Have a 2003 Rubicon and intend to regear to 4.56 or 4.88. Question is if and when the Ruby lockers fails, will the revolt on to an elocker? Thanks so much
Rubicon locker re-gear question
- Thread starter sam53
- Start date
revolt? rubi lockers run on air, if the air is cut they don't work, they can never be E (electric) lockers.
if your stock lockers fail and cannot be fixed you could replace them with E lockers if you wanted.
if your stock lockers fail and cannot be fixed you could replace them with E lockers if you wanted.
Think he is trying to ask if the new gears will rebolt onto an elocker carrier.
If that's the question, then yes they will.
If that's the question, then yes they will.
I believe that will only work as long as you buy the 3.55-3.73 e-lockers for a Dana 44. The rubi lockers require thick cut gears. Thick cut gears are meant for the lockers built for numerically lower ratios.
I moved my rear thick cut 4.88 to a different carrier twice. Once from the original locker to another Rubi locker. When that locker also broke, I moved it to an ARB locker.
Never said it wouldn’t work. But he should be mindful of what locker he purchases if he ends up swapping later.
Rubicons come with 4.10's, you won't really see any valuable difference going to 4.56's. Move to the 4.88's. And you will still need to re-set the gear pattern when you go to a different selectable locker.
gasiorv
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When (not if) the LSD fails in that stock rubi rear locker, you better be prepared to buy a new gear set and install kit to go with that new e locker as well. There is a chance that there will be no damage done to R&P as some noted above. I was not so lucky, my R&P and all the bearings got chewed up. I found pieces of metal in every little hidden corner of the carrier. Luckily my axle shafts were unharmed.
So far so good on my 2004 rear Rubicon locker's LSD and it has definitely not been babied. Yes breakages of its geared LSD happen but mine has done a lot of VERY tough rock crawling trails over the years without it breaking. It breaking wouldn't surprise me but so far both of my lockers have been fine. The only problem I've had was a pinhole leak in its rubber locker actuator diaphragm 10-11 years ago.
gasiorv
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Not sure if this is factual. But my experience has shown that the Rear Rubi locker is much more reliable if you leave it locked (when off-road). There is a small group of TJ Rubicon owners that I wheel with and we all had our LSDs fail except 1 and he leaves his locked from the time we start down the first trail to end of day. While the rest of us used to have this macho thing where the first one that had to use their lockers had to wear the pink shirt and first one to use the winch got a unicorn horn. Now, with age I have learned that I purposely installed (or paid for) these parts so that I would not only use them to make it through an obstacle but also to use them to keep me from breaking stuff. So now I don't use my lockers when riding from trail to trail, but I now do lock them before hitting the obstacles, not after I get hung up. It actually makes for an easier day and quicker getting everyone through obstacles when we use the gear we have. I will pull my winch line faster now as well, but still try to give it a good effort before doing so.
The front rubi locker has been very reliable, and I believe that all of us with stock axles are still running it with no issues (knock on wood).
I'm of the school where I lock it up upon getting onto the trail. I leave mine locked unless it's a smooth trail between obstacles or unless I have a very tight turn to contend with. Leaving it locked reduces the strain, especially on its gear-based LSD. I'd never play a game or wheel in a group where the last to lock has to wear some silly colored t-shirt.
I've never broken my LSD so it must work. At least so far.
That was common for years and years (probably due to you and a few others on the other forums which was good because it took care of steering people away from 33/4.10 & 35/4.56 which both blow!) but many have proven to be very happy with 33/4.88 & 35/5.13 on the road. Not saying 4.56/33 is bad (clearly it isn’t, quite the contrary), but the folks generally seem happier going a bit lower these days. I went 33/4.88 and it’s pretty sweet.
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