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Wanna put Lock-rite in D30 front of DD

R

RBFab

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Montana
Hey all,
My D30 front end in my '90 XJ chunked a few teeth on its spiders,so now I need to fix it.So I figure while I'm up there(under there?) why just put in replacement stock stuff when I can just as easily put in a Lock-rite?My question is since this is my daily driver and I'm gonna have to drive it alot on icy streets in 4WD,will it wanna plow over the curbs on every icy corner or will it not be so bad and actually turn OK?Another thing is will this thing eat up my transer case and gas mileage since the front driveshaft will always turn?

Thanks all
 
I asked this question......the quy from aussie lockers said not a good idea. Icy roads with an auto locker - not recommended. So I put a selectable locker in, but I'm sure there are people who run a front end lockrite, maybe they should chime in with their experience on ice.
 
if it's a DD that your family will ride in i wouldnt even think about it. it just won't go where you steer it when it really counts. alot of people will say its not a big deal. leave it open or go selectable.
 
sidriptide said:
if it's a DD that your family will ride in i wouldnt even think about it. it just won't go where you steer it when it really counts. alot of people will say its not a big deal. leave it open or go selectable.
Click to expand...

is this to say that its not a good idea if your driving in 4x4, or will it not steer properly in 2x4 aswell.

I am putting an Auburn LSD in my 8.25 and had thought of putting an Aussie in the front. Not so much for using the 4x4 on the road, mostly for the odd chance I'll end up in the ditch, and want to drive out myself. I live in Ontario, we get a lot of snow where I am and I thought having a good lunchbox locker would be handy to have in winter times... this is kinda swaying me away from that since its my DD. If its a bad idea I guess I am saving up for a selectable.
 
running a lock-rite in 2wd on ice can still mess with how well your rig steers and they can unlock and ratchet when your front tires hit slippery spots individually. 1 will have good traction and the other will slip causing the locker to make a real racket.. ive heard thsi is most common as you are slowing to a stop and the brake friction stops the tire on ice before the one with better traction.
 
You have a disco axle why not get the auto-locker and a posi-lock. Then if you have to drive on ice you have the option of letting the right front tire freewheel. Your drivelines will still be locked, but wouldn't this give you a measure of control?

Others here have more knowledge than me and I could be all wrong. Just a thought.
 
bobnoxious said:
It's invisible in 2wd
Click to expand...

I have an aussie up front, and other than clicking on turns, I haven't noticed it affect the steering at all in 2WD, even in slick stuff. I'm a little confused as to how the auto-locker can lock up if the front axle isn't being driven. If you have full-time 4wd, I suppose that's a different story.
 
I was getting ready to put a Aussie in the front of my 96'. Its not my DD but it will be driven to work etc. when it is snowing/ice. I've already got a TruTrac in the rear and was considering locking the front but I really didn't consider the ice factor.

So its going to cause driveability issues on ice even in 2wd, correct?
 
xjtrailrider said:
I was getting ready to put a Aussie in the front of my 96'. Its not my DD but it will be driven to work etc. when it is snowing/ice. I've already got a TruTrac in the rear and was considering locking the front but I really didn't consider the ice factor.

So its going to cause driveability issues on ice even in 2wd, correct?
Click to expand...

No
 
Ironmen77 said:
You have a disco axle why not get the auto-locker and a posi-lock.

I have a posi-lock in my MJ and they really arent that easy to shift in and out,sometimes you really gotta feather the throttle to get em to engage or disengage.So I'm thinking that driving around trying to disengage the front axle at every corner with a locker would be a huge PITA and really not an option.I was hoping someone has had a Lock-rite in thier DD and could tell me what its like driving on icy streets.Is it really that bad?Or is it livable if you actually know how to drive?
Click to expand...
 
I had a lockright in the the front of my YJ when I was DDing it...in wisconsin winters I had no issues. Be smart about it, it's really not that difficult to drive like that. Most of the nay-sayers are basing what they are saying off of what other people without front auto lockers are saying. Yes, it will plow in corners, but that's only if you are really hauling ass in 4wd. I was even able to go what I'd consider too fast on some side roads and control it with some throttle feathering. I tend to keep to 2wd in the winter anyway, since it keeps your speed more in check...and in 2wd, you will NOT notice the locker. It has no torque on it, so it can't lock up. Go for it, I locked my front first and didn't regret it. Made it drive just like stock in 2wd.
 
JeffsJeep04 said:
I had a lockright in the the front of my YJ when I was DDing it...in wisconsin winters I had no issues. Be smart about it, it's really not that difficult to drive like that. Most of the nay-sayers are basing what they are saying off of what other people without front auto lockers are saying. Yes, it will plow in corners, but that's only if you are really hauling ass in 4wd. I was even able to go what I'd consider too fast on some side roads and control it with some throttle feathering. I tend to keep to 2wd in the winter anyway, since it keeps your speed more in check...and in 2wd, you will NOT notice the locker. It has no torque on it, so it can't lock up. Go for it, I locked my front first and didn't regret it. Made it drive just like stock in 2wd.
Click to expand...

great, nice to get some first hand experience advice.
my main concern was any adverse affects while in 2wd, but from what you say there are none, great.
I always drive in 2wd, the only reason I wanted a locker (other than for offroad) was to get myself out of the ditch (or other unlucky people) at which point I could switch into 4wd and hopefully just drive out.
I feel much better about purchasing a lunchbox now, thanks for your help.
 
from personal experience I would not put anything in the front again except some time of limited slip or air locker. I put a locker in the front of my first xj and it did fine in 2wd but when I needed to drive it in 4 Hi , such as ice or snow, it was awful going around curves and such. Drove real different. Seemed like I was always trying to catch it. Mine too was a daily driver.
 
I really don't have first-hand experience with auto-locking diffs in the front-end--but I am under the impression it takes torque input from the drive shaft to cause the "locker" to engage. This would mean as long as you are in 2wd, no bad side affects should occur; however, I personally would not want to drive in mud or snow or on ice with my front locked, unless I was in control of when it locked. I have had experience with a functioning positraction in the rear of my old Pontiac GTO on icy roads. The rear end always tried to go to the low side of the road! Read: DITCH. I currently have an ARB in the front of my XJ--very hard to make it point were I want it to go when engaged.
 
After all this reading I think everyone can confirm/agree that trying to drive, at highway speeds or normal road speeds (on icy/snowy roads), is very difficult with a non-selectable locker in the front.
That being said, if someone wanted the locker to drive through deep snow, on unplowed roads, or pull someone out of the ditch than the lunchbox locker would be a good option yes?
granted a selectable would be better in every aspect, but for a cheap alternative until I invest in a selectable it will do?
 
bobnoxious said:
It's invisible in 2wd
Click to expand...

Absolutly, with a full detroit in my BroncoII and the hubs locked it is invisible. With the lockright in my wifes Xj (non-disco) it is equally invisible. Actually the rear locker in hers is less of a nuisance too than the locker in mine
 
I agree with the guy from Wisconsin. I have driven an XJ since 94, with a Lock Right in the front since 99. I has not been a DD for me since the Lock Right, but I live in the Chicago area where winters get messy from time to time. During bad weather, I would take it out sometimes just to play and others because it was a 4X4 and I didnt feel safe in my eco car. The only time I had issues is when I gassed it through a tight turn while out playing. The locker would engage and, yes, you lose the ability to complete turns! When I drove smart considering the conditions, I did not experience a significant differnce in the steering or drivability. Nothing changed in 2WD, it has to have torque on it to engage.
 
beakie said:
my main concern was any adverse affects while in 2wd, but from what you say there are none, great.
Click to expand...
That's correct. My understanding is that an autolocker like a lock-rite or an Aussie won't let a tire spin more slowly than the differential, but it will let one spin more quickly. So in a turn, the outside tire will naturally spin faster, and the locker will let it. Shouldn't be a problem if neither tire on your front axle is being driven (i.e., in 2wd).
 
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