Lockers on 1992 XJ

I have a 1992 Cherokee Standard 4.0L I6 HO with 3.5inch suspension lift by Rubicon Express with a rear 8.25 with 27 spline 3.55 gears from a pre-1996 Cherokee not sure what model. I have a Dana 30 from 1988 Cherokee Limited with 3.55/3.54, I did this because I started with a Dana 30 in front and Dana 35 in back both with 3.07 gears because I have the manual transmission not the 3.55 automatic, so the Dana 35 snapped (BIG SURPRIZE) and a 8.25 with 3.55's was put in, so I matched the gears with a Dana 30 from an automatic. Ok. I found an company that makes lockers called AUSSIE. They sell a locker for the Dana 30 for 239.99, good deal, also these are automatic lockers like detriot, but they do not sell a 8.25 27 spline for me, they do a 8.25 29 spline, so I want to lock my jeep up. Help me out with some advice, I'm not interested in spools, or lincoln-lock welding gears. I am running 33x12.50's.
Here is a photograph.

Get the Aussie for the 29 spline, and swap the 27 spline shafts for 29's.

Or get a powertrax for the 27 sp. Might be a little more expensive then the Aussie, but it's pretty much the same thing.

First, Welcome to !

get the Aussie for the front, and for the rear you have two options:
1: buy a 29 spline carrier for the 8.25, some 29 spline shafts, and the 29 spline Aussie locker OR
2: as mentioned above, buy the 27 spline Powertrax locker.

the 29 spline shafts are stronger, and would be an improvement over the 27 spline units, and the Aussie locker is considerably cheaper than the powertrax unit.

A word of caution when ordering Aussie Lockers - Make sure to call and order them and make sure they are IN STOCK on the shelf ready to go - I've heard of some 'shipping' issues in the past.

I have an Aussie locker in my front axle and Love it! it has be 100% reliable for me, and when I needed to get some new springs for it, Aussie Locker sent them to me at no charge, and I bought the locker used!

XJ_ranger said:

First, Welcome to !

get the Aussie for the front, and for the rear you have two options:
1: buy a 29 spline carrier for the 8.25, some 29 spline shafts, and the 29 spline Aussie locker OR
2: as mentioned above, buy the 27 spline Powertrax locker.

the 29 spline shafts are stronger, and would be an improvement over the 27 spline units, and the Aussie locker is considerably cheaper than the powertrax unit.

A word of caution when ordering Aussie Lockers - Make sure to call and order them and make sure they are IN STOCK on the shelf ready to go - I've heard of some 'shipping' issues in the past.

I have an Aussie locker in my front axle and Love it! it has be 100% reliable for me, and when I needed to get some new springs for it, Aussie Locker sent them to me at no charge, and I bought the locker used!

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Alright that's good to know thank you very much ranger, I have one or two more questions, one being are you a moderator or something it kinda seems like it.

the second question, with the Aussie in the front am I going to have any trouble with it locking up in 2wd? A friend of mine said since I do not manual locking hubs it is going to be a problem.

I am going to order the aussie locker for the front and then save up for the rear depending upon what you say. Also would I be able to put the locker in myself or should I trust a shop with that, I'm good with bolts and what not but I have no idea what to do with gears.

Thanks Thomas

hiiamthomas said:

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Alright that's good to know thank you very much ranger, I have one or two more questions, one being are you a moderator or something it kinda seems like it.

the second question, with the Aussie in the front am I going to have any trouble with it locking up in 2wd? A friend of mine said since I do not manual locking hubs it is going to be a problem.

I am going to order the aussie locker for the front and then save up for the rear depending upon what you say. Also would I be able to put the locker in myself or should I trust a shop with that, I'm good with bolts and what not but I have no idea what to do with gears.

Thanks Thomas

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XJRanger is on the BOD(Board of Directors). He is not a moderator in the tech forums, myself and a few others are.

You wont notice the Aussie in the front in 2wd.

I would go ahead and find a 29 spl. carrier and buy some good shafts from Yukon for about a hundred each new. For the front you will have to remove the brakes, axle shafts, carrier, ring gear, ect.. go do the front locker. Here is a write up I did a while back. http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=99710

Ok awesome, thanks everyone for your help! Just for fun give me your 2 cents in what mods I should do next??? =]

well what kind of wheeling do you do?? might benefit from some sliders to protect your rockers before they're destroyed. also, gears would help a ton, such a huge difference. thats a somewhat big $$ thing though, idk what you can/want to spend...whatever you do, just have fun wheelin and being in the jeep! welcome to the forum

I would actually do recovery/skids/protection before lockers.

looks like he's got a front bumper already...but yes, i would agree. protecting what you've got is definitely at the top of the list....sucks regretting not getting skids before other things...ask how i know.:banghead:

CanMan said:

I would actually do recovery/skids/protection before lockers.

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x2, I had a 1st gen 4runner that I had not too long ago, I put a rear detroit in it before I had any sliders or armor and I totally regreted that. I was able to go on much harder trails, but was limited on where I wanted to take it for lack of protection.

5spd_xj said:

looks like he's got a front bumper already...but yes, i would agree. protecting what you've got is definitely at the top of the list....sucks regretting not getting skids before other things...ask how i know.:banghead:

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A front bumper is a nice start. It can have all the tow points it can, but if it just attaches to the stock 3 bolts per side, I would not trust it on a hard pull. Get frame tie ins, either a bumper for the rear that ties in to the 'frame' or a hitch, rock sliders, gas tank skid, TC skid, possibly a trans skid and diff covers/diff guards. If you want to protect the quarter panels, think about THOR guards and maybe some lower door guards.

I already have a 75lb front bumper that has frame with tie ins it's solid
steel. As you can see I don't care a lot for body damage because you can see my cut fenders. I don't really rock crawl I'm more into trails so I'll consider the sliders and diff covers and a winch.
here is my rig on 33's 12.50 I'm pretty sure I want to go down to 32's 11.50 or 31's 10.50

Nice rig!

Whats your reasoning behind going to a smaller tire?

Well, I hear a lot from people saying that 33's are going to break my axles, and what not, I also rub in the front when flexed out all the way, but I could just throw a spring spacer in the front to stop that. what do you think keep the 33's and lift the front up a little, I'm sitting at 4'' in rear and 3.5'' in front.

here is my jeep with 31's about 4 months ago.


and here it is a month or so ago with 33's



FYI: I have a Dana 30 up front with 3.55 gears and Chrysler 8.25 in rear with 27 splines not 29 and 3.55 gears as well, both open diffs.

You'll be fine with that setup. 3.55's are a bit tall, but not bad with an auto. I would do a trans cooler in addition to the stock one to help out.

Ive got 33's with about the same amount of lift 4" or so inches. If you want to keep from rubbing, bumpstop the front and rear. You will eventually want more down travel than up travel, but you will also want it balaced front and rear.

Ive beat on my D30 with stock 260 shafts(new spicer joints with the caps welded on) for 3 years now, with no breakage yet. Another fella around these parts beat his locked 27spl. 8.25 for years before failure on 35's.

Keep out of the skinny pedal, and you should do just fine. If you are worried about it, find some 297 shafts, throw in some new spicer 760 joints, tack weld the caps to the shaft, and carry spares for the front and rear. Locked both ends will aide in traction, and keep you from hammering down and having the chance to break something. But if you are in a bind locked, you'll break also.

You could do an Aussie in the front, and a LockRight in the rear. Or upgrade the shafts to 29spl in the rear, and do an Aussie in both ends. There is a company that makes 4.88 gears for the 8.25 now, and that is the route I would go personally for a cheap, locked, geared set of axles.

The only time you will notice an auto locker (Aussie or any other) in the front is when you threshold brake down into the apex of turn in slick conditions. The inside (unladen or light) tire will lock up first. Any good auto locker will sense this as a slip condition (outside tire is "slipping") relative to the inside tire and cause the the auto locker to kick in which sends all the braking force to the outside tire that is on the edge of traction. This will lock up BOTH front tires, wash out the front end and result in severe understeer.

Its a simple thing to aviod, dont drive your lifted 4WD XJ like you would a Miata or MGB. Drive it like a truck. Brake, steer, accelerate. Dont combine all three or play boy racer and you will be fine with an auto locking front.

John

What do you mean by 3.55's are a bit tall, I don't know much about gearing. I have a 5 spd manual so I should have 3.07 but I grabbed an axle a long time ago when the dana 35 broke and it happened to be 3.55 and that's why I just got another 3.55 axle. So was that a mistake? I think I want to go aussie, but the guy who is building me a new front drive line since my parents thought it was trash and threw mine out, he said ARB but I don't know if he just wants to make more money of an air locker or something.

nosigma said:

The only time you will notice an auto locker (Aussie or any other) in the front is when you threshold brake down into the apex of turn in slick conditions. The inside (unladen or light) tire will lock up first. Any good auto locker will sense this as a slip condition (outside tire is "slipping") relative to the inside tire and cause the the auto locker to kick in which sends all the braking force to the outside tire that is on the edge of traction. This will lock up BOTH front tires, wash out the front end and result in severe understeer.

Its a simple thing to aviod, dont drive your lifted 4WD XJ like you would a Miata or MGB. Drive it like a truck. Brake, steer, accelerate. Dont combine all three or play boy racer and you will be fine with an auto locking front.

John

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hey john, your jeep sounds like something I like, can you send me pictures of your rig, I would like you to give me more info on the chromo axle and what not.