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Locker/Gear Planning Critique

MontanaXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Montana
I have a '99 Sport with the DPG 5" lift running 32'" tires, with future intentions of running nothing bigger than 33's. I had tossed around the idea of replacing my axles with a D44/9" setup but have decided against it at this time. Maybe sometime in the distant future I will build a vehicle to that level, but I do not forsee this vehicle getting built up that much.

This is my plan for this vehicles axles:
HP D30 w/ 4.56, True Trac, and Superior Shafts
29 Spline 8.25 w/ 4.56, Detroit, and Yukons

Does anyone see a flaw in my thinking? Would you do something different?

Thanks for your input.
Greg
 
You wont need the superior shafts for the hp 30 with only a trutrac I only run the 260s Im upgrading to full circle clipped 297s for the front when my locker goes in but not till then...Not a bad upgrade just not needed unless you are a total throttle jockey...Everything else looks good Having looked into alloys I wont get them front or rear until I run above a 33 and like the stupid pedal over finesse(never going to happen even with a stroker)...
themud
 
I wouldn't mess around with a True Trac up front. If you lift a tire it won't help you out as much as a locker would. Plus If your going thru the trouble of regearing then get all the fun stuff.... I guess its cool if your worried about road manners and turning.
 
I just had a Detroit in the 8.25 and a No-slip put in the front. The No-Slip was defective and had to be pulled. One more reason to save for an OX!!
The Detroit rocks so far. 4.56's with 33's, drives fine on-road but the added unsprung weight makes me think that 4.88's may have been better.
 
How about a description of your wheeling needs?Is this a DD?
 
If this is a daily driver with a 242, then you will be fine. I made the choice to go with a TT in the front because I have a NP 242 and want to keep the full time option.

If you have a 231, you might want to consider a lunchbox locker (Lockright, EZ, etc) It will be invisible in 2wd and a monster on the trails. Just my .02

Good Luck!

John
 
RCP Phx said:
How about a description of your wheeling needs?Is this a DD?
My Jeep will be a daily driver as well as my trail rig. I will have to be able to do alot of highway driving because I like to do trips around the state. I take day trips to Billings and Missoula which are both 3 to 3.5 hours away. My wheeling trips will include Moab this April for the IC run, as well trips with my local club. Around here the trails are rocky and quite rough. I will usually try to avoid mud.

Greg
 
You need to plan up a trip to Bozeman and go wheeling with the Mountaineers. Is there any tough trails in your area? We could use a few more here. All the good ones have been closed.
 
tripletsjeepin said:
You need to plan up a trip to Bozeman and go wheeling with the Mountaineers. Is there any tough trails in your area? We could use a few more here. All the good ones have been closed.
Not much close. The best trails I have been on were at Divide Ride '03 near Boulder. Now that I will have a vehicle that I am less concerned about getting scratched I will get out more and try to find the harder stuff.
By the way I am a member of Cascasde County 4 Wheelers.
 
im planning a powertrax no slip in the rear.. and an arb up front in the future someday...

i like what i hear about the no slips....
 
rangerjoe2001 said:
im planning a powertrax no slip in the rear.. and an arb up front in the future someday...

i like what i hear about the no slips....
For an automatic locker the Detroit is the best. You have the benefit of a whole new carrier, and it realy isn't that much more money. If I wasn't doing gears at the same time though, that type of locker would be more appealing.
 
yeah i like the detroit but the gear change isnt in my future until i can afford tires.. and gears... so the no slip is looking pretty good...


im kinda iffy about having a ARB in the back.. i dont know if i really wanna have my trail ability "maybe to get off a trail" up to something that might fail
 
MontanaXJ said:
My Jeep will be a daily driver as well as my trail rig. I will have to be able to do alot of highway driving because I like to do trips around the state. I take day trips to Billings and Missoula which are both 3 to 3.5 hours away. My wheeling trips will include Moab this April for the IC run, as well trips with my local club. Around here the trails are rocky and quite rough. I will usually try to avoid mud.

Greg

It sounds like you have an excellent plan for a balanced DD/trail rig to me. The TT in the front is probably a better option for you than a locker with Montana winter highway driving in mind.
I have 4.56s and 32s and I like it for DD/towing/beach. It will squeek out 19-20 MPG FWY if I drive it at 2500 RPM. I have found that I'm driving slower with this combo than I ever did before, but that is probably a good thing.
 
rangerjoe2001 said:
yeah i like the detroit but the gear change isnt in my future until i can afford tires.. and gears... so the no slip is looking pretty good...


im kinda iffy about having a ARB in the back.. i dont know if i really wanna have my trail ability "maybe to get off a trail" up to something that might fail
I like the idea of having the option of being open or locked, but that doubles the cost of the lockers. The Detoit($500) and TT($300) is only a little more than 1 ARB not including the extra labor to install it. Plus you have to add the cost of the compressor.
 
I would go with the detriot. If you do any snow wheeling locked is not always the way to go. Seen quite a few locked vehicles end up in the ditch or of the trail when snow wheeling while my dad's open diffed XJ stay right on trail. Sometimes it helps to be locked other times it doesn't really depends on the condition of the snow. You could always look for a used ARB, I got mine for 415.

THe are supost to be some good trails in the Prior mountains, but I don't really know the difficulty of them. Isn't the DR 05 in ID this year? Might be interesting. I went to the 03 and it was fun, no hard trails to speak of. The supposted 4+ trail was maybe a 3+.
 
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