CJ D30 Differential Opinions

orange150

orange150

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Fairfax City, VA
I wanted to ask the question before I pull the trigger.
Now that I've got my Jeep back together I can finally go get the front regeared.
My first plan was to run Truetracs front and rear (have a TT in the rear now).
Now I'm leaning towards regearing it open for short term and then installing an Aussie lunch box down the road to save some upfront costs and to eventually have an auto locker up front.
I'm not really considering a selectable locker right now because money is a thing.

Am I wrong in my opinion to go that route now?
 
Sounds like a plan to me! A selectable locker is around $1000, with installation, as you probably know. That would be the best, but only if you can afford it. D 30s are good up to 33" tires, & a light foot. I ran the Factory 30, for 30 years, with 32s & 33s, open. Last 2-3 years I ran it welded. Don't do that! That's a Mistake!
 
My $.02 (with the understanding from other posts that this is a DD/weekend wheeler)...

I'd go lunchbox locker all day for your use... you'll never know it's there on the road (with the hubs unlocked), lock the hubs and go, the other 98% of the time.
FWIW, I've beat the dog shat out of my D30 (granted, it has a 10+ year old set of alloys/bigger joints from @zubz and a Detroit lunchbox), but zero failures to date dragging 33" bias Swampers and at times, a very tiny brain :D
 
im personally experience the mistake of trying to "phase" my gearing setup.

a lunchbox is frankly not too far in cost of some auto's. Even if a little more, its more worth it to just delay it a short and save a little more.

the cost of essentially redoing a gearing job for the sake of upgrading to a auto or selectable will exceed (add on to) the cost of the locker itself and what you will be spending now on a lunchbox.

EDIT: just sharing what related to me. i rushed to get "geared" and left open. I realized then, what I know now - but now its actually time to eat a portion of that and it sucks. If i had just got the detroit (double the cost of the lunchbox), I would save myself from unnecessarily spending the cost of the lunchbox and unecessarily spending the labor costs on "gearing" a second go around
 
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Finally had a chance to catch up with ECGS. They recommended a Spartan over the Aussie due to a larger pin, and Spartan over Trutrac due to costs.

So, unless someone has some convincing opinions, that is the direction I'm going to go.
 
I've had a Lokrite in the front of mine for over 10 years, never a problem...and it doesn't get babied. Detroit Truetrac in the rear.
 
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