I'm sure you also pay a bit for the name/rep as well.

You can find deals all the time on used setups, you just gotta look and act quick.

 

arbs are nice, detroits are great too and will outlast your xj.

my detroit doesnt have any airlines or seals in them to go bad after using them alot.
im on 35s with a dana 35 locked and havnt broken a shaft yet so i wouldnt worry about the "added" stress to the axle shafts on the street because if you break an axle because of that you have other issues

 

Does anyone have a cost for airlines? I've never looked into them, but with all this talk, I'm curious.

I'm thinking you can get replacement lines for really cheap. They aren't very large diameter.

 

im not too familiar with arbs but id imagine its something you can get at home depot or something. it cant be that special. only problem i think you would run into is how to connect it at the end

 

They appear to be standard compression fittings.

I'd go look at my truck, but I tore the hell outta my back last night and I can barely walk, let alone bend the eff over.

 

So I'm a complete noob when it comes to this stuff, so go easy, lol. Anyway, if I were to get something like a Detroit locker, but I wanted to keep my handling the same in turns and when on the accelerator for daily driving, wouldn't I only want to put it in my front differential? I say this because the only time I'm using the front dif is in 4 hi or lo, so the locker wouldn't affect handling for my on pavement daily driving because no power goes to the front dif to make it lock, but it would help for when I'm off road when the front diff DOES get power.

Does this make any sense at all? O__o I really have no clue, but it sounds good to me in my head...

 

I've been checking out all the various options for lockers. I currently have LSDs but am going to go to this product myself. http://www.powertrax.com/powertrax/noslip.html I am very familiar with Richmond Gears, I used them in all my race cars and in my street cars. I have confidence that their powertrax units will work just fine for me. The problem I see with air lockers is that you have to have air, lines and the other junk to engage and disengage them. plus they are not even mid range in the dollar catagory.

I like the simplness of these, they allow unlocked turns with no switches, will bolt right into an open diff. Even with my LSDs I can find ways to not have traction, that's why I've been doing research on lockers.

 

If you got the ARB kit you get everything. Just like you'd get all the parts for any other kit.

 

I have ARB's front & rear and absolutely love them. The biggest difference IMO is the 2 types of lockers, lunchbox type, which are considerably cheaper or ones that replace the carrier, which are much stronger.

I have had no trouble at all with airlines. They are 5mm, but I have some extra line in the tool bag and found some quick push-in couplings at Fastenal if I ever need to repair a section.

I was considering the HD lines, but the guy who installed my lockers suggest I stay away. His theory was with the HD lines you could do damage to the bulkhead fitting if you caught a line. With the standard line, it would break or pull out which is an easy fix. Made sense to me.

I've wheeled mine pretty hard for over a year, and had zero issues. If you can afford it, do it.

 

I never thought about tearing up the fittings on the axle housing. Very good point.

But can't some sort of breakaway be made so the fitting isn't the weak point?

Kinda create a weak point that is easily fixed or something.

 

Still nothing on the idea of just a front Detroit? I'm sure it's been done before...

 

Yes, it should work like you assumed.

Sorry, I meant to say something earlier.

 

Not a problem! And that's great news. I'm surprised so many people go with just one in the back, although it's most useful there I'm sure. I do too much city driving to have in back there though...

 

There is some protection, the spring type thing that slides over the bulkhead fitting and I covered mine with a larger hose, and tywrapped it to the control arm, but IMO having the 5mm hose pull out is the easiest fix,or if it breaks off. Simple fix, cut it clean, snap some quick couplings on each end and add a piece of hose. Done.

IDK, like I said i haven't had an issue, so until I do, it's all theory.