Locking a front disco axle -

Welding, spooling, or whatever - for a disco Dana front 30, what specific problems will crop up locking the differential?

On pavement, disco open, axles allowed to differentiate; of course, you gotta do that.

Off road, in 4H/L, axles locked. Full time traction. I'm talking snow, gravel, mud - not slick rock. There's none for 100's of miles. And if I'm turning that tight, I can unlock the disco.

I don't see this working any differently than an Ox, etc. And a lot less expensive.

Come on, disco owners, who's done this?

build yourself a home made posi lock, then you can control the disco anytime you want.
Lawn Cher is locking his disco axle with an ARB, cause he likes widgets, and that gives him about 32 differnt configurations for the front axle.

The posi lock is the thing, yes. You can't control it without one.

But (since I see I didn't explain it very well,) I'm looking to lock the front diff full time and let the posi lock/ disco axle be the "switch," and safety fuse.

Goes to what I think happens in an Ox locker - ON, OFF - when in 4H or L, the disco can be the engager, and save $$$. If I can find a $98 mini spool to fit the Dana front 30.

Like lots of us, a 30 is what I have running right now. And I don't see welding as a non option, just the spool as a better solution, and I save money for later, while getting traction now.

Renix/Disco Cherokees on a budget make me think about solutions other than "Just Each and Every Paycheck."

i've seen some homemade posi-locks, anyone have any luck with them... im hoping to either make one or find one for a better price than i have been seeing them.

the issue i have with this is locking a d30 on stock shafts...

unless you have 95 YJ shafts, you're running spicer shafts with spicer 260 u-joints... on a locked d30...

hmmm...

also, I could see it doing some odd things if you disod the passenger side while in 4wd.
Sure, you're passenger side would freewheel, but the drivers side will still get power.
I know that in the detroit manual it says that driving with only one axle shaft is a big no no.
It sounds as though locker damage is pretty much guaranteed if you do this.

Sure, it would work, but I think that it would do funny things.
And having one driving wheel up front would probalby make it turn funny.
I'll second opie's comments on the YJ shafts. 260x joints aren't meant for big tires.

87manche said:

Sure, you're passenger side would freewheel, but the drivers side will still get power.
I know that in the detroit manual it says that driving with only one axle shaft is a big no no.
It sounds as though locker damage is pretty much guaranteed if you do this.

Click to expand...

being as I have blown a front shaft about 7 trail miles from the road, and made the decision to drive out in 3 wheel drive (put a rag where the broken shaft was to hold gear oil in)...

it makes for REALLY weird driving, where you are used to two front tires puling and climbing at obsitcles, only one front climbing is crappy... and unless you are better at picking lines than I am, it really sucks!

No argument on the shafts and joints - I'm running near stock AT/KO's, so the big tire thing is not yet a problem. My build philosophy always has been fix it better when it breaks, so that can wait until then. Budget.

As for actually driving in 4H/L with the disco out, well, the point of the mini spool is to drive both axles locked. The disco gives you L/R separation on demand only when necessary. I don't see doing it at speed. It could happen tho!

Darn thing crabs around enough with an open diff anyway - flicking a cable disco control would get me out of a parking spot easier than meshing the case in and out. When it's out, it won't make much difference other than back driving the differential to the right side disco shaft. And non disco axles rotate like that stock.

Thanks for the cautions - I still see this working: mini spool and homebuilt cable disco = $150, and lunchbox ease of installation. Anything else double or triple, plus a front diff disassembly.

Am I on to something?