Opinions on OX locker with Super 35 kit
- Thread starter papasjeep
- Start date
It’s unrelated to the locker. It’s linked to the gears themselves. The whole diff housing is designed for the fluid flow, heat distribution, etc...I’ll look for the Banks video.
Not when driving off-road, there’s slippage. I’ve driven a rear spool on-road for 3 weeks. I know what it feels like and how it behaves and how the tires wear and how to drive it. If your axles can’t handle the minor stress off-road, you better get a much stronger axle.
But wouldn't changing out the internals in the diff change those dynamics?
By installing a locker, especially with a fork protruding from the diff, the original fluid flow changes.
Therefore, the new design may be more conducive to better fluid distribution.
I'm interested in reading that Banks report.
Of course, if it’s running with the Ox and they set it up that way, I wouldn't worry about it. I’m just bored and finding something to do which is talking to my TJ friends out there.
I think for many having a selectable locker makes driving on snow and ice easier becasue as you said you can turn it on and off. There is good & bad to using a locker on the street which is part of the reason (I could be wrong) why they came out with them. I remember when the ARB was first offered and all the articles about it. I only use mine on the street when it's REALLY REALLY nasty.
I am one of those people who drives on the trail with my lockers off until I need them.
Why? Well correct or not it was explained to me that driving down a trail with your lockers engaged all the time causes more damage than driving with them disengaged. I asked how this could be true then because wouldn't auto lockers then be ripping up the trails? The person who was explaining this said that the way auto lockers works is less like a spool which is why it doesn't do as much damage. Since I support the Tread Light way I of course don't want to do anymore damage than needed. My other reasoning behind running unlocked until needed is for the challenge. If I stay locked up when ever I am on a trail I don't get to see how far I can make it before I need to use my lockers. And isn't trying to concur the obstacle part of the WHY of 4 wheelin?
Some of the trails up here in the PNW are spread out and many of us do run in either 4HI or 2wd and then shift back into 4lo when we get to an area that requires 4wd. I was not a huge fan of the OX lockers when they first came out but a lot of that was due to me having to work on a friends TJ that she had installed OX lockers into. The dang nab cables were always causing problems and I don't remember how many times we had to replace the front cable due to routing issues.
I like the new air activated option for them since it does away with the cable problems.
Which locker or style is no different than Chevy vs Ford or Manual vs Automatic. We all choose which one we can afford at time and which one fits the type or style of wheelin we are doing then.
Ok, overanalizer extraordinaire.
. Really I agree. Where I wheel now there is no need to wait till I need my lockers. Could I get by without them? Yeah, on many trails. But the trails I want to run require them. That’s why I have them. If I were staying here I would have gotten a Detroit in the rear. When I move to the PNW sometime this year, I’m sure I’ll see very different trails and I’ll understand better about leaving them off and only turning them on when necessary. As it is I have a PowerTrax up front, so I can’t turn it on and off except by going into 2WD. The rear is selectable Eaton ELocker. Thanks
JMT,Ok, overanalizer extraordinaire.
Where are you moving to in the PNW? I've never wheeled in Texas so I can't compare anything to there.
I use to run a Detroit locker in my rear and a LockRite in the front and it worked real well up here. The only reason I have ARB's now is becasue when I bought my rear axle it there was a ARB in it so when I was building my front axle I just went with another ARB for it too. There is a lot to be said for an auto locker. Put it in a forget about it. It is always there and you don't have to remember to turn it on.
Welcome to the PNW.
Spokane, WA.
Here’s a taste of the terrain here.
Limestone ledges, loose rock, creeks and mud at Hidden Falls
Granite, near Katemcy Rocks (aka Little Moab)
The terrain that we are on changes from tight twisting forest trail climbs to rock climbing with some water and or mud thrown in. This is the first time I've heard "when you are in 4wd you should be locked".
I don't have a Rubicon, but I've never read anything about a problem running them in 4low without the locker on.
Ok, it was a problem with running a Rubicon hard in 4H without the locker on. Here’s the thread and mrblaines comments. You probably know about this. The fix is the switch to allow you to turn on the Rubi’s locker in 4H. The danger is ruining the gears.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...-off-roading-leading-to-it.19402/#post-315101
I rarely use my lockers when spending a full day on the trail as my turning ability decreases and I figured it is additional wear on the OEM lockers. When I approach a challenging hill or obstacle I often engage the rear but rarely need the front. Granted I don't have the 4H bypass but even if I did I wouldn't run with lockers engaged full time.
ErikOffroad
TJ Enthusiast
The difference here is where u go wheeling at. I’ve been to the badlands in Indiana and made it through a lot of trails in a stock yj. I moved down here to Texas and let me just say the rocks are bigger in Texas. U go into any trail labeled higher than a 4 in difficulty u best have a locker or a winch.
ErikOffroad
TJ Enthusiast
Yep, mostly wood trails, a few small rock gardens but nothing too crazy. may head to badlands this weekend if the rain holds off. I have both a locker and a winch, the lockers do help me hang with bigger jeeps. If your in an environment like the one I’m in there is no need for a locker to be engaged for 85% of the day.