so i am looking to upgrade with a locker. i can only afford one set for now, so which ones should i get first front or rear?

 

What kind of locker do u want.....automatic or manual? Lots of choices (brands, types, characteristics, etc.). Some are an easy 2 hour install, some are full ring/pinion/carrier disassembly/reassembly. Lots of search info available. Do u have a good understanding of the different types/kinds? The front/rear ? is kinda like conventional or synthetic oil ?. It's a preference/what are u going to be doing thing. Nothing like getting u r ? answered with a bunch of ?s.......sorry.

 

kind doesnt matter get a rear, when you climb up something the weight is loaded onto the rear end and the locker will be more useful there. also if i could go back id get a selectable locker for the front and a auto for the rear,
i have detroits front and rear and turning sucks when the front one locks up

 

rear is a lot easier to install. you can do that just by removing the spider gears and fiddle the locker pieces in the carrier.
that's why they're called a lunchbox locker, it can fit in your lunchbox and can be installed during your lunch break.

the front will require you to pull the carrier and remove the ring gear to get the roll pin out. a lot more work involved there.

as mentioned, get something like a lock-rite for the rear and a selectable, either cable, electric or air locker for the front. you want to be able to shut it off for tight off-camber steering without it locking up on you.

 

i forgot about cable lockers iv heard nothing but good about the cable lockers like ox lockers. you might want to check them out.

 

so auto in the rear and a cable in the front? good combo?? thanks for the replies!

 

yes, but don't get confused with the "posi-lok cable". it is not a locker, it is a devise that only replaces the vacuum motor shift lock (CAD) to act as a manual hub disconnect. these are generally 200 dollars.

you want to look at ox locker, generally 1000 dollars.

a cheap and reliable auto locker is a lock-rite that is generally around 300 dollars.

 

i have a Detroit locker in the back (kinda harsh on street driving) and a Detroit tru trac up front, i simply love my front locker. i don't even know it is there till i put it in 4x4. it is so quiet and smooth, and i still get a full turning radius. the Detroit out back can be harsh on road and the back lash takes some time to get used to but i love it offroad. works like a full spool all the time when power is applied to the tires!

 

The Tru-Trac isn't a locker, it is a torque biasing differential that transfers between 40% and 60% of the torque to the tire with the most traction. That said they work really well in a front axle situation.