I am beginning to build a rear for my XJ. Its a C8.25 29 spline. My purpose for this rig is for it to be able to go anywhere I would be willing to take it. Any season, any terrain. Snow, mud, rocks, or highways. I DD it by choice. It is a second vehicle but I love it. We get 2 ft of snow MAX, and I don't need to take black rated trails so I do not need to go extreme in the rock direction either. I have to consider safety/driveability driving it on the road in the winter too.

So what direction do I go with this rear? And the front too for that matter (front is a WHILE down the road though)

I am thinking: C8.25, new Trac Lok LSD, truss, KJ brake swap

Does anyone have any compelling arguments to go another route? Automatic locker is better in rock but whats it going to be like in snow/ice?

What do you think of my setup I described above and going all out with a selectable locker of some sort (probably ARB) in the front eventually?

 

In snow and ice, the locker will make the rear end get squirrelly if you hit the gas hard and spin, but in my opinion, I'd rather have 2 tires spinning then 1...but that's just my mind set, and it's makes it fun, interesting ride in the snow knowing you can nail the gas and get side ways or bust out a donut...

 

I always tell people to swap in an 8.8 that comes factory with discs, LSD, and 4.10 gears
then up front drop in an HPD30 from a 4cyl xj with factory 4.10 gears and drop in a lunchbox and spicers
this setup would be incredible and cheap with ax15 on 33's

as for the selectable, I like the looks of the eaton elocker over the ARB