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is my 8.25 open or LSD?

Red97XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Northern Indiana
I have a 97 XJ, 8.25 rear (29 spline). 3.5RE lift, etc, on 32's. Thinking about going to a no slip locker, I see advertising for the open carrier or Limited slip carrier, how do I know what I have?

Is it hard to take in and out? I live in Indiana (snow and ice) and am thinking about swapping it to open in winter and locked spring/summer/fall...is this doable?

This is my Daily driver, sometimes in winter my wife needs to drive it.

Thanks for your help.
 
Is it doable yes, would I want to no. with the 8.25 its not like a dana where you just slide the shims in under the carrier bearings and you just toss it in, you have to reset your backlash every time you want to take the carrier out and dont get me wrong its not in any way rocket science as long as you have a good set of dials but its not something I wouldnt want to do every season. the last year my xj was a DD I drove through the winter (i live in mass) with a detroit rear and you just have to be careful thats all. and check you axle id tag to see if you have the lsd option
 
if your axle has never been opened up then you have an open carrier, why don't you go with a selectable locker. Off for the street (all the road manners of an open dif) and with a flick of a switch you're locked up. Yes alittle more expensive but I think especially for what you say you want a good choice. I'm running ARB's front and rear and absolutely love them!
 
in my opinion, if your going to lock it do it the right way with a proper locker. if you do spools, you have to do c-clip eliminators and by the time your done you could have bought a cheap locker. a spool is the equivilent of a welded rear end which is what i have. granted its not the best thing to do but i love my 8.8 locked. but a spool will give you the exact same performance for hundreds of dollars more. either weld it or get a real locker!!!
 
Justpunchit said:
Is it doable yes, would I want to no. with the 8.25 its not like a dana where you just slide the shims in under the carrier bearings and you just toss it in, you have to reset your backlash every time you want to take the carrier out and dont get me wrong its not in any way rocket science as long as you have a good set of dials but its not something I wouldnt want to do every season. the last year my xj was a DD I drove through the winter (i live in mass) with a detroit rear and you just have to be careful thats all. and check you axle id tag to see if you have the lsd option


You don't have to take the carrier out to install it, if the cross pin will come out with out hitting the ring gear you can easily swap back and forth. As far as a dana only the 30 and the 44 have shims behind the bearings( aside from the 60's and bigger)....if you can afford it, go for a selectable.....if not just swap it out as you feel you need it, it's not that hard.

Justin
 
I have a lock-rite in my D44. I drove it all last winter and it didn't bother me at all. Just drive cautiously (you should be anyways since it's slippery out) and you'll be fine.
 
mucovich said:
if your axle has never been opened up then you have an open carrier,


SPOBI! A large portion of the jeeps out there are running around with factory limited slips..
 
I have a powertrax no-slip in mine, I'm swapping out for an 8.8 with an auburn ected posi that switches to a locker. I ran my locker in the winter with no problems at all, I just had to put it in 4-hi when it was snowy out. The only thing I didn't like about it was that it ate through tires like nothing, and wheeling in snow-covered trails sucked because it would either hook up and push me straight despite my steering, or it would break loose and slide to the nearest tree.
 
thanks for all the replys! I totally agree that selectables front and rear is AWESOME!! BUT, I don't wanna spend the money right now for selectables, gears, install kits, and labor to do it all.... (1,500-1,800 total?).

I am running 32's and stock 3.55's.... My one bud just stepped up to a really nicely built TJ with F/R lockers on 36" TSL's and my other bud is about to get his new JK Rubicon.... I used to be the "cool" one with the flexy 3.5 RE suspension and the "big" 32" GY MTR's. I am now the guy that will always need a strap following them.....

I was just thinking till I go all out (maybe never, the XJ does so great as is) that a no slip in rear would be a cheap quick fix to get by.
 
try a burn out..


or jack it up and spin the tires. if both of them go the same direction then you have it.
 
yeah if they spin opposite then its open.
 
xjjeeper19 said:
You don't have to take the carrier out to install it, if the cross pin will come out with out hitting the ring gear you can easily swap back and forth.

Yes, if you have a C-clip axle, you can remove the pin first....actually you have to. You should have no trouble installing a lunchbox without removing the carrier and readjusting the backlash.

You may find you don't need to swap it for bad weather. Just get used to how the Jeep reacts in various situations in an open parking lot. It's really not that bad as long as the front is still open.

The 8.25 originally came with a label with the gearing and case. It is (was) a white sticker located on the passenger end of the tube. Otherwise...
The only TRUE way to tell is to take the cover off and look.
Most of the time you can do the "spin" test:
1. BLOCK THE FRONT WHEELS.
2. Jack up the rear axle (both wheels off the ground) and put the tranny in park (or 1st of manual).
3. With the e-brake off, spin one tire.

If the other tire spins freely in the opposite direction, it is open. If there is resistance it has a LSD, the other tire will still spin the other way if enough pressure is applied (it won't with a locker). Depending on the shape of the LSD, the amount of resistance may differ. If it is completely worn out it may spin pretty easy, but I doubt this will be the case unless it's an old/high mileage axle. The 35 in my buddies 87 seemed open, until we took the cover off...
 
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