it. if you
have an IFS toyota they will not . I have such truck and use a
TrueTrack in front.

Matt

you could have the best of both worlds with a selectable locker such as an
ARB or OX locker (fully locked when you need them, open when you don't)


"asdf" > wrote in message
...
> Time to upgrade the front diff. Any stories? What experience
> have people had with a full locker in the front differential?
>
> -- Vic
>
>
>

Chuck Bremer wrote:
>
> you could have the best of both worlds with a selectable locker such as an
> ARB or OX locker (fully locked when you need them, open when you don't)

I suppose all lockers have this option.
Otherwise the car will be impossible to drive/steer on more solid
ground.
And on tarmac the car will fall apart.....
Kind regards,
Erik-Jan.

Erik-Jan Geniets wrote:
>
> Chuck Bremer wrote:
> >
> > you could have the best of both worlds with a selectable locker such as an
> > ARB or OX locker (fully locked when you need them, open when you don't)
>
> I suppose all lockers have this option.
> Otherwise the car will be impossible to drive/steer on more solid
> ground.
> And on tarmac the car will fall apart.....
> Kind regards,
> Erik-Jan.

No, very few lockers are manual. Most are just on so unless you can
unlock your front hubs, you don't want one in front.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

We have to distingiush between:

- Spool/Welded Diff
- Automatic Locker (not talking about slips here)
- Manual Locker

Listed in the order driveability .

Matt

Reverse order of driveability, that is


> wrote in message
ups.com...
> We have to distingiush between:
>
> - Spool/Welded Diff
> - Automatic Locker (not talking about slips here)
> - Manual Locker
>
> Listed in the order driveability .
>
> Matt
>

Mike Romain wrote:

>
> No, very few lockers are manual. Most are just on so unless you can
> unlock your front hubs, you don't want one in front.

Yeah, sure. In that case it is possible.
Was only thinking about air lockers.
Kind regards,
Erik-Jan.

I belive that the best option for your rig would be to get a locker
that works as a limited slip while not locked.Your front end will last
longer and you have the option of steering if need be and not blowing
your front suspention on one smooth scoop.I have know people who have
either welded or locked the front ends and due to lack of steering they
hit trees rocks and other objects that they could steer away from and
then break steering components.
mc

in article , asdf at
lid wrote on 2/15/05 7:39 AM:

> Time to upgrade the front diff. Any stories? What experience
> have people had with a full locker in the front differential?
>
> -- Vic

I had the guy put a True-Trak gear-driven limited slip in my front diff when
he regeared my TJ (Wrangler)... I never even notice it other than a lot more
grab up front when I'm wheeling. OTOH, my Jeep SUCKED on ice up at elk camp
last year but I think that was the MT/R's as much as anything.

-jeff

asdf wrote:
>
> Wow! Great input. I have to start asking more questions here.
>
> The truck is a 1971 Chevy K20, manual 4-speed, manual hubs.
>
> I drive to Tahoe a lot so snow/ice is a big concern. I have
> heard bad stories about lockers on slippery streets. So the
> options seem to be either limited slip on both or something like
> OX or Truetrac Electrac. Eaton alos now has an electric locker.
> Those lockers are both around a $1,000 though. I was leaning
> towards limited slip, but wanted a more aggressive for off road.
>
> what if I put limited slip in back, put a Detroit locker in front
> where I can unlock the hubs?
>
> Another thought, if my transfer case is manual, I could even have
> the Detroit up front with the hubs locked if I was in 2-hi.
>
> -- Vic

You have to have slip between the two front wheels if you want to turn a
corner because the outside wheel travels a 'lot' farther then the inside
of the corner wheel.

The limited slip in the back if you know how to use it on ice (they can
be badly behaved if you have a heavy foot or a light rear end) or an
open diff on back and a manual locker up front would be my choice.

I too like to drive in 2 wheel drive with my front hubs locked in bad
weather on my CJ7 so I can just shift on the fly into 4x4. If I was
dealing with my Cherokee, it has a vacuum lock for the front axles so a
locker would be ok there up front because the axle unconnects
automatically when in 2 wheel drive.

I have an 86 CJ7 with open diffs front and back and for some reason I am
the one everyone always 'tries' to follow up and across stuff on summer
and winter snow runs. I have tons of good photos of folks with big fat
tires and fancy lockers trying and trying and trying to get up to or
over to where I am taking the photos from....

Oh I also can have 4 rooster tails flying out on snow or mud when taking
off from a stop by using my brakes to load up the open diffs for a
slippery start. (usually only 3 rooster tails though, my front is hard
to lock)

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's