Opinions on lockers

Gabe1211

New Member
Original poster
Joined
Apr 11, 2017
Messages
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Location
Flagstaff, AZ, United States
I have a 2003 Jeep tj with a Dana 44 in the rear and a Dana 30 in the front I’m not a hardcore wheeler and I daily drive my Jeep I do spend a lot of time in the woods in snow/mud and plan on doing a lot of wheeling this summer in Sedona I want to buy a locker but I dont have a bunch of money to spend. so what’s the pro and cons of air lockers to manual and electronic and should I lock the front or rear? And what do you guys experience with different lockers
 
Welcome to the forum! So, lockers aren't going to be a cheap endeavor. In the front I would recommend an Aussie locker, which fits inside the factory open carrier. For 100 more you can use a No Slip which is quieter but offers no more performance than the Aussie. I have used both, currently use the Aussie, and personally I would put the 100 toward the rear.

In the rear you can run a Detroit locker, ARB, Eaton E locker, etc. If running an auto trans a Detroit locker works very well. With a manual trans they can be a bit clunky and take some getting used to. With any of the switched lockers you do not have that issue since you won't be running it locked on pavement. ARB will need an air source, the E locker runs off the Jeeps battery power. The Detroit will be the cheaper way to go followed by the E locker then ARB.

If you only have money for one, go with the rear first.
 
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You said you drive your Jeep daily, spend a lot of time in the woods in snow...and I see snow in your profile picture.

Based on that I would not recommend an Aussie locker for your front.
For the same reason, I would not recommend a Detroit Locker in your rear.

They can be prone to be a bit unpredictable on snow/ice. There is a good chance you'll find yourself suddenly spinning 180' when you least expect.
But I see Arizona...just how much snow do you get there? Take what I say with a grain of salt considering just how much snow/ice you truly see. Because if you don't get "much" snow, then the above front Aussie and rear Detroit might be very good for you. (The only reason I don't have a Detroit rear is because I DD in snow for half the year).

Can they be driven on snow/ice? Yes. I had an auto-locker in my front for several years, and live where there is usually lots of snow. (although not much snow this year). In the 10-ish years I had an auto-locker up front, it only spun me around once...on the highway...into the other lane...going 15km/hr. Luckily other than a scare, there was no problem.
Now 1 time in 10 yrs is pretty good odds...but all it takes is a vehicle in the other lane, and I'm not alive to type this.
As for the Detroit in the rear - it's a little safer. People can learn how to drive it in the snow once they get used to its quirks. But if it's a daily driver...I'm just saying I wouldn't put it high on my recommended list.

You hear a lot of "I've learned how to handle the Detroit locker in snow - it's fine...but I won't let my wife/daughter drive it." I think that sentence says a lot.
(Then again, I don't let anyone else drive my Jeep regardless of the differential, but that's a different story)

However, if you weren't daily driving and often in snow, then I think the above would fit your bill perfectly.

I personally have TruTracs up front and in the rear. Arguably a selectable front locker is better than a TruTrac in winter...but there are some arguements in the TruTrac's favor there, one of them being my wallet.
Note: TruTracs are helical limited-slip, and not true lockers.
TruTracs are much easier on your axles, snow/ice and wallet. As well as they "don't break" (anymore than gears can break). And they're "always on". Great for daily driving.
Lockers can "break" with an air leak, frozen condensation in the air line, grounding issues with electricity, etc. There are just more variables that can go wrong.

You mention that you are not a hardcore wheeler, so I think the TruTracs are at least worth you investigating.

Their largest con IMO is that they do not work well when 1 of the tires is fully off the ground. Hardcore rockcrawling kind of stuff. This can be temporarily "fixed" by applying the brakes in those situations, but true lockers reign supreme when you are wheeling with wheels in the air. But if you're not "hardcore" 4x4'ing, TrueTracs will pretty much take you through the same obstacles that full lockers would...sometimes even better, such as on twisty trails and off-camber situations.

I'm not a hardcore 4x4'er, and there isn't a place a Rubicon has gone in my group that I haven't followed.
I know there are hardcore rockcrawling places that exist that I probably couldn't follow...but I wouldn't take my daily driver Jeep there anyways...and my wallet is happier.

Rear axle 1st IMO. But note that front/rear TrueTracs cost around the same as a single ARB.
 
Welcome to the forum! So, lockers aren't going to be a cheap endeavor. In the front I would recommend an Aussie locker, which fits inside the factory open carrier. For 100 more you can use a No Slip which is quiter but offers no more performance than the Aussie. I have used both, currently use the Aussie, and personally I would put the 100 toward the rear.

In the rear you can run a Detroit locker, ARB, Eaton E locker, etc. If running an auto trans a Detroit locker works very well. With a manual trans they can be a bit clunky and take some getting used to. With any of the switched lockers you do not have that issue since you won't be running it locked on pavement. ARB will need an air source, the E locker runs off the Jeeps battery power. The Detroit will be the cheaper way to go followed by the E locker then ARB.

If you only have money for one, go with the rear first.
Is this a good set-up with stock 30 and 35?..Thanks...Goin with yer idea of Aussie for front..Branford suggested the same...
 
I have ARB in the rear of my 03 Dana 44. But, not the cheapest route. I mounted my compressor under the hood and use it for filling the tires as well as running the lockers. But, wheeling isn’t a daily occurrence for us so, I don’t think the wear to the compressor is excessive. And as you know, there isn’t an abundance of storage in these things, so having something do double duty is ok with me.


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To @Gabe1211:

Based on the axles you have, where you live, how you intend to use your jeep, if you are going to install a locker in only one axle my recommendation would be a selectable locker such as the ARB or Eaton e-locker in your rear Dana 44. That gives you extra traction when you need it, and when turned off it will be like it isn't even there.

Since your rig is described as a daily driver, I would lock just the rear axle and drive it for a season before moving forward with any plans to lock the front. You may find that a selectable locker in the rear is all you need for what you do and you can spend all that money you "saved" on something you need more.
 
I had a TJ with a Dana 35 in the rear. I beefed up the axles and put in a Auburn E Locker and loved It. Full time LSD and Locker when you need it but, you do have to put stronger rear axles.
 
I had a TJ with a Dana 35 in the rear. I beefed up the axles and put in a Auburn E Locker and loved It. Full time LSD and Locker when you need it but, you do have to put stronger rear axles.

:sifone: