• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Welded or Locked?

dethdeks

NAXJA Forum User
Location
canada
i have a 97 jeep xj with a C8.25 3.55's on 31's. im installing a lunchbox locker in the front and am debating about the rear. my buddy says unless im going to go e-locker i should just weld it. i was thinking about lunchbox locking the rear. which is a better options Lincoln lock or lunchbox lock? TIA
 
how much street action you see? you're gonna burn through rear tires on street with a welded rear.
 
You'll know that you welded it !!!
 
Your buddy is kind of an idiot. You shouldn't take his advice.

Doing even a lunchbox in the rear means that you can let off of the gas and turn corners with ease.

Welding the rear every time you go around a corner, you'll be spinning the inside tire, even if you are coasting.

In the rain or snow, the welded rear will push the front and give you at best very unpredictable steering. Again, with a locker you could just let off the gas and easily turn.
 
Its a dd with some offroading every now and again. Im not to worried about tire scrub as im use to it when driving my drift car around. Iv dailyed my welded drift car for 6 months. Only thing is i know the c8.25 is a c clip axle and in the drift world when we weld diffa we also plate them for extra strength. Would i be ok with just plating one side and welding the spiders on the other side so that i can still change axles if i end up breaking them.
 
you daily drive a drift car? interesting.

well, since you're in Canada, your Jeep will be pretty useless on the road driving in winter conditions. Just a bad idea, in addition to the c clip issues.

spend 200 and put a lunchbox in it or leave it open
 
Yup before i got my jeep i dailyed my 92 toyota soarer with a welded diff. And thanks for the info i was kinda leaning towards a lunch box locker to begin with but wanted to get more info before deciding
 
my XJ rear was welded when i got it and i am currently driving it 90 miles a day while my daily is in the shop. while i would prefer a detroit in the rear this rear axle doesnt unload in a corner like my detroit did in my 98.
 
unload as in disengage to an open diff? oh I see, you oversteer to handle a locked rear diff and it disengages, sending you to a fiery death? if thats the scenario, do driving habits affect it or is just part of it?

looking at detroits for upcoming axle upgrade and just curious
 
Last edited:
unload as in disengage to an open diff? oh I see, you oversteer to handle a locked rear diff and it disengages, sending you to a fiery death? if thats the scenario, do driving habits affect it or is just part of it?

looking at detroits for upcoming axle upgrade and just curious

Driving affects it. More noticeable with a manual trans. Not so bad when disengages but kinda weird if you get on the throttle it a corner and it locks up. After a while it feels pretty normal I think. Pretty easy to adjust your driving.
 
Just leave the rear open. A few years ago I went to just lunchbox locking the front (granted I was at near stock height) and never looked back. The front end pulls you over obstacles it seems much easier than the rear pushes you over. In 2WD you basically have open diffs front and rear with the front just making some ratcheting noises when going around corners.

I ran a Lincoln locked rear in in a 00 for about a year and go so tired of it I went back to open diff in the rear and lunchbox up front. It wears out not only your tires faster but your rear leaves as well since you are constantly axle wrapping your leaves ever time you turn a corner as well as slipping tires.
 
Have a lunch box, but only snow I see with the XJ is up on the pass but in my 150, I have a Detroit Locker and a Trutrac for the rear, Trutrac up front. Detroit was for Paragon & what is now Rausch Creek (Tower City/Tremont). For winter driving down in the "flatlands" the Trutrac was dropped in. Now it is a 9" so that makes it rather easy to swap the pigs. But for DDing and mild off roading, Trutrac all the way if you can swing it. With one tire on the ice and one on the wet road you will just drive away, no drama, no carrying on around corners but if you get on it it will drift it like you are accustom to.
 
Trutrac all the way if you can swing it. With one tire on the ice and one on the wet road you will just drive away, no drama, no carrying on around corners but if you get on it it will drift it like you are accustom to.

Love both of my Jeeps Trutracs, they work great in most conditions and are invisible in corners unless you gas it, to intentionally slide the rear.
My 2001's Trutrac has been in use for over a 120,000 miles and is still as tight as it was when new.
 
Just leave the rear open. A few years ago I went to just lunchbox locking the front (granted I was at near stock height) and never looked back. The front end pulls you over obstacles it seems much easier than the rear pushes you over. In 2WD you basically have open diffs front and rear with the front just making some ratcheting noises when going around corners.

I ran a Lincoln locked rear in in a 00 for about a year and go so tired of it I went back to open diff in the rear and lunchbox up front. It wears out not only your tires faster but your rear leaves as well since you are constantly axle wrapping your leaves ever time you turn a corner as well as slipping tires.

I disagree that a front is the best end for the first locker, but locking the front is a good plan for a DD. on my trail rig, locked the rear first it climbed everything effortlessly. with both locked, it really kicks ass
 
Back
Top