Okay, I have a question about removing an Aussie from a D30 and a Spartan from a C8.25. Bear in mind the Jeep in question is currently running 4.56 gears.

Once the lockers have been removed, can I simply add in stock spider gears for each axle (new washers, pins also)? Or will I have to reshim for whatever reason? I don't have a big knowledge base on lockers/gearing so hoping someone can help me out.

 

no need to shim as long as they are lunchbox style lockers. so, yep, just remove and replace with stock spider gears.
but the front is a little more work. you may have to remove the roll pin, and possibly exchange thrust washers. to get the pin out, you may have to pull the ring gear. not sure with 4.56, if the ring gear is thin enough.

at least with my lok-rite, it was that simple. but i was running stock gearing, and had to remove the ring gear for both installation, and removal. you may or may not need to.

 

If you pull the ring gear, you will have to set everything up again, or at the very least, use the same tools to check it....

 

Okay, that's making more sense now. I think with 4.56 gears you do have to pull it all. Thanks!

 

Are they in good shape? Any interest in selling them?

 

So they're located in a '99 that I'm looking at buying. I don't want them because I need the rig to go up snow/ice covered paved roads and don't want to be white knuckling it the whole time. I would definitely be looking at selling them, unless there was someone in the Portland area with expertise in installing/removing lockers and would take them out and install stock spiders, then keep the lockers.

 

yeah buddy, I'd be no use to you with that, considering I'm a east coaster. Just curious if you were looking to dump.

 

I'll let you know. Seems like buying this XJ just to remove the lockers would be a paint in the butt

 

Unless you pull the bearings off of the carrier and remove or change the shims nothing is going to change.

 

Why do you want to remove them? I have had mine in for a few years and they haven't caused any problems, they work excellent off road and I don't even notice them on the street, other than having better traction.

 

I've been scouring the internet (which is always a very reliable source of info as we all know) and have read a lot about how auto lockers, while great off-road, have poor on-road behavior. I'm speaking specifically about wet and/or slick conditions on paved surfaces. Yes, some people state you just adjust your driving behavior and it's fine, but I live in the PNW where it's constantly wet/rainy and I need the rig to go up slick paved roads. I also don't want to have to explain to everyone who drives it how to drive it safely.

 

Disagree...but you can do things how you want.............

Any time the carrier is removed, there is the chance the shims and or bearings won't go back in the same place, so you should at the very least check it...

 

Well, I've been running them for over 25 yrs now in my DD's, in various weight vehicles with varying power levels and tires sizes................

I prefer them in wet and/.or slick conditions.

A lot of the 'they act weird' info out there is from people not installing and setting them up properly.....but instead just tossing them in in place of the spider gears.

Mine have all been extremely predictable...much more so than open diffs....

 

On the Dana 30 the only way to change the carrier shims is if you pull the carrier bearings off, which isn't easy to do on accident, just make sure the races and caps go back on the same side you took them out of and mark where the ring gear sits on the carrier before you remove it and you are good to go.

 

Have you driven it yet? Mine don't have poor on road characteristics at all, I let other people drive it and they don't even notice the lockers. The Jeep does great in the rain, snow, and ice, but I don't use 4x4 when going above 25-30 MPH in the snow because the front locker can cause it to pull to one side if you are not careful, it is unnoticeable in 2wd and if you are going faster than that you really don't need to be in 4x4 anyway.