Lifted or Locked?

[thexjthatcould]

ill never lock a d35 causes nothing but problems.... if you decide to lock it, go to the junkyard and pull a 8.25 w/ the driveshaft, its pretty much bolt on with the xj. very durable axle compared to the dana turdy5 =P

 

[intothewild]

Yep, I have a ZJ..and I have the 242 case.

 

[88Xj]

Maybe the people who live before 19th century spend their free time with reading papers or books, doing outdoors activities such playing football, playing tennis or baseball and other traditional balls when the weather is good. While in the bad weathers, they may play some inside doors activities, for example, playing bridge cards.7 inch tablet

Wait what?

 

[88Xj]

Yep, I have a ZJ..and I have the 242 case.

Ya check your local junkyards and you may get lucky with the Zj gas tank skid..I know theres plenty of them out here so it shouldn't be to hard to locate. Good luck friend and let us know what you end up with!

 

[jeepdreamer]

I'd put the winch at the head of the line simply because you can always get stuck... just depends on how far out in BFE you are when it happens. But between the lift or locker... locker every time. And go with a selectable one, especially since your in the snow a lot. Driving a spool/auto locker in the snow is an interesting experience. My to do list would be Rear selectable first. then when you can afford it, a matching one for the front. With all four wheels giving you true 4 wheel drive, you'll be amazed at where you can go. From there you can decide if you need more ground clearance (lift) or if adding armor would be better for you.
And don't forget to look into the future and see if bigger tires are down the road. Be realistic and honest with yourself but doing gears while your doing the lockers would be money saved.

 

[ElCaminoManT]

Wait what?

reads like spam to me, 1 post joined today....

now back to your original scheduled thread

 

[jscusmcvet]

I would suggest a rear locker first. Your best bet is a selectable if you can swing it. If that is too much $ an automatic locker works fine in my experience. The issue on ice/snow roads depends on your driving. When you have an auto locker, because of the wheels turning at different speeds as you go around a corner, your locker will lock up. If you coast the turns in that situation, you will not get the rear sliding out from under you.

Definitely a different style of driving, that requires you to think more than just well... driving, but it is doable. Auto lockers also have fewer parts to break, etc...

That being said, anytime I could afford selectable I have gone that route.

Jeepdreamer and others make a good point about winch and recovery gear. Getting stuck is part of the game... getting UNSTUCK is what defines your ability, IMO.

For that gas tank skid, check ebay. I got a zj skid for my last xj build for $1 plus like $30 shipping. My closest pull a part junk yard is over an hour away, so having this shipped to me was the way to go.

Good luck to you.

John

 

[Chris2000XJ]

I've always felt the front locker makes the biggest difference because the front tires are always the first to encounter the obstacle.

 

[magaw]

I would suggest a rear locker first. Your best bet is a selectable if you can swing it. If that is too much $ an automatic locker works fine in my experience. The issue on ice/snow roads depends on your driving. When you have an auto locker, because of the wheels turning at different speeds as you go around a corner, your locker will lock up. If you coast the turns in that situation, you will not get the rear sliding out from under you.

Definitely a different style of driving, that requires you to think more than just well... driving, but it is doable. Auto lockers also have fewer parts to break, etc...

That being said, anytime I could afford selectable I have gone that route.

Jeepdreamer and others make a good point about winch and recovery gear. Getting stuck is part of the game... getting UNSTUCK is what defines your ability, IMO.

For that gas tank skid, check ebay. I got a zj skid for my last xj build for $1 plus like $30 shipping. My closest pull a part junk yard is over an hour away, so having this shipped to me was the way to go.

Good luck to you.

John

He just nailed it. Auto lockers aren't that bad and they are an easy install on a Dana 35. My experiences were with LockRites. Probably one of the best mods that I made to a previous jeep. You just can't gas it around corners. I've heard lots of horror stories about rear lockers in the snow and ice, but in my own experiences I had few issues, really the opposite. I found myself needing to put it in 4wd less often. That is just my own personal experience. Sounds like you already have some added lift and bigger tires. With all of that being said, I would have to go with a winch. A winch is going to get you out of more sticky situations than one locker, (no matter if front or rear) will prevent. Recovery is a priority. You can always get stuck, no matter what size tires or lift, lockers no lockers, and when that happens it is very comforting to know that you have a way to get yourself out of a mess. So my vote is for a winch, but don't be afraid of a locker if that's what you want

 

[DarinM]

I've had a winch on my Jeep for several years now. Never used it. I've got a TJ Rubicon so I've got selectable lockers front and back. I've used the lockers much, much more often and I'm a believer. The winch is definitely insurance and if I ever do need it, I'll be glad I have it. But if it is me making the decision, I'm going with lockers.

 

[toylandcruiser]

What rear end do you have? If you have the 44HD then you are very limited on your locker options. I would not drive in snow or ice with a locked rear end.

I don't agree. It's just being responsible. I drove a ramcharger that was locked front and rear in the snow and ice for years. Just go slow and pay attention.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Caoboy]

Body lifting a ZJ can be really hard on the Unibody. 2.5"BB is refering to a "budget boost" and on a ZJ is likely refering to spacers for the coil springs and longer shocks instead of full spring replacment. Or maybe even shock mount extensions in some instances. But I agree with you statement. It seems to me on a 100K miles plus vehicle that the stock suspension parts are quite a bit worn and a budget boost should only be a tempory set up. For me, this seems like a more important item to address first.

Whoops! I read that part wrong, swapping BB with BL lol.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

An engaged locker will "push" the vehicle straight through a turn on slippery surfaces. If you decide on a locker, I'd get a selectable/manual locker, ARB is the way to go IMO. Ever try to make a turn in a dragster with a spooled rear end? Same thing for the most part.

Having said that, I think your $$$ would be better spent on skid plates and some self recovery points/gear. Hi Lift jack and a good recovery strap can get you out of some really bad situations.

I ran a Detroit EZ Locker for almost 8 years under my ZJ back when it had a d35 and never ended up in a bad situation, with the auto transmission this is much easier to control and you can coast around corners.

Selectable locker up front...reason is because offroad it will pull you up on obsticles vs pushing you into them like a rear locker! And skid plates..GAS TANK being the first! Then a tcase & maybe the Kevins offroad radiator support? Maybe a beffier crossmember? Or frame stiffeners?

For what its worth I've had locked front only & now only rear locked...front was far better for offroading..made things far easier to climb. Now I kinda gotta bump up & over stuff. I had a spartan & a 231 before. I've now got a detriot rear, swapping to a 242 tcase (fulltime option which is what I want) and eventually a ARB up front.

Just an FYI, basic physics tells us that having only a front locker is about useless once the front end becomes vertical/unweighted, read up on suspension loading/unloading. The more vertical the Jeep becomes, the more the weight shifts to the rear leaving the front with less weight which equates to less traction, this is even more pronounced in a ZJ.

And to address the OP's question, I would invest in a decent suspension setup first and a hand winch(come-a-long) along with at least factory skid plates and tow hooks. I can get you a set if you cannot source them locally. I didn't run a locker in my Jeep for many years but did have a good suspension under it that allowed for a good contact patch on the trail, a locker does nothing for you if the tires don't have decent traction from being high-centered or the suspension doesn't articulate(flex) well.

 

[FishPOET]

Just an FYI, basic physics tells us that having only a front locker is about useless once the front end becomes vertical/unweighted, read up on suspension loading/unloading. The more vertical the Jeep becomes, the more the weight shifts to the rear leaving the front with less weight which equates to less traction, this is even more pronounced in a ZJ.

On a stock ZJ with the sway bars attached there is very little unloading of the suspension and a front locker will serve you well.
If you are on long arms and disconnected it is another story altogether.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

On a stock ZJ with the sway bars attached there is very little unloading of the suspension and a front locker will serve you well.
If you are on long arms and disconnected it is another story altogether.

How often do you keep your front sway bar disconnected on trails that necessitate a locker? Kind of defeats the purpose.