Originally Posted by PocketsEmpty

That was the way someone else described the full-time feature in another thread that made sense to me.

Originally Posted by chefys95xj

Hi there people, i have a few questions to ask on this topic. i own a 94 xj and it has a D30F straight tube in it and I'm having issues with it not applying equal amounts of drive to both wheels,so for me to eliminate this issue is buy installing a locker,is that correct?

Originally Posted by sycoglitch

Not fully exactly. The np242 has a viscous coupler which allows a difference in speed between the front and rear wheels. This allows you to drive in full time on dry pavement and not bind up cause the wheels are all trying to go the same speed. Secondly, when the np231 and 242 goes into hi or lo yes it sends power to all the wheels but not like a locker. If you have open differentials, like most stock jeeps have, and a rear and front wheel come off the ground, since Those have the least "resistance" they will spin freely and the tires on th ground will just sit there. Now if you have a locker then if a tire comes off the ground, the locker "stops" the resistance and transfers it to the other tire so they both spin at the same time on that axle only. So if the rear is locked and the front isn't and the front comes off the ground, hope your tires in the rear have enough traction to push you forward. Now my fingers hope so hope this cleared up everything. Oh and locking hubs just lock the "rim", in reality the hub, what it's attached too, and the axle that goes into the pumpkin. Unlocked hubs just spin the hubs and tires. D30 and all late year Cherokees hAve one piece hubs

Originally Posted by SeriousOffroad

Viscous coupler? In a 242?

No sir, it does not.

Originally Posted by cherokeelaredo'90

Oh okay that makes sense. So the stock hubs aren't auto locking hubs, but rather always locked hubs. And then the transfer case is ultimately what decides if power should go front and rear or only rear. That makes sense then. So people with the np231's front driveshaft spins as well? Cause I read somewhere that the np242 was the only one that did that..

Originally Posted by SeriousOffroad

Viscous coupler? In a 242?

No sir, it does not.

Originally Posted by sycoglitch

The np231 the front dS spins when the front tires spin.

Also as for you TC comment. With the np231, I want to say this right for ya, the same amount of power goes to all the wheels during normal driving, on loose only surfaces of course. The np242 has the hi/lo settings but in its 4 full time the wheels still has the same power however the front can spin at a different speed as the rear so making turns on dry ground won't bind the TC

Originally Posted by Motiv8er

(banging my head against the desk....lol)

So, if I had an autolocker in the front, would having locking hubs be a way to take away the negative aspect of the autolocker? Meaning, if I unlock the hubs, then there would be no ratcheting while driving around town?

Or for the cost/expense, would an air locker do what I want?

Originally Posted by crdude

If you had manual hubs, you could unlock them and drive normally with a locker. Even with the tcase in 4wd, with the hubs unlocked you could turn without binding. The axle shafts would spin at the rate the tcase spins them, but would have no effect on the wheels what so ever.

as for the air locker I would compair prices, manual hub conversion + locker or just buy a air locker...


Personally I would go air locker.

Originally Posted by chefys95xj

would the same problem apply with D30 that has a vacum motor on it? or is tht just so one axle will disconnect for better mileage?