A welded front without lockouts is NOT streetable AT ALL.
With lockouts it has NO affect in 2wd.
Lockrites suck. They brake usually after a year of wheelin.
Full carrier lockers like a detroit, ARB, or welded/Spool are the only reliable options.
If you weld up your spider gears to the carrier its free, if you later dont like your steering and have cash to buy a detroit, (it will replaced the carrier you distroyed when welding.) The facotry carriers are very low cost, what do you ahve to loose?
If you have after market gears and you suck at welding then your carrier will probibly blow chunks form your welds and brake your gears, but they are life time waranteed. Ive seen carrer bearing brake when lockrights explode thats not under warantee and neither are axle shafts.
Yes a spool over an open diff will brake more shafts, But with out a front locker your not even wheelin yet, your just 4 wheel driving :rainbow:
I did have to add hydro assits after spooling my front, but that was related to haveing leafs in front with no track bar.
Ive welded up 4 diffs on my cherokee over the years, d35, d70, d60front, and 14bolt none have failed, and 3 toyota third members.
One of the Toyota third rear ends on my friends rig (same size as a d44) snapped the pinnion, blew a lockright distroying the gears and carrier bearings, but has not broken the carrier I welded up or the stock toyota axles with 38s, and 4:1...
I wouldent weld a rear on a Daily driver (done it twice) unless your tires are already worn and you plan to buy a detroit with the new tires.