not enough money to do new axles with lockers at the moment but i want lockers. any sugestions? with out welding the gears. already have them stuffed with 4.88's

 

I'd suggest you let it be for the moment if you have a Dana 35. If you have 35s on it as your signature suggests, putting a locker in it will almost certainly grenade the axle.

 

You asked for D35 and 8.8 locker advice ? Which one do you have? I'm guessing there is a typo here? If you have an 8.8 in the rear and a D30 in front, then just go with an Aussie or a Spartan in both. Upgrade the axle, shafts later. Even with stock shafts on 35" tires, you should not have any trouble getting around the trails. As long as you go flying around like a madman.

 

I have a Dana 30 with PowerTraxx No-slip locker and I LOVE it. It is engaged by the centrifugal force of 4WD. When in 2WD it behaves as an open differential. The only time I can tell it's there is on sharp turns it clicks. It's more expensive than a true locker but cheaper than an air locker, especially if you don't have an On-board air system.

I have an 8.8 limited slip differential and LOVE it too. While not a conventional locker it provides enough traction to go anywhere I want and has street manners to boot.

I consider this the best set-up, for the money, for a daily driver that sees trails on the weekend.

 

What's the definition of a "true locker"?

 

Ok, I'm confused also, don't understand why OP is asking for Dana 35 and 8.8 info. Maybe he meant Dana 30 and 8.8 axles?
lthixsom, also as djb asked, what do you call a true locker, most people call the Power Trax type lockers, lunch box lockers, and the lockers that replace the carrier a full locker. Since both are auto lockers both are true lockers.

 

Maybe a true locker is a spool?

 

.....but a spool is not a differential and a locker is. The OP said he didn't want to weld the gears (eliminate the differential).

 

i did mean D30. sorry about that. i was leaning towards the limited slip. and i was just wondering if anyone has any problems or anything. thanks for the help guys

 

on our later xjs the long side of the front axle is 1 piece. it makes a standard locker kinda suxk to drive..i know some will argue...i would highly recommend a selectable in the front and a lunchbox in the rear or swap out full carrier...you said you have 4:88s already???? you can't do that on stock carriers unless the sell thick cut gears for the 30 and the 8.8..little confused

 

Do you have a Ford 8.8 rear axel or a Chrsler (Jeep) 8.25? Either way I would go any lunch box locker, if money is the issue or look at a Cable actuated OX locker. With 35" tires I would do heavy duty axle shafts before locking especially in the rear. The U-joints are the weakest part of the front axle, they should break before the shafts.

 

If the rear is a later year Explorer 8.8 it has 31 spline 1050 axles which will be plenty strong enough for 35s.

 

you guys crack me up. a 35 is fine just dont floor it when the wheels start hopping.
iv got 35 inch tires on mine with a dana 35 and i run a detroit locker in the rear with no problems. i vote lock it til you can afford a new axle.

 

I guess you must laugh lots then because most guys understand that if you do hard climbs with the Dana 35 you will break an axle sooner or later. Of all the axles I've seen broken in over 35 years of doing this 65-75% were Dana 35s, and most of those were running 31s and 32s with very few of them locked. Good luck with your axles, I hope you carry spare axles, and a way to get your XJ to somewhere safe to change them.

 

ok, heres what i have going on. its on 35s with a custom 8" long arm and the stock running gear except for 4.56 not 4.88 gears and a slip yoke eliminator. i bought it from my buddy cause he needed money and he had bought it from some college kid with daddys money and no brains. said he never took it off road and he just wanted to look cool. i bought it 2 years ago but im in the navy and havent had much time to do anything but put it on a trailer when im home and go wheeling. i was told it had an 8.8 rear and after thinking about it and reading this it cant be true. i know its a chysler rear so it has to be the 8.25. sorry for all this confusion, im over in the gulf right now so its kinda hard to look at it. thanks for all your help guys.