LSD vs lockers vs nothing

[Caledonian]

I have a frustrating 2 months waiting for my 2004 TJ 40 auto (Japanese spec) coming from the Land of the Rising Sun..

So while I wait I'm an arm chair theorist.

Looking to a future point and this falls into the 'because I can not because I need to' camp..

The 4.0 Sport comes with 30 Dana front axle and a Dana 44 rear with some form of factory LSD.

My likely use is tarmac road pottering, forest tracks and the odd muddy lane /track plus snow when we get it bad here in Scotland.

I have a Quaife LSD fitted to my BMW Z4 and very impressed with it (I know different car/environment)

Question

1. Do I do nothing as the current set up is more than upto it
2. Refurb the rear LSD (TJ has done 50k miles , doubt much abuse/off road work)
3. Fit a LSD to the front axle
4. Fit a better LSD to the rear axle
5. Fit a locker to the front
6. Fit a locker to the rear

Comments please?

 

[Darkwing327]

Drive it first....and only put in upgrades as you prove to yourself you need them.

I put ARB lockers front and back on mine before I ever began going offroad and found out after the fact that these things are VERY capable in stock form.

 

[JMT]

Do nothing for now.

 

[Steel City 06]

If you don’t have an explicit need, I would wait for now. However, if you’re already going to be doing differential work like a regear, then it may make sense. Adding in lockers during a regear is only a small amount of additional work over the regear alone.

 

[Goatman]

As above, drive it. Fix what needs fixing. You may never need more than what is a stock TJ. Having a LSD already is a big help. No need to worry about it till you know if it works. For a bit of muddy trails and mostly pavement stock axles with decent tires is probably all you will need.

 

[jeepguy03]

+1 to what the others said about driving it first to see.

It really depends on what kind of driving you will be doing. Lockers will always provide more traction especially in high torque low-speed applications like rock crawling. A LSD allows for some slip.

Also take into account that the clutches in an LSD wear out over time. I have the factory LSD in my Dana 44 as well, and with 160k miles it doesn't seem to be doing much anymore.

 

[qslim]

Same as the above, just drive it for now & see how it does. I'm just doing upgrades now after having driven mine for two years as it was getting a feel for what I thought it could benefit from based on how I used it.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Also take into account that the clutches in an LSD wear out over time. I have the factory LSD in my Dana 44 as well, and with 160k miles it doesn't seem to be doing much anymore.

True for the Tracloc clutch pack, its pack wears out around 45-50k miles so yours has certainly not been helping you at all for a long time now. But not true for the gear-based Truetrac LSD which doesn't use a clutch pack, it will pretty much last the life of the Jeep. And it needs no additives either.

 

[YonderNorthwest]

And it needs no additives either.

This. First time I changed the Diff fluid on my factory LSD, I did not know about this point, and ended up destroying mine. Went to an open diff in the rear for about 10 years, and have since finally gone to Truetrac LSDs. Be sure to do your research before/if you decide to rebuild or service your factory LSD.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

This. First time I changed the Diff fluid on my factory LSD, I did not know about this point, and ended up destroying mine.

The lack of a friction modifier doesn't hurt them, it just stops them from working as a LSD. Also, most GL-5 gear lubes already contain the friction modifier additive, it's the rare gear lube that doesn't contain it since the additive is compatible with all axles with or without a LSD. Something else probably caused the damage.

 

[YonderNorthwest]

The lack of a friction modifier doesn't hurt them, it just stops them from working as a LSD. Also, most GL-5 gear lubes already contain the friction modifier additive, it's the rare gear lube that doesn't contain it since the additive is compatible with all axles with or without a LSD. Something else probably caused the damage.

Hmm. The next time I opened it up, all of the diff fluid was silver, and I assume that was from the gears being ground down. You think it could have been that I used the wrong gear oil?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Hmm. The next time I opened it up, all of the diff fluid was silver, and I assume that was from the gears being ground down. You think it could have been that I used the wrong gear oil?

If it was a GL-5 gear lube it was the right gear lube so it would not have caused that. Just know that wouldn't have happened simply from the gear lube not having had the friction modifier additive. If it didn't... though odds are good it did.

 

[jeepguy03]

True for the Tracloc clutch pack, its pack wears out around 45-50k miles so yours has certainly not been helping you at all for a long time now. But not true for the gear-based Truetrac LSD which doesn't use a clutch pack, it will pretty much last the life of the Jeep. And it needs no additives either.

Yup, sorry should've specified I was talking about the factory Tracloc, since the OP has the same.

 

[YonderNorthwest]

If it was a GL-5 gear lube it was the right gear lube so it would not have caused that. Just know that wouldn't have happened simply from the gear lube not having had the friction modifier additive. If it didn't... though odds are good it did.

Fairly certain I used MTL Redline. Could be wrong. That was about 13 years ago now.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Fairly certain I used MTL Redline. Could be wrong. That was about 13 years ago now.

Redline MTL is a GL-4 transmission lube, though Redline does also make GL-5 gear lubes suitable for axles.

 

[UKTJ]

I have a frustrating 2 months waiting for my 2004 TJ 40 auto (Japanese spec) coming from the Land of the Rising Sun..

So while I wait I'm an arm chair theorist.

Looking to a future point and this falls into the 'because I can not because I need to' camp..

The 4.0 Sport comes with 30 Dana front axle and a Dana 44 rear with some form of factory LSD.

My likely use is tarmac road pottering, forest tracks and the odd muddy lane /track plus snow when we get it bad here in Scotland.

I have a Quaife LSD fitted to my BMW Z4 and very impressed with it (I know different car/environment)

Question

1. Do I do nothing as the current set up is more than upto it
2. Refurb the rear LSD (TJ has done 50k miles , doubt much abuse/off road work)
3. Fit a LSD to the front axle
4. Fit a better LSD to the rear axle
5. Fit a locker to the front
6. Fit a locker to the rear

Comments please?

So, yet another dumb question or two. What is it that signifies the rear Dana 44 has an LSD and / or do all Dana 44s in the back of TJs have this LSD? Please be gentle with me during my education.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

So, yet another dumb question or two. What is it that signifies the rear Dana 44 has an LSD and / or do all Dana 44s in the back of TJs have this LSD? Please be gentle with me during my education.

Unless it has been removed, the only indication visibly apparent when there's a Tracloc present inside your Dana 44 is a small steel tag bolted onto the side of the diff cover, it is normally up around the 1 or 2 o'clock position.

 

[Cheetokps]

Unless it has been removed, the only indication visibly apparent when there's a Tracloc present inside your Dana 44 is a small steel tag bolted onto the side of the diff cover, it is normally up around the 1 or 2 o'clock position.

View attachment 220422
View attachment 220423

Would this be listed on my jeep's build sheet online? I looked it up once and thats how I found out I have a dana 44 in the first place

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Would this be listed on my jeep's build sheet online? I looked it up once and thats how I found out I have a dana 44 in the first place

Yes but all you have to do is go look at the axle to see if that tag is there.

 

[Modoc Guy]

I was just reading about the Eaton Detroit Truetrac's. Are there ones that fit our Jeeps?

Eaton's website mentions how they work, and they sound like they might be a decent alternative to full lockers.