Lunch box locker on a daily driver?

olperry29

olperry29

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Hey guys just wanted a little experience advice from the forum, I have a 98 Jeep Wrangler sport 5 speed 4.0 liter and am considering putting a lunch box in the rear of my Jeep. It’s a daily driver and I wheel it’s pretty hard on the weekend. Wonder if anyone can help me out here.
 
Lunchbox lockers are so badly behaved when in the rear axle that I can't recommend one unless your Jeep is strictly for offroad use.

What rear axle do you have, the Dana 35 or Dana 44?
 
I have Dana 35 this is a budget build got about 10 grand in it with the purchase of the Jeep better option to put one up front ?
 
olperry29 said:
I have Dana 35 this is a budget build got about 10 grand in it with the purchase of the Jeep better option to put one up front ?
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Yep a lunchbox locker is a much better option for your front axle. Not to mention a Dana 35 is in no way strong enough for any kind of a locker. They like to bust their axle shafts when either a locker and/or 33" tires or larger are installed onto it.

An Aussie would be a good choice for the front axle. They click/ratchet when making turns on the street in 2wd but it's no big deal. A No-Slip lunchbox locker would be a good choice too. Its benefit over an Aussie is that it doesn't click or ratchet when making turns on the street in 2wd but it's about $100 more. Both install the same way.

This is a friend of mine, I heard her Dana 35 axle shaft break when we were on the trail together last year.

Marianne640x480.jpg
 
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I run an aussie up front... your vehicle capability shoots way up.

As Jerry said above.. aussies will click on the street when turning. I dont mind at all.. but everyone will think your jeep is busted lol.

I wouldnt lock the Dana 35 unless you upgrade it to a s35. Once you do.. get a selectable.

One downside to a lunchbox is when you drive in snow in 4x4... it can get a bit weird. Haven't driven in snow yet with my aussie... but you can find some videos on youtube showing what happens.
 
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olperry29 said:
So maybe limited slip in the back and lunchbox upfront ?
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Limited slips barely do anything at all on offroad trails that are uneven enough to lift a tire up off the ground. How's your budget for a possible upgrade to that rear Dana 35 called a Super 35? That upgrade, which includes significantly stronger/larger diameter axle shafts, means you could run true locker in the rear with up to 35" tires.
 
I could do the kit I’m running 32 x 11.50 6 inch front and rear long arm suspension rear axles moved back about 2 inches how is true locker on the street ? Daily driver
 
olperry29 said:
So maybe limited slip in the back and lunchbox upfront ?
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I was in the same position you were several weeks ago. During my upcoming gear upgrade (3.73 to 4.56 33" tires) I am having a Detroit Tru Trac installed in the Dana 44 rear. I am leaving the front diff. open until I do more driving off road to determine if it warrants a limited slip up front. I live in PA and will be driving in snowy conditions. Too many stories about lunch box lockers delivering steering issues in snow or on ice. For my purposes, the LSD should deliver what I am looking for. Next year at this time I will be in a better position to determine if a LSD is warranted in the front. If so, I will go that route.
 
olperry29 said:
I could do the kit I’m running 32 x 11.50 6 inch front and rear long arm suspension rear axles moved back about 2 inches how is true locker on the street ? Daily driver
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How a true locker behaves on the street depends. When unlocked, selectable lockers like an E-Locker or ARB Air Locker drive normally without issue. An automatic locker like the Detroit Locker is very well behaved on the street after you learn to drive it in a day or two. It just requires neutral throttle through turns to unlock so easily that you rarely notice its presence. They're also far less expensive than a selectable locker, I LOVED my Detroit automatic locker. It's just not a good choice for icy roads or icy trails.
 
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Thanks jerry for the advice I might be coming back with more question seeing is you have allot of experience with tjs I actually live in Mexico City so it’s harder to find parts but will start looking. We do a lot of wheeling around the volcanos outside of the city a lot of budget wheelers and a few high dollar rigs
 
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I have a torx (same company as aussie but a bit heavier duty) lunchbox locker in my front with an open tear diff still. Other than the previously mentioned clicking when turning it has been great on my daily driver. I have driven a lot of miles in 4high in the snow on the road with it and it is fine. A bit of understeer, but once you know what to expect, it is very easy to handle. Off road improvement with the front locker is very noticeable.
 
Jerry Bransford said:
Yep a lunchbox locker is a much better option for your front axle. Not to mention a Dana 35 is in no way strong enough for any kind of a locker. They like to bust their axle shafts when either a locker and/or 33" tires or larger are installed onto it.

An Aussie would be a good choice for the front axle. They click/ratchet when making turns on the street in 2wd but it's no big deal. A No-Slip lunchbox locker would be a good choice too. Its benefit over an Aussie is that it doesn't click or ratchet when making turns on the street in 2wd but it's about $100 more. Both install the same way.

This is a friend of mine, I heard her Dana 35 axle shaft break when we were on the trail together last year.

View attachment 110184
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So I know I'm a few years late, lol, But I just inherited an 0 5-T J no 5-T J from my father who unfortunately passed suddenly in February of 20. I was talked into getting a lunch Box locker on the front stock Dana 30 And mind you this is my daily and I only do moderate wheeling from time to time at this point. I know I have an axle seal I believe passenger side that isn't bad and leaking I do have the new axle seals however, I have not yet put them in and it seems since I've noticed that leak (I unfortunately don't know if it happened before or after the locker was installed March 2021 and notice seal leaking around July 2021.) But I've noticed the locker does not fully disengage if I say get the tires chirping a little bit around a corner incorner in 2 wheel drive it will try to engage and then not fully disengage until I lock it in unlock it lock it and then backup quite a distance! Also my gear oil all is a light Gray color which which I understand is probably got water in it from the axle seal.. I've had some unfortunate Life challenges that have prevented me from doing this maintenance whether paying somebody to do it or me doing it myself which it's gonna end up me doing it, so please don't be too rough on me, any advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA
 
Remove the diff cover, replace the axle seals, look over the lunchbox locker, fix any problems, add new gear oil.
 
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Gray oil isn't great, chirping now and then even in 2wd isn't a huge deal. I'd put spider gears back in and get rid of the lunchbox locker if you can. A good gear shop might have them sitting around, you can probably find them cheap. At a minimum put some fresh oil in there before you drive it much. I've found a lunchbox locker is a huge pain overall, getting rid of it was a such a relief on my Jeep. Used Dana 30 axles aren't too expensive so don't let a shop talk you into an expensive repair on one. You can swap the axle with hand tools, a good jack and jack stands. You probably don't want to do much work on the gear set or locker yourself but some people do.
 
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A front lunchbox locker chirping tires during turns when in 2wd indicates a problem with the locker, that is not normal. It's normal for the locker to make clicking or ratcheting sounds when turning corners but it's definitely not normal or acceptable for a front lunchbox to chirp its tires during a turn when in 2wd. I strongly suspect it has a problem.
 
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pagrey said:
Gray oil isn't great, chirping now and then even in 2wd isn't a huge deal. I'd put spider gears back in and get rid of the lunchbox locker if you can. A good gear shop might have them sitting around, you can probably find them cheap. At a minimum put some fresh oil in there before you drive it much. I've found a lunchbox locker is a huge pain overall, getting rid of it was a such a relief on my Jeep. Used Dana 30 axles aren't too expensive so don't let a shop talk you into an expensive repair on one. You can swap the axle with hand tools, a good jack and jack stands. You probably don't want to do much work on the gear set or locker yourself but some people do.
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Thank you Wildman!! I genuinely appreciate you sharing that with me and I will go into this with much more confidence now. 😉😁
 
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