Locker Selection with NP242

This is my 50% daily driver, backup trail rig, and inclement weather rig. While we only get a few days of snow or ice now and then, the rain seems to bring out the idiots here, and I REALLY enjoy the added driveability of full-time on the surface streets.

I'm currently running 31" AT's with a D44 Aussie and open front at 3" of lift. Running in full-time counteracts the ill-manners of the Aussie locker.

So the plan is, regear to 4.56 and go to 32" MT's. Bringing it up to 4.5" with RE drop brackets, and Old Man Emu Shocks. I'm planning on a Detroit Locker for the rear Dana 44.

I'm debating on putting a TruTrac in the Dana 30. Anyone got experience running a NP242 in full-time with an LSD?

won't be a problem with the TT. Just make sure it's an LSD or a Selectable in the front. My wife has an autolocker front and rear and her full time is useless now.

Anyone running a NP242 in full-time with a LSD up front?

Please read above, it will work fine.

goodburbon said:

Please read above, it will work fine.

Click to expand...

Yup, read that. You only referenced your experience with having an autolocker in the front which (of course) renders the NP242 full-time option useless. Are you running an LSD up front now? In snow or ice?

I searched a lot, and could only find old threads referring to heavy steering and a faster return to center. Also, some issues with front driveline vibes at 4.5" (posts old enough that no one was mentioning drop brackets as a possible solution).

I ran a truetrac in the front of my NP231 and it drove well in the snow, and that is without the "full time" option. It will push a tad more in hard cornering from what I have read, and having driven mine with no front differential I have to say that it is noticable, but it wouldn't keep me from running one, and had I not driven with and without in the same day I don't know that I would have noticed.

I had TrueTracs in the front and rear of my old '93 and it was driven in fulltime all year round. That Jeep was in England and we only had 1 or 2 days of shallow snow a year and maybe 10 to 30 days of icy roads.

I drove it a few times through snow about 12" deep on mountain trails in the French Pyrenees and it behaved really well.

I have a JK Unlimited here in Switzerland and I think Jeep were absolutely nuts not putting a 242 transfercase in it.

I did run a 242 and an Aussie in the turdy, but never dared fulltime, lol.

I'd say go for a ARB or OX locker in the front then you can just leave the front unlocked when you want to use full time 4x4 that is if you have the money to go to a selectable

The only thing I've ever heard is that TruTracs = Suck...

I ran my 242 w/ PT No-Slips Front / Rear in fulltime a few times... Worked fine for me. And both of those are full lockers.

Now would I do it at 70mph, changing lanes, etc.... nope. If you truly want to be safe spend the coin for an ARB, OX or similar up front.

I run an Aussie up front in Full Time for trail use only but this isn't a daily driver anymore, or maybe a few days a month to work. But when it's not in 4wheel drive you don't even notice it's there unless you take a really tight turn but I have the turn stops extended to prevent that. Sucks in the snow in the highway until you get used to it but I have a WJ for daily use so not an issue anymore.
Juice

Open Diffs suck, a TruTrac requires a little more finese than a full locker, and seems to work as well in 80-90% of the situations. I run with a guy with a TruTrac front and Detroit rear, he's a trail leader on extreme trails with this setup - off-road performance really isn't an issue. I can get just about anywhere with a Detroit in the rear, a front LSD or locker allows me to take it easier on the rig.

I've got trouble investing the dough in an ARB or OX for a Dana30 in a rig that's gonna see mostly street time. Plus, off-road I often end-up spotting my wife (she could break an anvil) a switch with a full locker would be like a gun pointed at the front axle.

On-road performance is the big question? I'm looking for more than "fine" - I just drove through a N Texas blizzard in a 2wd tow rig with a trailered Jeep - that was "fine." I'm planning for Drop Brackets and OME shocks so, I'm looking for "sweet" regardless of road conditions.

Sounds like if anything, the front LSD engaged on the road will perform as good or better than an open carrier. The TruTrac is $350 and I'm already going to need a new carrier ($150 loaded) for the Dana 30 when I drop to 4.56 so, I think I'll go that route. Thanks guys.

good, now that that is settled, I'll sell you mine

3XJFamily said:

Anyone running a NP242 in full-time with a LSD up front?

Click to expand...

I do.
I have a 96 with D30 and D44 and a 242. Both axles have a TT.
I drive it in FT most of the time, they both feel like open diffs on the road at all speeds. In off road conditions they feel great with minimum slip.

falcon556 said:

I do.
I have a 96 with D30 and D44 and a 242. Both axles have a TT.
I drive it in FT most of the time, they both feel like open diffs on the road at all speeds. In off road conditions they feel great with minimum slip.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input, "feel like open diffs on the road at all speeds" = that's what I'm looking for. And, thanks for a fresh thread without all the speculation and SPOBI I found when searching.

Selectables front and rear would be most peoples first choice but that's big $. A full locker does have some bad manners on the street (rain, ice, and snow make it worse). My experience is that a Detroit locker in the rear is better mannered (and more predictable) than a lunch box locker on the road.
A Detroit off-road can't be beat.

I'm a big fan of the NP242, the XJ has a tendency to get a little light in the rear when the roads get slick, and it sure fixes that issue.

I'll post up with the results of a Detroit rear and TT front with the NP242.

3XJFamily said:

Thanks for the input, "feel like open diffs on the road at all speeds" = that's what I'm looking for. And, thanks for a fresh thread without all the speculation and SPOBI I found when searching.

Selectables front and rear would be most peoples first choice but that's big $. A full locker does have some bad manners on the street (rain, ice, and snow make it worse). My experience is that a Detroit locker in the rear is better mannered (and more predictable) than a lunch box locker on the road.
A Detroit off-road can't be beat.

I'm a big fan of the NP242, the XJ has a tendency to get a little light in the rear when the roads get slick, and it sure fixes that issue.

I'll post up with the results of a Detroit rear and TT front with the NP242.

Click to expand...

I've heard just the opposite.. so who knows...

I hear all sorts of stuff too, some times it gets hard to sort out the SPOBI. I figure the people who know are the ones who've actually done it.

I can only compare driving experiences in driving a locked rear axle between my CJ7 (Manual) with a Detroit, and my XJ (Auto) with an Aussie (or open). The Detroit, is very predictable, and as long as I'm aired up isn't prone to harsh unloading. The Aussie was always been noisier and harsher, and it hasn't gotten better in the last few years. The Aussie is also less predictable as to how much throttle it will take to lock up. I get pushed around worse in the XJ by the Aussie than I do in the CJ7 by the Detroit - that leads me to say the Detroit is better mannered. Besides, I'm tired of the clack-clack-clack.

Road manners Detroit vs Lunch-box in the rear axle. Experiences?

I agree with you on the Aussie being more unpredictable than the Detroit... Regardless about what everyone says on here from what I've experienced the Aussie is just loud and qwirky.. But strong and dependable.

Now if you were comparing a Powertrax No-Slip to a Detroit (rear)... I'd say the No-Slip all the way. From running a No-Slip for around 6,000 miles on/off road it never unloaded once, never pushed the jeep around, and was absolutely silent on and off road... Riding w/ friends w/ a detroit... it had a tendency to unload.. but again drove well..

Running a Lockright in my Rear 44 right now and it doesnt get driven on the road anymore. But, when it did the Lockright did push the jeep around some, and is noisey.

Running a Aussie in my Front 44 and it's noisey.


I like it the simpler the bettter... I had an ARB but switched it out for a Lockright... The ARB has too many moving (expensive parts).. the Lockright is cheap and easily repairable. Same for the Detroit.. rebuilds are expensive. PT and LR parts that break are typically 25-35.00/each (if they break).

Just my 0.02

What about a spool in the rear and a aussie up front?? Full time still available with this set up?

Mike1331 said:

What about a spool in the rear and a aussie up front?? Full time still available with this set up?

Click to expand...

hhahaha

no. :twak: