D30 locker or limited slip

OK, this is my DD and I use it to go up to the mountains (usually southern Utah and Mammoth) in the winter for boarding maybe 6 times a year. I do wheel it in southern Nevada, about once a month, usually easier to moderate trails, nothing too serious. I have searched and searched and most ppl say that a locked front (I have a lock right, not installed yet) with careful driving is ok, in snow. Seems that ppl with a True Trac up front don't worry about snow and ice as much as ppl with a locker (they seem easier to drive in those conditions). I was also going to put a LSD in the rear because of it quieter and better road manners, along with the Lock Right in the front. Sooo would I be better off with the Lock Right front and LSD rear or LSD front and a locked rear???? That is what I am debating.

I prefer open diffs for driving on snowy roads.

98stocker said:

I prefer open diffs for driving on snowy roads.

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yea thats what I have now and I dont have trouble driving in snow, but open/open is not an option for me.

locker all the way.. just learn to drive it on the road!!!!

My jeep's got a Truetrac front, Auburn rear(Detroit/Eaton/Tractech didn't make a TT for the 8.25 back then, they do now) Invisible on the street, works pretty good off road. I do mainly trail-running/light wheeling but in a moment of blinding idiocy, I took it done the Rubicon trail. It did surprisingly well.
I like the worm gear LSs(Torsen, Truetrac, 'rear dif. on the 1st gen Rubicon) They work really well. When I eventually wear out the cone-clutches in the Auburn, I'm going to replace it with another Truetrac. The only real downside is the price. They're the best LS on the market, and the most expensive. Cost's a little less then a Detroit locker, unless you can find one used. The up side of the Truetrac is they don't have clutches to wear out, so used is an option.

As far as lockers in snow, there's nothing hard about it. The problem is, with a locker in the front or rear, on snow/ice or any low traction conditions on hard surfaces, you have to pay attention all the time. Literally every time you turn the steering wheel is a chance to spin out(rear locked) or plow off the road(front locked). It's not a matter of learning to drive, it's a matter of learning to pay attention. Some people can't or don't want to do that, kind of like driving a manual trans.

EDIT: My advice: Truetrac in the front. Truetrac or locker in the rear.

tbburg said:

... with a locker in the front or rear, on snow/ice or any low traction conditions on hard surfaces, you have to pay attention all the time. Literally every time you turn the steering wheel is a chance to spin out(rear locked) or plow off the road(front locked).

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BS

My rear locker handles on icy and snowy roads just exactly the same as my Limited Slip did. Limited Slip has been an option on Jeeps since what, the 1950's and you don't see the ditches full of rolled Jeeps and the frozen bones of Jeep owners.

Yes, you can break both rear tires loose and the back end end will fishtail if you drive like a 16 yr old. All you do is accelerate a bit more softly, and apply the brakes a bit sooner, so you do not exceed the available traction. In 2wd I can flip the rear tires out and drive sideways for almost a whole block shooting twin rooster tails of snow at the neighbors houses.

In 4x4 the front locker makes the front tires push straight in snowy/icy turns, but 4x4 is seldom needed with a rear locker and you can switch into and out of 4x4 as needed, for turns or straight ahead. In 2wd, the front locker is silent, and does nothing.

Depending on your budget, I think the best traction combination for a less than full time trail rig is a rear locker and a front Limited Slip.

I went ARB F&R... just for the snowy roads thing. I find it is pretty predictable with the rear locked at the lower speeds like around the subdivision.

Just don't drive like you are on dry pavement and it is pretty predictable even when it is locked and a bit slick.

In the snow and ice, it doesn't matter about a locker or limited slip because they act the same. Except in deep snow, there isn't enough traction/resistance to make the LS slip, so it acts the same as a locker.

The exception to this can be a TrueTrac since it takes some differentiation and a touch of power for it to work, so on easy turns it doesn't do much (if you follow what I mean), while a clutch type LS needs enough traction to overcome the force of the clutches before there is differentiation (one wheel turning a different speed than the other). But, I normally think TT's are near useless, since they cost alot and are prone to breaking in the rear. If you're going to spend that much $$ just get a locker. Also, once you have any wheel spin on a real slick surface the TT will lock up just like a clutch type LS or a locker.

As far as front or rear, I believe front locker and rear LS will give the best overall performance. When you need 4wd the front does more work than the rear and when you don't need 4wd the LS is nicer on the street. I'm currently building another stock XJ for a DD and light wheeler, and I'm putting a locker in front and LS in the rear.

I would never use snow or ice driving as a determining factor on whether to run a locker or a limited slip.

im locked rear lsd front i like it it did really good on muddy hills and trails but havent got it in the snow although i would prefer a locker up front too just becuz i like to rock crawl

Goatman said:

...I would never use snow or ice driving as a determining factor on whether to run a locker or a limited slip.

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Local driving conditions will definitely be a consideration in the choice of traction aids for a daily driver. I have one Cherokee and use it for daily driving and for trail riding. In Minneapolis, I have many more days of snowy/icy driving than I have days of trail riding. I also have a set of A/T tires for winter and a set of M/T tires for summer. If the 4x4 is used by other family members who may not be as "driver aware" of the special handing characteristics of a lifted 4x4 or a locked axle, the same applies.

Budgets can dictate the choice of traction aids. Not everybody has an alternate vehicle for daily driving and a tow rig rig and trailer for their dedicated trail rig or hybrid rock buggy. I would love to have ARB's front and rear and some deeper gears, or a pair of TrueTracs on my daily driver. Since that is out of the question budget wise, I have lunch box lockers front and rear. I still would prefer on my own Cherokee and recommend to others, a Limited Slip in the front and a locker in the rear for a daily driver that sees moderate use on the trails.

Goatman said:

I would never use snow or ice driving as a determining factor on whether to run a locker or a limited slip.

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Tim_MN said:

BS

My rear locker handles on icy and snowy roads just exactly the same as my Limited Slip did. Limited Slip has been an option on Jeeps since what, the 1950's and you don't see the ditches full of rolled Jeeps and the frozen bones of Jeep owners.

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And you were saying?

I didn't say don't take daily driving in snow and icy areas into consideration for how you build your vehicle, just that I wouldn't take that into consideration when deciding between an automatic locker or a limited slip.

As far as front or rear locked, the prevailing wisdom for a long time has been to lock the rear. More and more people are doing the opposite and finding it better the other way, with the front locked. Unless you've run it both ways, you can't know how much better it is. I've had it both ways. On my buggy, the front is spooled and the rear is an air locker. On my moderate street XJ on 33's, it's getting a LS in back and a locker in front.

You don't know if you haven't tried it.