Is this the right locker for me?

[Verbalkint99]

I have been searching forum after forum and have called local shops and keep getting conflicting info, so...I am going to just post my situation and stt if this will work for me or not

What I have: 2000 XJ, 4dr, auto, 4.0

What I want to do: Improve off road traction of my Dana 30 up front.

What I need to know is if this will work for me

http://www.aussielocker.com/item.php/TM4da7a0/0960/10/310001/.html

All the descriptions state that it does not hamper on road driving, yet all the install shops I have called say I would be dumb to put one in.

My XJ is my DD, however, I want to make it as capable as I can off road. I plan on swapping in a 8.25 rear end, re-gearing, and locking the rear in the near future. Until then I was looking for options to get started on the front.

Any guidance is appreciated!

 

[computeruser]

I'd skip it - having the ability to run 4wd on snowy/slippery roads is a useful attribute in our corner of the country, in my experience. You'd lose this with the locker up front. And despite claims to the contrary, they DO have the ability to cause some feedback on 2wd, including occasional popping and binding.

What is your current setup not letting you do? I agree that a locker is nice, but a bit of flex and a brain can get you into and out of all kinds of stuff, save for those "look, my #### is short but my tires are tall" off-road park obstacles.

My 2c.

 

[BIGdaddy]

great locker.
low price
easy install

will it cause turning circle to enlarge in 4wd - ......yes
will it cause turning circle to enlarge in 2wd - .......no
will it be noticable in 2wd - ...............................not at all
do you need it to go overlanding?.......................no
will it transform your rig when it 4wd...................absolutely
will it increase wear on ujoints - ........................yes, to an extent
wil it pop and click, etc while in 4wd - ...............yes, turn the radio up. its normal.
will it cause issues if you act like a retard
when its icy out, i.e. "gunning it" in the turns -.....yes, but you'll deserve it.



p.s. i drive an xj, too.

 

[brennanriddle1]

Maybe i missed it in the description but is it selectable?

As in can you turn it on/ off?

If not, i'd recommend you get one that is selectable, considering you are going to do some street driving as well. Some brands: ARB, OX, etc.

When it is permanently locked, turning radius is robbed and tire wear/ chirping become more evident. The two axle shafts in your front axle spin at different speeds when turning. When the diff is permanently locked, it restricts this difference and hence, tire chirp.

At least, so i've learned.
Correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[bat]

It is a great locker and it it gets the job done in 4wd. It does make some racket in corners and you will know it is there in 2wd, I have one in my jeep and doubled checked all required tolerances.

 

[cocco78]

I have run an aussie in the front of my TJ for a few years. In 2wd its not noticeable I don't even remember hearing any clicking around corners. It does not effect 2wd street driving in any way. In 4wd it does unlock around corners if you are off the gas and there is sufficient traction, if it has power going to it it won't unlock. If you use it on slippery, muddy or icy roads, you won't be able to steer as well, it won't unlock. For an expo rig I would say no to locking a front end with something like this.

But the Aussie is the best locker of its kind that you can buy, I would highly recomend it when you lock the rear. Even for a dd its pretty nice with only a few quirks you get used to quickly. Again like cornering on dry pavement, if you throttle through a corner it will not unlock. If you coast through a corner it will unlock and ratchet like its supposed you. If you drive a stick its no big deal as you usually push the clutch in to shift anyway. Other than some clicking once in a while in parking lots thats about the only bad thing I can say about the Aussie.

 

[SWbySWesty]

I have one and don't notice it up front, but I'm in CA and don't pop into 4wd with weather . Sure is nice offroad even when cruisin' down desert roads to track straight and true.

I also have on in the rear. For a DD, it would be a PIA but it'll do.

 

[brennanriddle1]

Well according to the guys who have one, it sounds like the bees knees off road and/ or for the rear.

However, it does seem to be questionable for the front. The occasional tire chirp isn't a significant problem but it does lead to faster tire wear and more frequent tire rotations.

Depends on your needs i suppose. The idea of a selectable in the front has always appealed to me because of the nature of locked axles when cornering.

 

[hugh]

I have a 98 XJ with a detroit locker in the rear, it works great, no issues at all. Would I run a locker on the front, never, but that's just me. As an example, a few weeks ago some of us were playing on a rock trail and a YJ broke the rear output shaft on his Dana 300 t case. He has scout 44,s front and rear and a Dana 300. Anyway it is locked with ARB front and Detroit rear. Because of the weight transfer he needed a strap to get up most of the hills [we talked him into coming to camp with us]. Before my XJ I had a CJ with ARB front and rear lockers. After breaking the dana 30 twice I removed the locker and never had a problem again. Oh and I ran 35 bfg's on the C and XJ, both with automatics and I am usually somewhat easy on the gas. IMHO, rear locker and a winch up front and you will be unstoppable [almost].

 

[Stumpalump]

I thought a 2000XJ allready had an 8.25 in the rear so check. You may have ment swaping the 8.25 for a Ford 8.8 with disk breaks. That would be an upgrade. The front dana 30 in that rig may also be the weak low pinion Dana 30 that was common on the latter XJ's. If thats the case then don't spend a penny on it. Find a high pinion out of an older XJ and bolt it in then carry your old axle shafts as trail spares. Better yet get a Dana 44 out of a Rubicon TJ that allready has 4.10's and a selectable locker. It bolts right in an XJ and junkyards have them. Just make sure you get the air pump if you get the air version. As far as the Aussi locker goes then I'm a fan of any locker even if it's just welded up spiders. The locker you chose is the cheapest clunkiest locker and is basically the same as a Lockright. At least in 2wd you won't feel it much but in 4wd you will fight it some and get bad squirly it in the snow. A selectable on the front will put way less strain on the rig especially if you don't have a modified unibody in the trac bar and steering box mounting area and is ideal on the front.

 

[luk4mud]

I had one in the front end of my TJ for a few months, works great off road. The guys back East complain about them in the ice and snow though. I would check with your local jeep friends, maybe a selectable is more appropriate.

 

[brianjwilson]

I don't have a Jeep, but I had aussie lockers front and rear in my Sport Trac with 33s back in Oregon.

The front end of the sport trac didn't have selectable hubs, so the driveline was always turning.
- There is no feedback or binding in the steering wheel, whatsoever, in 2wd. The locker is invisible other than light clicking you may hear at low speeds in tight turns.
- You can still get around in snow and ice, but it is definitely more tricky. My last use of the front locker was pulling a 6x14' enclosed trailer from Oregon to Kentucky, through Utah and Wyoming through snow and ice and high winds, in 4x4 for hundreds of miles with no issues. On the other hand, I wouldn't install another front automatic locker if I planned on being in snow and ice regularly.
- Steering will be hindered in 4x4. The steering is tighter, turning radius is larger, and the front will get more abuse.

Lastly, if you haven't locked the back, do it first. With just a rear locker, you will rarely have the need for a front I bet. My friends with Jeeps that run Detroits and lock rights in the rear axles never have issues going anywhere. They do however break axleshafts left and right, for what it's worth. Just another reason not to lock the D30.

 

[Lucky j]

One afordable option is a detroit truetrack. It is not a locker, it is a geared limited slip. You will never feel any bangs, it will work great on snow or ice, it will even be fun to drive in those condition and it will give you about 60% traction when you need it. And because there it is not a locker and will always give a little, it will be nice on your axle.

I got one for 6 years and justed loved it. I'm from the eastern part of the province of Québec, in the Charlevoix area, and the average snow fall is like 25 feet per winter. So I got the chance to try it going from ice to snow to dry surface without a ich.

I don't have it any more, cause I wanted to bilt a more extreme yj wrangler and went with a d44 front axle front a 75 bronco with alloy axle. But If I could have found something like the electrac (limited slip and e locker) that would have been relaible, I would have gone for it. So i went with an ARB. But I'm missing the simplicity of use of the truetrack. I ad to get use to the ARB.

 

[dirtyboots]

Would stick with a natural progression of things, i.e., lock the back before the front. Lived all over, dd rigs from welded, to lunchbox (aussie, lockright, etc), to selectable (e toyota, arb). As someone mentioned earlier, it is not all that necessary to lock the front until you have reached a point where the rest of your rig is built and well, then you would be ready to run more difficult trails, or more intense trips.

If you take your time building your vehicle with top quality compenents your education about what you want to buy next, driving skill with what you have, will all come together and progress on a level that will allow you to save money in the long run by building it right the first time, and not rolling your vehicle by exceeding your driving ability with the capability of your vehicle.

Some prefer mechanical lockers to selectable for the reliability factor. based on my personal experience I would recomend building a strong rear with selectable, and leaving your front open. of course you never asked that question, so to answer your question without adding my .02, you should be good to go, as mentioned before, it's not a huge deal. The physics of wheeling lend to more advantage for traction devices in the rear to start off with though, just sayin'. take your time and have fun with it most of all.

 

[Jwood]

I've got one in the front of my XJ and have zero problems. It does have the small quirks that were mentioned above but the benefits off-road far out weigh them. I was nervous the first time I drove it in the snow due to everyone online claiming a lack of control, but I had no issues steering at all.

It’s easy enough to install and remove if you decide it’s not for you, and you should have no problem recouping most of you money if you would decide to sell it. Why not try it and if you don't like it just replace you spider gears and sell the locker.