Modifying a trac-loc

I know, I know.... Someone is going to make a comment about polishing a turd, but lockers are expensive up here in Canada. I haven't been able to find anything for my '96, 8.25 rear axle for under $700 purchase price. That's just too much dough for a light trail vehicle.

Anyways, a couple of months back I was looking up stuff on swapping in an 8.8 rear axle, and the author of this one web site talked about how he had modified the trac-loc in his 8.8 and was getting similar performance to an Auburn from it.

He said the frictions and steels are arranged like so: sfssfssfssfs. He bought a rebuild kit, and used some of the good frictions and steels from the old pack, and arranged them like so: sfsfsfsfsfs. I think he also said he was able to get one more disk in there like that, which really tightened things up and made the trac-loc engage with much less wheel spin.

I've done a couple of gear sets on heavy trucks and units with drop out third members. I would be up for setting up a trac-loc in my 8.25. But I want to know if anyone else has ever heard of this or done it. I just don't want to drop the money, and more importantly the time and aggravation of setting up the gears, into something that works like stock when I'm done.

Thanks
Geoff C.

adding an extra disk also increases the spring pressures - It has been done in off road and drag vehicles so it should work for you.

Yes, it works. The original trac-lok in my '88 XJ started slipping at around 120,000 miles and a friend who is a retired Jeep shop foreman shimmed it up for me. It made it work again and I got about 50,000 more miles out of it.

What about a lock right or no slip? If those arent to exspensive they would be easier to install than re- biulding an LS and give you much better performance.