good front locker

what locker is good but not alot of money

Kind of depends on what you are doing with your Jeep, if it is strictly a trailer queen off road rig, then toss a lunchbox locker, if you drive it to the trail and then off road it, you might want to look at a dis-engagable.

You can't tell a lunchbox locker is in it when in 2wd.

I have had an Aussie and a Spartan in my 30. The Aussie worked great until I broke the cross pin. No fault of the locker but maybe something to do with 36's and a heavy foot. I bought a Spartan after that because of the smoking deal I got, and came with a hardened cross pin. Works the same maybe a little quieter.

That said full case is way stronger if you are running larger tires.

I just put 2 lunchboxes (front and rear) in my Wrangler (!!! ... the XJ wasn't ready for Moab) right before going to Moab. Performed excellently on a bunch of red trails in Moab and then I drove it 1,200 miles home without issues.

Yeah, they are noisy in gas stations during slow speed turns and everyone stares when they ratchet, pop, clunk and make all kinds of odd sounds, but whatever, it's a Jeep, right?

For ~$250 you can't go wrong if you're looking for budget locking. I'm going to replace them eventually, but they were a good fit until I can get a selectable.

Check out the LOKKA locker for the Dana 30. It is the Austrailan version of the Aussie (confusing, I know). I just installed it and it is great. $199 shipped to my door.

The only time front and rear lunchboxs get sketch is in snow and rain, which I think Maine gets some of that..

TXTrailHawk said:

Check out the LOKKA locker for the Dana 30. It is the Austrailan version of the Aussie (confusing, I know). I just installed it and it is great. $199 shipped to my door.

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+1 been running a lokka up front for two years.
drive way install, cheap, works like a champ.

If budget is an issue, I assume you'll be looking at lunchbox lockers. My research suggests that they are all pretty similar. I put a Spartan in front because the combination of the Ebay price and the rebate made it the least expensive at the time. The forums seem to like it and the Aussie (and Lokka), but the older ones (Lockright) seem to have served people just fine too. I thought the Spartan was really easy to install. Just get whatever you can find cheap.

If you aren't sure what you are looking at, be careful. There are folks who advertise limited slips as "lockers" on craigslist. That being said, if you need to drive it on snow and ice, a front autolocker will be better behaved in 2wd than a rear locker because they don't really lock when they aren't under power (which isn't to say they don't occasionally grab a bit). So, a good all-conditions setup is a locker in front and either open or a limited slip in back. In addition, if you've got a dana 35 in the rear, you might think twice about locking it, as it makes them even more likely to break. (And when you break a C-clip rear end, you are completely dead where you stand.)

Of course, if budget isn't an issue, ARB or Ox both front and rear! You can switch them off and on at will, but they are MUCH more expensive.

Paul

the lokka seems like the one to get.just light 4 wheeling

I ran a spartan for 4 years and it was good, but I have hubs so 2wd was not an issue. Broke a cross pin and now run a full case Grizzly. Huge difference in feel and strength but not much more coin. Save up for a full case instead of a lunchbox. Just my 2 cents.

I have a second hand (actually I think I'm the third owner) lock rite in my 30.

Works great off road, not a huge fan of how it jerks the steering wheel, and I don't like it at all on snowy roads. But it hasn't broken yet and provides great traction in dirt, rock and mud. Mostly invisible on the street.

I ran an Aussie in my 94, wasn't a daily but I road tripped with it a lot.

Only thing that I didn't like was the noise. Sounded like the front end was coming apart. Worked great and never gave me steering issues though.

I've had a Lock right in my D30 for two years now not one issue. Cheap locker that works if you don't mind a little chatter when turning at slow speeds.

Hi Folks, I'm Cora from Aussie Locker and also the President, and I'm here to help answer any questions.

Aussie Locker and Lokka are completely separate companies with different locker designs, materials used and model offerings.

In 2012 when we moved manufacturing to the USA our Engineers redesigned the entire Aussie Locker line after almost 10 years of customer and tech feedback. Significant changes were made to the cam gear design for increased cross pin reliability, the tooth design to quiet the ratcheting and overall locker dimensions for better fitment in OE carriers. Since the redesign our warranty claims have fallen to a handfull a year.

What makes Aussie Locker stronger is our steel---the ONLY automatic locker manufactured from 100% certified made in the USA 9310 hardened alloy steel. Lower grade alloys, while less expensive, also can equate to shorter life. Additionally, the Aussie Locker is the ONLY automatic locker manufactured in the USA, with 100% USA raw materials, at a world-class ISO9001 certified CNC machining facility.

Hope this helps point out the differences between Aussie Locker and Lokka. When we see comments saying the two Lockers are the same - like previously stated in this thread - it's important to us to chime in to help protect our brand.

Aussie Locker is proud a supporter of !

I've planned on running an Aussie in the back for years, just never got around to it. I am now thinking I want it in the front, moving from the desert of AZ to Washington I might be seeing some snow. I've always herd its better to have a lunchbox locker in the front if snow is a factor.

Hi - iwannadie, We don't recommend driving in 4WD, at highway speeds, in Icy conditions with a front auto locker because you can experience understeer and unpredictable handling. In snowy climates we recommend a rear locker if you plan to use 4WD in Icy conditions. The rear locker typically adds enough traction that many of our customers don't feel the need for 4WD in these wintery conditions. Another option is to install a front locker and only use 4wd in Icy conditions around town. Snow is not much of an issue when it comes to front or rear axle installs, but I still prefer a rear in these conditions.