I'm in a bit of a conundrum. I'm getting my 99 XJ (manual tran) re-geared to 4.56 shortly and am deciding to go with either a selectable ARB locker, or save some money by going with a truetrac or a trac-loc posi. Now, here are my questions.

The jeep does 95% street driving and, when off-roading, sticks to intermediate trails. I do drive up to the mountains often, and have to deal with icy roads during evenings. I can't have a system threatening to throw me off the mountain.

If I were to choose only one, which one should I go with? ARB locker to the front? Or one of the posi (or the locker) to the back?

If I were to do something to front and rear, would I put the ARB in the front and the posi in the back?

All feedback appreciated.

Cheers!
Ryan

 

I would do a limited slip rear and an ARB front, and only engage the front if required.

 

X2 I would do the same

 

i would do lunch box front and arb rear. the lunch box will only engage while youre in 4wd and obviously the arb, only when you want. limited slips are a waste of money imo.

 

lunchbox is ok, but selectable in the front would be ideal. Especially when you start to talk about snow and ice. I have had plenty of instances where the jeep didnt want to turn and only push the front tires because of the lunchbox locker. It will also torque steer in 4x4.
The limited slip in the rear is really ideal, because all of the time spent off of the trail, the jeep will drive just about the same as it did stock.
The idea of a limited slip is in the same theory as a lunchbox locker. Driving force applys pressure against the side gears, instead of having locking gears, it is providing pressure against clutches. As long as said clutches are in good condition, on a small tire, it will perform just about as well as a locker.
In a hardcore situation, where you have one wheel bound up, than it will most likely slip the clutches, where a locker would stay engaged. But it doesnt sound at all like this is the kind of driving you will be doing. Otherwise its the perfect compromise for a mostly street driven vehicle. No ill effects on the street.
Obviously cost is the only downside, but if your asking about selectable from the start, Im sure its not an issue.

 

First, don't know of differential that would through you off the mountain. I'm running a Detroit locker in the rear and a E-Locker in the front, they work good together and let me drive on the highway and in the mountains. ( works good in 2-3 feet of snow )
A LSD is a waste of money, and don't do much on the road and are next to useless offroad.

 

X2. I have a Detroit Soft Locker(what a contradiction of terms!) in the rear of my other Jeep and an Aussie Locker in the front. Works great in snow, but when it turns to ice, I wish I had gone with a selectible locker in the front. It tends to not want to go where I point it. Cecil (the wife names all of our vehicles), the new to us XJ will have a Detroit in the rear and a E'tec in the front. Of course if money is no object, ARB front and rear is awesome!

 

For what you describe as your driving habits I would go with the limited slip in the rear and selectable (ARB) for the front. The comment about a locker 'throwing him off the mountain' refers to having both (or all 4) tires locked when driving on the road in slick conditions... a condition where you WANT at least one of the tires just maintaining contact instead of spinning. This is one of the main reasons car manufacturers don't put full-time lockers in vehicles that are driven on the road - it's actually more dangerous. Now having said that - of course we all want full power to all 4 tires when we are out there past the road (mine is a great example of overblown full-on radical traction, but does not get driven on the street), or snow-bashing, or mudding, etc; but that's not where you are going.