2nd Gen Montero Rear Locker Swap?

[Amak4Christ]

Hello all! First post here...and I must say, y'all have been so helpful to me in the knowledge and tips you have shared on this forum! Thank you much!

Question for all of y'all Monty-savvy gentleman:
I recently acquired a 1996 Montero LS for a ridiculously low price (such a blessing!) and am looking to get it set with some basic gear to make it a bit more capable off-road...which leads to my question: is it possible to swap in an axle carrier assembly or even just the innards from a SR locking rear axle into my LS's rear axle?
I figure it shouldn't be too hard to find a rear carrier assembly from a junkyard if it indeed fits my application. I'm also working with a lighter budget but am willing to do as much mechanical labor as is necessary to get a locker on the rear.

(This topic may have already been covered in previous posts but I haven't been able to find the answers I'm looking for in the archives...)

BTW...
I believe I have the 4.88:1 open gear set in the pumpkin from the factory, but I could be wrong. I'm away from my car for another week so I won't be able to confirm until then.

Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated!

 

[scrubber3]

I have done this on my 95 LS. Swapped the rear and front for the blessings the SR had to offer. It's just and easy axle housing swap. Just remember to pull the air pump and drive shaft from host vehicle. Also, if you want it to look and act factory, pull the pump module and switch as well. (I didn't bother as I just used my own switch and without the module I have more control over when I lock the rear.)

The factory axle ratio should be around 4.62 for both the SR and LS. I drove mine a good bit with just the SR rear without issue. Only running 4wd whilst offroad. Having said that, I did end up swapping the front with an SR. If you do that just remember to get the driveshaft and axles off of host vehicle.

It's best to do both of these jobs with the help of another competent person. I say that because I did mine by myself on the ground. I haven't cursed that bad since.

Hope this helps.