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Flex vs. Lockers

srimes

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Cabot, AR
For a daily driver, which is better?

If you don't have lockers flex is very important, 'cause if you don't have both wheels on the ground you get no traction from that axle. If you have a locker with poor flex you still have a good chance of moving forward. Maybe not as good as lockers with good flex, but the tire on the ground has a lot of pressure on it so it can dig in. Look at the newer jeeps with independent suspensions and traction control. They aren't extreme rock crawlers, but some of them can get along pretty good.

I want good street manners and the ability to tow a trailer, so I'm inclined to leave both sway bars in. If I put in lockers, will disconnecting the sway bars make much of a difference? What do ya'll think?
 
Disco your rear one no matter what.

Hope you're towing light, XJ's are not made to tow.

And the Flex Vs Traction debate can go on all day long, thru thousands of people, but it all boils down to your terrain.

You can make home made disconnects for the front sway bar for under $15, do that.

Get a good LSD like an Auburn for the rear, and depending on your front axle setup, lock the front.

If you plan on staying stock, Id start with homemade front discos, an auburn in the rear, and remove your rear sway bar... That'd be one helluva start!
 
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Speed_racer said:
Get a good LSD like an Aussie for the rear, and depending on your front axle setup, lock the front.

Aussies are full lockers, don't you mean Auburn?
 
srimes said:
For a daily driver, which is better?

If you don't have lockers flex is very important, 'cause if you don't have both wheels on the ground you get no traction from that axle. If you have a locker with poor flex you still have a good chance of moving forward. Maybe not as good as lockers with good flex, but the tire on the ground has a lot of pressure on it so it can dig in. Look at the newer jeeps with independent suspensions and traction control. They aren't extreme rock crawlers, but some of them can get along pretty good.

I want good street manners and the ability to tow a trailer, so I'm inclined to leave both sway bars in. If I put in lockers, will disconnecting the sway bars make much of a difference? What do ya'll think?


I frequently tow with my jeep, with no rear swaybar. 6.5" of lift and 35's, and I don't even notice it.

There have been 6-8 times I've towed with no *front* swaybar and not realized it for a good hour or so. I don't advocate no front swaybar *AT ALL*, but it won't matter to pull the rear one off.
 
The only advantage to an ARB is that you don't have to have it engaged. There are some off road situations where you may not want your locker engaged. All in all though, these situations are rare.
 
jeeperjohn said:
The only advantage to an ARB is that you don't have to have it engaged. There are some off road situations where you may not want your locker engaged. All in all though, these situations are rare.


Well, that and he can continue to use the full time function on his np242 - which sorta sucks a bit with a full time locker.
 
jeeperjohn said:
The only advantage to an ARB is that you don't have to have it engaged. There are some off road situations where you may not want your locker engaged. All in all though, these situations are rare.

That's not the ONLY advantage - that IS the advantage of a selectable. That's why it's $800 (and it's a hell of a product). And IMO these situations are not rare at all.

Plus you get OBA.
 
I disagree to an extent...that IS the advantage of an ARB. However....Ide run an arb up front and a detroit in the rear anyday. Being locked in the rear never affects you on the trail, not that ive seen yet. When i get the cash to build the XJ up..IM going ful detroit in the rear and ARB or OX up front.
 
lockers...period. my jeep flexes pretty well, and i also have lockers. although when i was open i did notice a big difference in what i could do after i disconnected, when i got a front aussie the difference was a lot bigger. soon my 8.8 is going in with an aussie in it also. oh yea, dont spend the money on a selectable locker IMO..its a waste of money. ive ridden in/driven jeeps that are locked out f/r with lunch box lockers, and its not bad at all on the street, and offroad its amazing. i nor anbody i know with lockers has ever had a situation where they wished they were open again
 
Motorvated said:
Being locked in the rear never affects you on the trail.

You need to run tighter trails. I turn mine off almost every trail run, to make the tight turns in mud.

KarlVP said:
OBA from an arb? Have fun with that.

I used my ARB compressor for OBA for over 10 years, it will work.

Rev
 
The trails I run really need a selectable locker. I have watched too many locked vehicles have trouble negotiating the tight turns between trees. I am still open/open, but that is because I want to be able to afford to regear at the same time.
 
Motorvated said:
Ide run an arb up front and a detroit in the rear anyday. Being locked in the rear never affects you on the trail, not that ive seen yet

Most comp guys run the opposite, and rarely if at all engage the rear ARB.

Ever run a slippery sidehill with a rear non-selectable locker?

FWIW I have detroits front and rear and love it. I recognize the advantages of a selectable but I've also been on very few trail rides where someone with a selectable didn't have a problem with it, either electric, pneumatic, or mechanical.
 
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