An interesting video that compares front vs rear vs both.
Front Locker vs Rear Locker vs Twin locked Differential - Off Road test comparison
- Thread starter Alex01
- Start date
A few years ago, I ran a season and a half with just a front locker and rear LSD. I was often surprised by where the Jeep would go.
The guy I wheel with the most ran this for a long time until the spiders grenaded. He goes places I can’t because he’s not afraid to destroy his Jeep at all. He’s having his Dana 44 rebuild with a full case right now. Excited to see what he breaks next.
crewchieh25
New Member
I have a 8.8 LSD rear and open dana 30 front. Been thinking about a Torq Locker in the front. What can I expect with snow covered road driving? Will it act like a front wheel drive car?
Yes and no.
It’ll pull like a fwd does in the dry. But remember, both wheels are pulling equally. So it’s more like a fwd w/lsd.
I've got a lunchbox in the front (Dana 30) and open 35 in the rear. We've had snow for the past couple weeks, and it does take a little to get used to. Snow means slow for me (in whatever I'm driving) - if you are in a hurry go around, best I could tell ya. Some of our back roads are bad with just a hard rain, much less 6" of snow.
I stay out of the throttle for most turns, picking back up when I straighten out. I keep both hands on the wheel - she's surprised me more than once, and that's not a good feeling on a 180 deg switchback headed downhill.
I stay out of the throttle for most turns, picking back up when I straighten out. I keep both hands on the wheel - she's surprised me more than once, and that's not a good feeling on a 180 deg switchback headed downhill.
It will not act like a front wheel drive car. It takes time to get used to having a full locker in the front on snowy roads.
I have full lockers front and rear in my Jeep and my old chevt truck. The key is to slow down as already mentioned.
I have an Aussie lunchbox up front in the Dana 30 and a good working LSD in the rear 44. I don't normally drive it in winter but if I did I would likely stay out of 4wd on ice because if the front locked (acceleration only) she might tend to steer straight on a curve. (But note the big if's there). I love this combination- its low cost, its simplicity, it's effectiveness. Seems great over wet trail rocks and is great in really deep snow in spite of only running 31's.
The only drawback is that i tend to stay out of 4wd on dry trails with good footing going up hill to keep stress off of the front locked axle. It is probably stronger than I fear.
The only drawback is that i tend to stay out of 4wd on dry trails with good footing going up hill to keep stress off of the front locked axle. It is probably stronger than I fear.
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I ride a lot on the West VA, VA line. I can get to Covington from Harrisonburg and not leave gravel (Rt 33 to Rt 39) - not hard trails, really, but a good weekend ride if you like detours, lol. "Take the Fork, Luke." Being solo a lot means I will allow discretion to be the better part of valor and go around some paths.
I haven't been much south past Roanoke...
What I see is the ability to choose between the 4 different drive modes is the best setup, you have all the bases covered.
Don't shit your pants if you have one front tire on dry pavement and the other on ice when you go to hit the brakes, it sounds like the front diff is coming apart with a lunchbox locker. I have one in the old cj from the mid 90's. Worked great just had to understand it's limits. Tim
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
What I see, is if you can only afford one, the front is a better choice.
If you have both, then using both would help distribute the stress.