front rear or posi lock?

[soysauce]

Well i know this question has been asked before, but i have heard some conflicting things about this. Now that w2's are out i want to throw a locker in the XJ. I think i have settled on the aussie locker. I feel like it would be smarter for me to lock the front for 2 reasons, one: the d30 is a stronger axle than the d35. And two: it would make more sense to me to pull rather than to push. But i have heard that the d30's dont do well with lockers and that it is very common on a d30 to blow your whole front diff. Im also thinking about just doing a possi lock up front. What is your guys's input?

[sevenslats]

Darrick had a thread on this very recently.

I'd put the $$ toward a rear axle upgrade. And then lock that.

I have 1 locker right now, and it's in the front. While it does help a little on flat ground, it's useless on hill climbs. There's just not enough weight up there for the benefits of the locker to come into play.
Oh, and if you do lock the front, do the posi-lock as well. I believe the Whitlock Version 3 is ready for production.

[soysauce]

Yeah i know derrick had a post on here about that a while ago, but he has a d44 in the rear and i have the d35. Im not to sure about locking the rear just because i know the d35's are notorious for snapping axles. Im not looking to do a axle upgrade yet. I want to lock one or the other of what i have.

[93hummer]

If the front is all that you have in your budget, go for it, except for hillclimbs, it will rock. Right now you are open front and rear, so you have 2 out of four spinning, so if you lock the front, now you have 3 out of 4, an increase in traction of 25%, except when the front end is unloaded (hillclimb). But in mud and rocks, you will notice a huge difference.

Personally, I'd do this, weld the front spider gears if you have a front axle disconnect, then you get the benefit of a locked front for cheap, and can still make it "open" by shifting the disconnect..... not really a selectable locker, but close. Then put like a truetrac or some other type of good "posi" in the rear that won't be as harsh on axleshafts as a true locker, but will give you much better traction than an open diff. The good thing about a truetrac is that you can use the Ebrake to sort of trick it into locking up... it doesn't really lock, but if one rear wheel is in the air and you are going nowhere, you can give it some brake and throttle and get the one on the ground to spin too. The key with this trick is not to give it too much brake.... just a little.

[wagonburner]

hey justin, as you know i have a lock right in my 35 and the only problem i have had was cracking the lock right its self. granted i only have a 2.5L but with 4.88 i put alot of stress on it and it has worked like a champ. i know i will brake an axle in time but they are only like $100 bucks if you do brake it. i think geoff is right if you going to only lock up one end you should lock up the rear, or you can do the whole axle up grade, mel still has that D44 he's selling W/ locker.

[akram]

Lot of good info in this thread. I'd lock the rear. Weld the front as Tony said. Witht he axle disconnect you wont notice it in 2wd on the street and you really shouldn't be driving alot in 4wd on the road anyways. Or if you do want to do an axle upgrade get with me. I do still have the D44 all the stuff and gears for the D30. But seeing as it seems you don't want to do that right now, lock the D35. If you are easy on the go pedal you'll be ok. I try to be but sometimes get on it hard. When I snapped my axle shaft I was in a bad position and had all the weight on that side. I drove the XJ for almost a year before I snapped that shaft. Depending on how long you want to wait I'll have a D35 locked for sale in the not too distant future.

[ziggy]

If the front is all that you have in your budget, go for it, except for hillclimbs, it will rock. Right now you are open front and rear, so you have 2 out of four spinning, so if you lock the front, now you have 3 out of 4, an increase in traction of 25%, except when the front end is unloaded (hillclimb). But in mud and rocks, you will notice a huge difference.

Personally, I'd do this, weld the front spider gears if you have a front axle disconnect, then you get the benefit of a locked front for cheap, and can still make it "open" by shifting the disconnect..... not really a selectable locker, but close. Then put like a truetrac or some other type of good "posi" in the rear that won't be as harsh on axleshafts as a true locker, but will give you much better traction than an open diff. The good thing about a truetrac is that you can use the Ebrake to sort of trick it into locking up... it doesn't really lock, but if one rear wheel is in the air and you are going nowhere, you can give it some brake and throttle and get the one on the ground to spin too. The key with this trick is not to give it too much brake.... just a little.

What he said..

[sevenslats]

.... Depending on how long you want to wait I'll have a D35 locked for sale in the not too distant future.

bingo.

Justin, here's your answer.

[Ronster]

after last weekends trip, I would say that the rear is the way to go. I am thinkinga bout spooling my D44 after I get my D30 ARB in.

[holeski]

I wound not weld the front in a XJ even with the axle disconnect. It will make it a pain to drive on and off-road, but will give a ton of traction. Our XJ’s Dana 30 is welded with the posi-lock and it sucks. The posi-lock doesn’t work well with the welded diff, very hard to engage and disengage. Even in 2wd your driveshaft will always spin, which means more vibes and it always pulls to one side since the driver’s wheel always turns. In 4wd there is no give and turning is next to impossible a locker will at least give some. If you like I will put the front driveshaft back in and let you take it for a ride. We have to put it in right before a run that’s how bad it is.

[akram]

Wow. I didn't realize it was that bad in an XJ. Good thing I never did it.

[holeski]

Yeah Heather almost kicked me in the jimmys. Next front diff in the XJ will be an ARB or OX Locker.

[naturalbornmudder]

interesting read...
Of course I am gonna say an axle swap is the wisest thing, and the most bang for the buck. hwoever, only you can say whether you are ready to take that jump or not.
I also say lock the rear and buy some spare 35 shafts and go for it. I wheeled my Dana 35 carelessly for 3 years without breaking. I sold the axle to AKmark and he broke it on his second or 3rd trip out with it. Maybe it was the motor difference. I dunno.
That axle that Mel runs has ben wheeled for years and years, and roughly too without any breakage. Mel beat it pretty regularly and it lasted all the way till that fateful Banner run...

[AKMark]

I'll cut you a deal on a Detroit EZ locker and 3 spare axle shafts. You might even convince me to throw in a spare carrier.

[STOMPR]

interesting read...
Of course I am gonna say an axle swap is the wisest thing, and the most bang for the buck. hwoever, only you can say whether you are ready to take that jump or not.
I also say lock the rear and buy some spare 35 shafts and go for it. I wheeled my Dana 35 carelessly for 3 years without breaking. I sold the axle to AKmark and he broke it on his second or 3rd trip out with it. Maybe it was the motor difference. I dunno.
That axle that Mel runs has ben wheeled for years and years, and roughly too without any breakage. Mel beat it pretty regularly and it lasted all the way till that fateful Banner run...

I`ll have to call you out on the axle Mel is running It may have lasted when the locker was first put in but once I got it I broke it, in the waterfall at Fbks creek and how long after I sold it to Mel before he broke again ?
D35s SUCK you may be able to get away with it for a while but why build something twice? if you can figure a way to do it right the first time you will be better off. I say buy a matching ratio junkyard 8.8 with disc brakes for $400 and weld it or mini spool it then you can regear/upgrade later if you want to. And Justin I know you said you didnt want to do a axle swap right now but I still had to say what I feel would be the best option SORRY.

[TJVigilante]

good luck getting a junkyard to sell you a disc brake 8.8 for $400...a drum brake non-posi 4.10 ranger 8.8 was $500 and only one salvage yard in town had one.

Not saying you can't find a deal though...

[STOMPR]

good luck getting a junkyard to sell you a disc brake 8.8 for $400...a drum brake non-posi 4.10 ranger 8.8 was $500 and only one salvage yard in town had one.

Not saying you can't find a deal though...

Yea that was my price last time I checked my sources and the had at least one in 3 diffrent ratios

[naturalbornmudder]

just saw this, and John, you are right, I forgot you broke that 35 as well...

[STOMPR]

Theres a 8.8 with drums and the 28?spline (smaller) shafts on the network for sale for $150 FYI

[STOMPR]

Even better just came on

Ford 8.8 out of an exploder. 3.73, 31 spl. $150

http://www.alaska4x4network.com/showthread.php?t=25428

[mousee]

I ran a lock right in my d35 for several years and beat the crap outta' it, with a 4.2L, and not even a groan from it.
If it was me, I would lock right the front and weld the rear.
Spool in the rear is a lot more predictable than locker. Now this is kinda speakin' outta' my ass on the front, 'cause I have not run a lock right in an xj front so... four outta' five voices in my head say it would work good...

[holeski]

I ran a lock right in the silver MJ sold it to Scott when I blew the motor. I also have one pice TJ shafts and it wasn't to bad. A lock right with axle disconnect should work very well.