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front or rear locker??

bluejeepkid

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bullhead City
ok im going to be getting a locker soon and i was wondering, wich axle should i lock first?? front or rear??

also i live in the desert and i wheel in sandy hills, lots of gravel and loose rock as well as solid rock and i go to the beach alot (beach sand).....also d30 front and 8.25 rear on 33's 4.5 on lift and i have a winch on the front....just some info for your opinions
 
ok.......why mini spool vs. full spool??
and why spool as opposed to selectable??
 
He's having fun giving you bullshit advice.

I locked the rear first because I put in a 44.

I'd lock the front first if I had a D35 in the back.

With an 8.25 it'd be a toss up if I had the 29spl, I'd do the front first if I had a 27spl.

I run an Aussie locker and a Detroit locker, it's fine with an automatic.

I've heard selectables are the way to go for a 5spd.
 
I put a locker in the front, an aussie. Can't tell its there in 2wd with the exception of some clicking in parking lots but a world of difference when in 4wd. Goes up hills like no ones business.:yelclap: I have an auto tranny and am running a D30 in the front and an open 8.25 in the rear.
 
I'm using mini spools front and rear until I re-gear and re-shaft my hpd44 and 9". so I was joking, but not entirely. The big thing is mini spools are very cost effective and easy to install. That's my 2 cents.
 
ive always been a fan of front lockers over rear if you only can have 1. with front it pulls you up and over rocks/logs/cuts in trails etc. where a rear just pushes you into them. also you can always put your front tires where you want them, out of ruts, on rocks, off rocks, etc. rear is pretty much where its at
i think front works better in mud also because you can cut the tires left to right.

only time rear is an advantage is hill climbs
 
Wow, way to give someone advice that will make his rig useless!

Minispool on a dana 30? I sorta get the impression the guy drives on pavement.

asshole.jpg
 
Front first, my buddy and I basically ran the same setup on a few trails tire and lift wise, I was able to go through stuff easier with a front then he was with a rear.

-Alex
 
i'm with billy. i've wheeled with jeeps bigger than mine with only a front and i have only a rear and i'd much rather the performance gain of the rear locker vs the front.

at the bottom of the page:
http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=946928
 
I'm also more rear. I rarely turn my front locker on, I leave my rear on all the time.
 
we could debate this all day long, but in general i'd say that the northeast area prefers rear locked and the NW/MidWest prefers front... that's what i've noticed.

for new england wheeling, i've seen a locked front, open rear, get up on an an obstacle and just slip off sideways... on that note, the only thing that tends to hold me up (note that i have a locked rear only) is that i'm on 31s (for now), so i don't have that much ground clearance.
 
I generally tell people to lock the rear first, then when they get a bit more experience, they can lock the front.

There are a number of threads here on this subject, and each driver has his or her preference; there is no definitive "Right" answer.

I think the real key to getting around Off-Road is articulation. I have seen a well articulating open rig go where a locked rig with no articulation could not because the rig could maintain all 4 tires contact to the ground. If I had money to spend on a locker VS a better suspension, the suspension would win out. If the suspension could not be improved, I would lock the rear first.
 
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it does depend on the terrain and such... I run mostly at Rausch Creek (east coast rock trails), with a little bit of mud in New Jersey. I noticed a huge increase in traction after doing a longarm, I rarely lost traction because the front end flexed so well and kept the tires on the ground more. I was able to run much harder lines than normal. Many of the harder spots at Rausch Creek are going up hills with boulders scattered along it you have to get over, so the front does most of the work.

With that in mind, I can only imagine what it'll do with a locker. My only issues were when I'd jam one of the front tires against a rock. With a locker, it would pull over it, but since it's unlocked, the other tire would get all the power and just spin. Never had that issue when the rear tires hit it, since the front axle would pull the rear up and over.

I picked up a HP30 with a trutrac, that should be tame enough for snow, and be strong enough for the trails. (with riding the brake occasionally to keep it locked). I'm currently slowing saving money for a rear ARB and gears for front and rear. Once that's all set, I'll install the HP30 and have somebody set up the gears and install the ARB for me. Selectable is the way to go for the rear, at least if you daily drive it and drive in snow. I'd do an ARB in the front, but don't think I can get anywhere near enough money out of the Trutrac to make it worth it.

That said, you're on different terrain and trails than me. If you do more hill climbs (full throttle stuff, not slow rock crawling) then a rear locker might be a better choice. Keep in mind that steering will be different with a front locker since you lose the differential action of the open diff. Baja-type stuff, definately the rear, since the weight will be shifted to the rear of the Jeep and lighten the front giving it less traction.

Good luck!
 
When on an incline when "climbing" where does most of your weight shift to?
With having more bite due to weight shifting to the rear,
I'd say lock the rear.
Again as Phil noted look into how many splines your rear axle has and upgrade accordingly.

Good luck with your descision either way I'm sure you'll be happy and more capable than before.

If you go with the front I would go with a selectable for streetability, and tight parking lots.
 
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