Locker Questions

Hey guys I've been looking into lockers lately and a couple of questions have come up. I have a 1987 with a dana 44 in the rear and dana 30 in the front. It's an automatic. I was wondering what the benefits and drawbacks of a rear and front locker are? Also I've heard about vaccum disconnect. DO I have this and how do you know if you do? If I do wouldn't a locker in front not effect my daily driving and it would only be effective when I put it in 4wd?

lostcreek21 said:

Hey guys I've been looking into lockers lately and a couple of questions have come up. I have a 1987 with a dana 44 in the rear and dana 30 in the front. It's an automatic. I was wondering what the benefits and drawbacks of a rear and front locker are?

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I just installed both in my '87 Detroit (rear) Lockright (front) and regeared. Before, I had to use a lot of accelerator action to climb a relative mild climb (even in lo range). As a test, I idled up the same section in 1st gear, high range - the regearing helped, but I could really tell a difference in the ability to pull.

lostcreek21 said:

Also I've heard about vaccum disconnect. DO I have this and how do you know if you do?

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If you have the tcase that goes 2HI - 4HI - N - 2LO, you almost certainly have the vacuum disco unless someone previously changed it out. A quick way to check is to look at the passenger side axle. If there is a box built into the axle with 3 vacuum lines going to it, you have the vacuum disco.

lostcreek21 said:

If I do wouldn't a locker in front not effect my daily driving and it would only be effective when I put it in 4wd?

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I don't notice the front locker on the road, but I've read others that don't have the vacuum disco say the same thing.

Others, with more long-term experience, will have to give you fuller explanations and/or answers.

Thanks for the info. So if I install a locker in front regardless wether I have the vaccum disconnect am I going to notice it when I drive on the road and turn corners? or am I only going to notice it when I'm in 4wd?

Installed mine 2weeks before Moab. Then drove 1300 miles to get there never noticed anything different on road. Off road it makes a world of differance. HTH. Jim

By the way, LostCreek, I notice you're in Gresham. I used to live there, and will be in Gresham next Friday (the 31st). PM me if you'd like to get together briefly, then. The reason I'm going to be in Gresham is to participate in a GPS Rally in the Tillamook State Forest with the Oregon BushHackers ( http://www.oregonbushhackers.org/ ) on Saturday the 1st. I'm not sure if they have room for another vehicle, but let me know if you are interested in riding with me in my XJ (in the back seat - I already have my "navigator/co-pilot").

Dale