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Spool or Locker?

hellbilly04

hellbilly04

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Huntington Beach
Wandering if anyone could tell me if running a spool in my Dana 44 front axle is good or bad idea? I killed my LocRite @ TDS & looking at either a spool or Det locker. Looking at the cost, a spool is the way to go for my budget. Anyone have an opinion? Good or bad?

Thanks
 
spool is cheaper and more predictable. better in strength. the best way to get an idea of how it feels is like when your on a fourwheeler on the road. im about to spool my 8.8.
 
If you have hydro assist and hubs it'll be no problem. If not, it's hard to turn unless you unlock the hubs. I'd rather not have one, but it works and I know a few people who ran them. To note, they all upgraded to regular lockers in the front after a while. It becomes a pain.
 
I prefer a spool in the rear axle VS a locker. Driving is more predictable then with a locker, no sudden unloading or binding. It always pushes and once you get used to that you probably won't even notice it is there.

Untill you go slow through a parking lot and the tires howl.

with a spool in the back you might think about a wrap bar.
 
I run spools front and rear and have no issues. It's all a matter of personal preference. The truck understeers just slightly, but it's managable unless you're accustomed to more modern vehicles that essentially drive for you.
 
I've ran "lincoln lockers", acts just like a spool. I wouldn't recommend it. In the front it makes it hard to steer at times and almost impossible to steer in mud on sidehills, as the front just wants to plow straight ahead. It's tolerable in the rear, but it will "push" you side to side going down the road, requiring constant minor steering corrections. A spool in either axle makes them more suceptible to axleshaft breakage, particularly in the front when you're trying to turn on slickrock.

Pony up for full detroit lockers if you don't have the cash for a selectable.
 
Spools are cheap band aids to proper equipment for any rig that is street driven. That's it......period.

Some may put up with their handling characteristics, and claim to be happy with them, but there is no question that a proper locker is better.

I don't consider scrubbing tires and causing them to cup and wear out faster is an acceptable trade off for the short term cost savings of a spool.

If spools work fine on the trail in the front, ask how many guys with selectable front lockers like ARB's or Ox's run with their front locker locked all the time on the trail. They don't.

On a trail rig, a rear spool is a good option. On a trail only rig that is very budget built and has hydro steering and a D60 some guys are OK with welded front ends.......but it's still not ideal, they just put up with it.
 
I agree with Goatman there, a selectable in the front is worth it's weight in gold. I've had situations where unlocking the front helped me turn in tight situations much easier than those with a full locker and particularly a spool.

I've had my experiences with spooled diffs, never again.
 
im thinking about putting a spool in the rear of my 8.8 with 35's. its mainly a trail rig but have to drive to trails at this time. just driving to and from, would that be harsh on the tires?
 
I have one in the rear of my jeep and it is really not too bad. You can tell that they do wear a little bit quicker, but at least when i decided to go with the spool it was more cost effective to have the tires wear 50% faster than to buy a detroit. Granted the tires will not wear that much faster than with a locker, but when it is $100 for a spool and $400-$500 for a detroit (for a dana 60 at least) it just did not make sense to me to spend the money on the detroit. Also, my jeep is mainly a trail rig, but I do love to drive it on the road also, so it does get a decent amount of miles put on it.
 
thanks i wanted to get a spool but just wanted someone elses word on it. thats pretty much same with mine as well. i just love to drive places with the jeep...
 
barillms said:
I"m spooling my 8.8. You can turn just fine with a spool.
Or you could just weld it for free. Same thing as a spool.
Click to expand...

Of course...spooling the rear doesnt really affect steering. Its spooling the front that causes issues with steering.

I'd go with a selectable locker which definitely comes in handle in situations where you need to make a really tight turn on obstacles, if you wheel in the sand or snow, etc.
 
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