I finally moved up to 33's on my XJ and now I need to regear to 4.56 to get my power back. It is certainly not cheap to do and I had the shop price lockers as well since there is no additional labor to do lockers.

My question is this: My XJ is a daily driver. It has never really seen many trails but I am hoping to change that here soon. I have no intention on rock climbing or doing anything super technical yet.

If I decide that both lockers are too much money, which is better to install over the other, front or rear? Is there really any major downside or advantage to installing only a front vs a rear locker? I am installing a selectable ARB locker. I am not really considering the cost here so I am really only considering if I only install one, is it better in the front or rear?

 

Generally if it sees the road front is better. That way it is essentially unnoticed until 4wd is engaged.

 

He's getting a selectable. Doesn't matter.

OP, what are you running out back? Nothing to indicate what axle you have...That said, if you have a LSD out back, do the front. Other than that it really comes down to what kind of action you want your rig to see. You said you don't have intentions of anything technical YET, but what about down the road? If light action, put it out back if no LSD.

Let me add this...when I regeared, I left everything open. I've been kicking myself ever since. Just recently purchased Spartans, yet to go in. I would have preferred selectables, but that's how the cookie crumbled in my case, but my point is this...if I could do it again, I would have waited, and gotten both front and rear selectables, and cried once.

 

honestly i rather have a rear locker over a front only,But lets think about this do you want to keep your jeep a long time or not?If you want to keep it i would wait save up to do both lockers and gears at the same time.Or do gears a arb front and a detroit locker rear for a budget.Or cheapest lunch box lockers front and gear and new gears.

 

If I could only afford 1 it would be in the rear. Once locked the front steering becomes much harder. When off road I prefer to just lock the rerar arb and wait until I need the front before I lock it. The steering is affected, much more resistance as tire size goes up. I like to get through the obstacle and unlock the front only... but that's just me. Everyone has their own personal preference....

 

I only had the funds for one air locker and a lockright when I built my axles. Here's my opinion...

When I'm out wheelin (which is what I do mostly with it) I will grab the 4wd before I turn the compressor on and lock the rear when things get a little more serious. The steering only gets more difficult when you're on hard surfaces but in sand or mud, you don't even notice. I find that the locked front gets me out of quite a bit before needing the rear locker. If I'm in the rocks, I'm definitely in 4WD. You don't want to push the tires into rocks, you want them to pull themselves over. This prevents punctures. I found this out the hard way just dickin around at Rausch Creek.

As for street driving, you don't notice either locker unless you do a sharp parking-lot style turn then you'll get some clicking out of the front locker. Using two selectables, you'll never notice them. When it's snowy out, I don't really reach for 4wd. The locked front is a bit sketchy and will push the tires through the snow when trying to turn. Understeer.........lots and lots of understeer. Having a front ARB will allow you to use 4wd in slippery conditions without having to lock it. So convenient lol. You can avoid the understeer that I experience from the lockright.

If I could, I would have totally put selectables front & rear. I just couldn't justify spending "selectable" money on a D30.

 

you live in Colorado there's some rock crawling heaven out there. If you get a taste for it you'll be all over the rocks in no time. I say lock front/rear immediately. Or if you're only doing one I say lock the front for rock crawling. Having the front end pull you up and over ledges is much more useful than having the rear push you straight into them.

 

didn't even notice he was in colorado springs. I'd agree with locking the front if you're only going to do one.

 

After reading your post several times I will say this from what I have found with lockers. I ran the same trail with and without lockers in my XJ and after the install in the rear a full case auto locker (Detroit one of the strongest).


After the install I was able to go through places where before I had to use 4wd to make it now only 2 wd. I lived in CO. for a number of yrs. and ran Detroit lockers in my tow trucks both 2 and 4wd ones and used on and off road daily yr. around Denver up to the tunnel. I have no issues with an auto locker in the rear. That is where I would a single if only one is done at a time a full case one and re-gear both when doing that.


For the front a lunchbox locker can be installed without redoing the gear setup so min. labor involved with it plus lower cost. Or if money permits install a selectable locker electric, air or manual.

 

New here. Got a question. This looks like the place to ask.



If I have an XJ with open differentials and install manual lockers on the front end will I still be able to utilize the open differentials on the front when I put it into 4wd, as long as I don't engage the front's manual lockers?

Or when I install the locking differentials will I be gutting the diff. Housing completely of the open end differential gears/mechanisms?

Thanks again for any help. Obviously have almost no experience with this.

 

create your own thread. It's not proper forum etiquette to hijack someone else's thread.

 

define "manual locker." If by that you mean manually engage, as in flip a switch because it's an air locker then yes. You can unlock the front at any time and it will be an open diff again, and vice versa


any other locker will always be engaged in 4x4, you can never go back to open

 

I plan on just running just a rear for now. I have the gears already, just waiting to purchase a locker to install.

Eventually I will put a selectable in the front when funds allow.

 

Apologies

 

.