btm24 Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 so when i go to do my 4x4 convert one thing i plan on doing is "locking up my rear" with either a aussie locker or a detroit locker. I will have a ford 8.8 and this will be on my DD. not sure what the difference is tho (other then the price) lol any thoughts would be nice thanks Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 Subscribed so I too can gain info about these lockers for my MJ that will be a DD. All I know is air lockers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 a full locker replaces the carrier and requires gear setup. this eliminates the stock carrier as a weak point, but costs gobs of money more. a "lunchbox" locker simply replaces the spider gears and requires no re-setup of the ring/pinion gears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 What he said. All of the drop in/"lunchbox" lockers (aussie/lockrite/powertrax no slip/spartan,etc...) install in the original case in place of the open diff's spider gears. This means that you do not have to set the gears back up if you are keeping the original gears/ratio. Detriot Lockers/ARB's/etc... are whole new cases and are probably stornger then the stock case. They require you to swap the gears onto the new carrier and to set them back up. Many times changing gear ratios drastically requires a case change. If you have to replace the case and set up the gears anyway, the savings for a drop-in is not as great. If your 8.8 has a factory limited slip (traclok-sometimes called posi) then you will probably have to go with a new case anyway. Off the top of my head the only drop-in for a LSD is a no-slip for a D44??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted November 18, 2010 Author Share Posted November 18, 2010 i won't know untill i go to pick up the axle in a few weeks. i will however ask the seller if it does have limited slip. Thanks for the clear up and now i know that for a DD i won't ever go with a detroit locker. thanks yall Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 if it has a posi, I would leave it as-is, and look at adding a drop in locker to the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sinkrun Posted November 18, 2010 Share Posted November 18, 2010 I agree with Pete my trac-lock works great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted November 18, 2010 Author Share Posted November 18, 2010 ok maybe i have been miss informed but i thought if you locked up the front the turning would be cut in half and it is not a good idea to do that on a DD? Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmyohn Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Brandon, I went throught a similar situation not to long ago with my 8.8" in the rear of my XJ. I actually had the cross pin bolt come loose, and the cross pin slipped out and snapped in half, taking out teeth on the ring and pinion. No matter what I had to do I had to regear the rear end. So I figured I may as well upgrade if I'm spending the money to regear the 8.8" again. My dilema was what locker to go with. Lunchbox lockers are cheaper, full case lockers are stornger. Both have their pros and cons, you mostly have to decide what works in your budget. One special note about lunch box lockers is the carrier type. Many lunch box locker manufacturers do not make LB lockers for LS (Limited Slip) carriers, which is statistcally what you have. So your number of options are severely limited. When searching for my lunch box locker the only manufacturer I found that made one that works with LS carriers was Powertrax No-Slip made by Detroit. It was a litte pricey, but you can install this yourself in your driveway with basic hand tools. If you want to spend the extra money go with the full case locker, but for my budget and application the Powertrax made the most sense for me. At the time i DD'd my XJ and I loved having it back there on the street and made world's of difference offroad as well. Best of luck, -Brendan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I have an aussie in my KJ now, and I have previously had a lock-rite. I have many friends with no slips. I like my aussie, but the no-slip is much smoother and seems to be the cadilac of drop-ins. My rear D44 is trac-loc. i will eventually add a drop-in to the front and only upgrade the rear when it wears out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 so from what ya'll are saying is having a "lunchbox" locker in the front axle is ok even if the truck is mostly used on the road as a DD? i don't know why some body would have told me differently then :dunno: Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 a front automatic locker should be pretty much invisible if no power is being applied to it (aka 2wd). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 so your saying that i can lock up my front with a aussie locker and drive it on the street with out any problems as long as it is in 2wd? if that is true then what happens when i put it into 4wd with the front aussie locker? i don't want to assume anything and get it wrong that is why i re asked sorry. Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 a front locker can result in turning issues once in a while. it's the trade-off for the insane amount of traction you'll get. but automatic lockers are designed to engage and disengage automatically as power is applied. spools suck. they are engaged 24/7. plus if you really didn't like it, they come right out as easy as they went in. :thumbsup: If you have a posi rear, I say drive it like that for a while. if you find yourself getting stuck a lot, then maybe shoot for the front locker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 what do you mean by once in a while? like when they start to get old? if i put a front locker in up front i want to have very minimal effects on driving on the street since that is what i will use my truck for about 80% of the time. also most ford 8.8's come with the pois? is there a year range i would be looking for? and would it have a pois with 4:10 gears? sorry i don't mean to ask so much but since I'm trying to get so much done at one time i want to do it right the 1st time with out many hiccups. i understand that it would be amazing to lock up the front axle with a drop in locker for wheeling but if my truck is for the most part a DD i don't want the DD'ing part to be affected with a locker. you know? Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 you shouldn't have any issues in 2wd. posi in an explorer 8.8 is pretty random. there may have been some sort of rhyme or reason back in the day, but I don't know what that was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 ok thank you so very very very much pete :bowdown: now I'm down to one ? :D what happens if you front is locked up with an aussie locker and you engage 4 wheel drive? thanks! Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Chief Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Ask the seller if you can get what the tag tag says on the Differential of the 8.8... If it says like 3L73, it's a limited slip, I don't know your gear ratio, just if it has a "L" it usually means limited slip... Correct me if I'm wrong fellow Jeepers.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pioneer Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 engaging 4wd with a locker does the same thing as the rear, locks the axle shafts together, and supplies them with equal power. I agree with pete, leave it open for now. I've heard lunchbox lockers are pretty much invisible up front, but if your going to DD a lot I'd put a selectable in. Only problem is they're big $$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 what happens if you front is locked up with an aussie locker and you engage 4 wheel drive? you drive over small Japanese cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 How do you suspect a front locker,or the vehicle for that matter, would respond to the "Full Time" setting in the 242? My gut tells me, not good :thwak: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepcoma Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I've got aussie lockers front and rear on my street MJ... no problems. You won't ever need 4x4 on the street. I only ever need it with some serious snow conditions, and even then it's basically just to get unstuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 Front lockers under power on dry pavement would probably lead to no turning radius and possibly transfer case chain wind-up. Handling would be adversly effected, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 How do you suspect a front locker,or the vehicle for that matter, would respond to the "Full Time" setting in the 242? My gut tells me, not good :thwak: my gut concurs. :ack: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xjrev10 Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 IMO, I have said it once and ill say it again, I think someone just getting into wheeling should learn how "drive" offroad before they even think about lockers. You will learn so much more about what your rig capable of. (and the lather) I didn't have a locked diff for the last 6 years. I wheeled, 3.5 inches of lift and 31s. It got to be where i could chase TJs around locked on 35s with my little XJ. Everyone thought I had lockers buts nope.. not in that rig. This applies to rocks and trail running to me anyway. Mud-who cares, not much skill involved there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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