I have a '99 XJ Sport with stock axles and I want to get a budget locker. I'm in high school so my budget is pretty small. I know a lot of people recommend going to a ford 9inch etc but that may come later on. I daily drive my XJ with a 3 inch lift and 31s. I am putting on a 4.5 inch lift next week. Air lockers or electronic lockers aren't in my budget. Would it be better in the front or rear diff? I live in Pennsylvania so we get a lot of snow and ice. I've heard mixed opinions of where to put it. Also, I only want to put one in to make it as "daily drivable" as possible while having a fairly capable offroad vehicle. I dont plan on doing extreme offroad but I just want something I can have fun with on the weekends. Thanks!

 

Put it in the rear if you have an 8.25, if not swap a 8.25 in and lock it. Driving in 4x4 with a front locker in the snow is possible but it can be a handful, I wouldn't want a front autolocker in my main daily driver for snow use. A rear locker in the snow is no problem.

 

Aussie in my 8.25, haven't had a need for a front locker yet. Seems to crawl up anything and not effect on road driving in all condition.

 

start with a rear locker first

 

I just stuck a LOKKA in my rear. I have a 242 TC. If I install one up front, it will have be selectable, but that's down the road,,,

 

You can put a auto locker in the front with a 242 transfer case, that's what I have and it did fine with the 242. Full time handled a bit funny on the street but I never used full time anyway.

 

242s lose full time option when you put a lunchbox style locker up front. Over powers the internal diff in the transfer case and eliminates the slip that it is designed to have to allow for road use.

 

No it doesn't the 242 has an open diff inside the transfer case when in full time, putting a front locker in doesn't change that.

 

That's not my understanding. Even stated it in the installation instructions,,,,

 

You don't want to put it in one that has full time all the time with no 2wd option, like the np249 or np247 transfer case. The np242 is fine.

 

The lunchbox locker supposedly over powers the open diff inside the np242 and puts it in part time. That's how most of the research shows. I'm tossing an aussie up front in mine with the np242 and a tom woods sye. I don't see much snow in my state and locked rear keeps me going.

 

That's not true in my experience. I am not even sure how that would be possible, the transfer case doesn't care what differentials you have in the axles.

 

So you can put your jeep in Full-time on dry pavement, make a tight turn, and not have binding?

 

Yes, for example when making a right turn the front and rear lockers will uncouple the outside tires and the transfer case will differentiate the speed between the front and rear axle. The issue is the way it steers, when you are making a right turn the left wheels aren't receiving torque so when you go to straighten the wheel back up it will try to pull you to the left until the locker locks back up again. It would be really annoying to daily drive in full time with a front locker because of the way it steers, not because of binding. It drives normal in 2wd.

 

I have one i'm going to toss in. I've heard mixed reviews so I can't say first hand. But i'll find out soon enough