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Thoughts on Lunchbox Locker on D30 with 35s?

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z06elmo

z06elmo

NAXJA Forum User
Location
United States
I know a bunch of people have put lunchbox lockers in the front. I'm thinking of getting the spartan locker, but I noticed on their site it says not recommended for tires over 32".

I have a LP dana 30 gears with 4.88s. I intend to put USA Alloy Shafts in there with the stronger joints and thought about locking with the spartan. I'm uncertain if this puts undue stress in the carrier on 35" tires. Does the carrier become the weak point now?

I'm a very newbie wheeler so I'm not hard on my jeep by any means. If anything I try to overbuild my jeep to the terrain I try to transverse. The jeep sees maybe 95% onroad and 5% off. With that said, I would like to do the rubicon one day...

I have an ARB in the back, don't have one in front due to cost to install and cost of unit.
 
In a HP30 with 35s I have seen countless carriers break with lunchbox lockers

A LP30 is even weaker. I wouldn't advise anything but swapping out that LP30
 
i have a spartan in my hp30 stock gears and 35's and i wheel the piss out of it never had an issue i could see your ring and pinion being the weak spot because its lp. very easy to install took about an hour.
 
I have found that the week point in my HP Dana 30 is the inner C's (knuckle). I just welded some plates on the inner C's on the new axle and see how they do with 35 boggers 4.10 gears, and a laid back driving style.:patriot:
 
NW-ZJ-SCOTT said:
In a HP30 with 35s I have seen countless carriers break with lunchbox lockers

A LP30 is even weaker. I wouldn't advise anything but swapping out that LP30
Click to expand...

So it sounds like it would just be better to run open in the front, although less capable more reliable?
 
I would put in a full case locker with your setup if i was in your shoes.

When you get on the throttle the gears want to deflect (push away from eachother) and the stock carrier can flex just enough to allow that and result in ring and pinion carnage.
 
I was running an hp dana 30, 4.88's, 35"s, and a spartan. I broke the drivers side shaft and u-joint twice. Upgraded shaft and then stripped the ring and pinion of some teeth. Spartan is still going strong to this day in a buddies wrangler. Swapping in a 77 ford dana 44 in the front and a 80's dodge dana 60 in the rear. The rear 60 will get a spartan when I have the funds. i read about 4.88's being an issue in a dana 30 but didnt listen.:doh:
 
zachandandy said:
I was running an hp dana 30, 4.88's, 35"s, and a spartan. I broke the drivers side shaft and u-joint twice. Upgraded shaft and then stripped the ring and pinion of some teeth. Spartan is still going strong to this day in a buddies wrangler. Swapping in a 77 ford dana 44 in the front and a 80's dodge dana 60 in the rear. The rear 60 will get a spartan when I have the funds. i read about 4.88's being an issue in a dana 30 but didnt listen.:doh:
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like the right way for me to do it is to get a HP Dana 30, and put a full case locker in there with the shafts....money money money...boooo
 
thinking it over - can anyone help or point me to the right thread or link to find a good bolt on dana 44. I know the TJ rubicons bolt up and I've seen sites like G2 sell them for 3K with ARB, Gears, Alloys, but wonder if anyone sells something cheaper, since the TJ 44 has weaker tubes/outters.
 
FWIW, I have an Aussie in my HP D30. They do not have a tire size restriction (at least for warranty purposes) like some other lunchbox manufacturers do. My set up has held up well with upgraded shafts on 33's. With a low pinion and 35's, that might be another story. Point being, if you are looking lunchbox, consider an Aussie.
 
jdbwrx said:
FWIW, I have an Aussie in my HP D30. They do not have a tire size restriction (at least for warranty purposes) like some other lunchbox manufacturers do. My set up has held up well with upgraded shafts on 33's. With a low pinion and 35's, that might be another story. Point being, if you are looking lunchbox, consider an Aussie.
Click to expand...

I've yet to see a massive lunchbox failure with a d30 that didn't originate from a carrier failure, in witch case your replacing a lot more then a simple locker.
 
the weak point is not the lunchbox itself, but the cross-pin holes in the carrier. eventually, the force of the larger tire will wallow out the hole, then the cross-pin will break and/or the carrier will fail, definitely ruining the locker probably taking out your r&P and potentially damaging the splines of your axle shaft.
 
My carrier deflected and blew up the gearset. Lockright was fine.

My buddies lockright split the crosspin. Lockright was fine.

Point being, you're gambling with the stock carrier on 35s.
 
I have had good luck with an Aussie and 33's. I run stock shafts because I managed to grenade a gear set. Back when the front was open. Stock shafts are cheap, and you can swap one out in less than 30 mins on the trail.
 
Wouldn't a HD cover a la ruff stuff help with that deflection?
 
Try it and see what happens.
How YOU drive makes a huge difference.

I ran 35's heavy beadlocks on a non trussed HP30 and a spartan up front and I wheel just as hard of stuff as anyone else on 35's. Lost stock u joints but not shafts then after upgrade didnt lose anything. Ring and pinion were fine. And te axle and locker is still runnin in a buddies jeep today. Its a 2 year old setup now.

Dont waste your time with a TJ44. You are just throwing money away.
 
in4aride said:
Try it and see what happens.
How YOU drive makes a huge difference.

I ran 35's heavy beadlocks on a non trussed HP30 and a spartan up front and I wheel just as hard of stuff as anyone else on 35's. Lost stock u joints but not shafts then after upgrade didnt lose anything. Ring and pinion were fine. And te axle and locker is still runnin in a buddies jeep today. Its a 2 year old setup now.

Dont waste your time with a TJ44. You are just throwing money away.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that advice. I'm finding the TJ isn't worth it, would have to go waggy 44 or the like. I'm going to try to find a HP30 and beef that up instead. I think the concern i have is that i'm still on my LP30. I guess I could just run an open front diff with a stronger shaft/joints as well.
 
I have several friends with LP30's all but one are 4.56, he is 4.88. All run lunchbox up front with 35's and 37's. They dont run any hard stuff. Mostly mild/average trails (6/7 out of 10) and they are easy on their rigs. Only ONE in the past year has broken a STOCK shaft/ujoint. Its all in how you drive.
 
z06elmo said:
I know a bunch of people have put lunchbox lockers in the front. I'm thinking of getting the spartan locker, but I noticed on their site it says not recommended for tires over 32".
Click to expand...

Where did you read this? I have never seen USA Standard say that about a spartan. I know there are other lockers that say stuff like that about thier lockers, but not spartan.

They warranty any issues no matter what size tire.
 
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