Locker?

BigClay

BigClay

Knower of useless ZJ things
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Location
Winston-Salem
I am in the process of accumulating parts for the next phase of the ZJ. I am looking into lockers now.

I understand how an Aussie locker and an ARB air locker work, but I am unsure how a detroit locker works. I am on a budget and I would love to have ARB lockers front and rear, but they are pretty expensive and I would only be able to afford one.

My jeep is not my DD, but it is not trailered so I have to drive it to Uwharrie, etc. What are my best bet as far as lockers go? If it matters I am looking to run 35" tires on a hpD30 and 8.8 combo with 4.88s.

Give me your opinons/suggestions! :beer:
 
I'm running the lock-right lunchbox lockers in front and rear. They work great and are very low budget. The selectable lockers are nice indeed, but I couldn't warrant the price just yet. I don't do any wheeling where I see I need the selectables, yet. I don't drive on the street often, but aside from the ratcheting in tight turns I really can't tell much difference.

My suggestion to you is to get a set of lock-rights or aussie lunch box lockers and save your money for a trailer. A trailer makes all the difference between a fun day breaking something on the trail and a horrible nightmare trying to get home with broke junk.
 
LockRite. Cheap, dependable, good street manners, parts available. You can buy 2+ LockRites for one ARB/Detroit. LR install is easy done by a novice, not ARB/Detroit. I've had them all and I would put nothing but a LockRite in my rig, but.........others will have their experiences, which may differ from mine :)
 
Is a lockrite similar to an Aussie?
 
In my opinion, the lock-right is a better locker. They are practically identical and work the same. The aussie isn't very much cheaper.
 
I would go with the LockRights. I was running them front and rear in a dd XJ and never had an issue with drivability. On top of that they worked great off road. I am putting one in my HP60 I am building as well.
 
I currently run a ZJ with the hp30/8.8 combo. I put a mini spool in the rear, and a lockright in the front. It's got 35" tires and 4.56 gears. I've driven it on the street alot over the last year, from the mountains, down to the beach. For the most part, you never notice the spool on the street, just in parking lots. This setup works great for me, and was budget friendly when i had to re-do my rearend, transfer, and driveshaft after some stoplight racing that grenaded them all.
 
An 8.8s weak link is the carrier. A lockrite is only as strong as the carrier its in, take it for what its worth. A Detroit operates essentially the same as a lockrite but the case its in is much stronger than the stock piece.
 
roksld13 said:
i have a question, i have the factory d35 in the back geared to 4.88. cant afford to axle swap now(done right) sould i lock mine or just wait?
Click to expand...

You're looking at $150 minimum for a used d35 locker. I locked my d35, but i had the extra cash. I also have an 8.25 lying in wait. If budget is being considered I would just weld the d35. However, I can almost guarantee you'll break it quickly with 4.88 gears. It'll most likely be the axle shafts that go and you can find those all day long for very cheap. So locate you a few sets of shafts and weld the spiders. Save your money for the axle swap.
 
I like the OX locker. I have installed a couple in d30s for buddies and wheeled with them. They work great and are selectable with out the head ache of a compressor.
 
MSRP for the ARB is almost $1k. MSRP for the OX is $880, MSRP for the Detroit is $650. Both are full case lockers which will require setting up the R&P during install. If you cannot do that yourself add another $200 or so. Both are excellent lockers, however, let's say you are entry level with a Jeep, D30/D35. You are looking at almost $2000 to lock both axles. If you have $ and this is your DD, ARB/OX/Detroit might be an option. On the other hand, you can LockRight the front and weld the rear for $300. That leaves you $1700 to buy another D35/8.8/8.25 ($100-$400) another D30 ($150) another Lock Right ($300) and still have $1000 to spend.....or save for more D35s :)

For my $ I'm going Lock Right. Like I said, I have had them all, except OX, and that's my .02 :)

Lock Right $299
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/c-61396-lockers-lock-right.html
OX Locker $820
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/c-62245-lockers-ox-lockers.html
Detroit Locker $525
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/c-61676-lockers-detroit-locker.html
ARB Locker $800 + Compressor $250
http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/c-61398-lockers-arb-air-lockers.html
 
Thanks for the info guys, looks like lockright it is.

One other question. When you say "spool" what are you referring to?
 
I have a question, the rig you are locking up is it a dedicated trail rig or a daily driver? Maybe I missed it, but this makes a difference.
 
It is my trail rig, that is not my DD, but I do not have a trailer, so I do drive it to the trail.
 
BigClay said:
It is my trail rig, that is not my DD, but I do not have a trailer, so I do drive it to the trail.
Click to expand...

In that case, the cheap and solid route would be to put a spool in the 8.8 and put a lock right in the D30.
 
BigClay said:
Thanks for the info guys, looks like lockright it is.
One other question. When you say "spool" what are you referring to?
Click to expand...

A full spool replaces the factory carrier that the ring gear bolts to. It is like welding the spider gears together if you ever hear people talking about a welded rear.

http://eastcoastgearsupply.com/i-131254-ford-8-8-spool.html

You could weld the 8.8, but then I have heard the carriers are weak, so maybe a spool would be the better choice. I'll let others chime in on the weldability of the 8.8 carrier.

I'm currently running a Detroit in the rear of my cab truck, and welded front. I plan to upgrade the front to a LockRight in the future because it kind of sucks. I'm currently running a welded rear in my Samurai with a Lock Right in the front. I think that is a hard combination to beat for the money and performance if the rig isn't a DD. Some guys will still DD a rig with a welded rear.
 
As said above, a spool locks both axle shafs together, all the time. No on-off, no need to select anything, the traction is always there. For the 8.8 to run a full spool, you'd need c-clip eliminators, and the ones available for it are drag race oriented, and not great for the sideloading of off-roading. I used a minispool, it replaces your side and spider gears, locking the shafts together, always. I've hammered on mine with a 4.6 stroker, driven it back and forth from Bragg to winston salem and chapelhill many many times, taken it on trips to carolina beach, and up into the mountains on a friends property near marion, nc. On the road, you'd never notice the spool, and the front locker does nothing unless i put the transfer into 4wd. The only time you know the spool is there on the street is in tight turns, and parking lot manuvers. If I wasn't in Iraq right now, I'd let you ride in it, as I venture in and around Greensboro alot.
 
Another option for the front is a Spartan locker from Yukon Gear. JP did a shootout on these types of lockers.
http://www.jpmagazine.com/techartic...x_drop_in_locker_shootout/spartan_locker.html
If the link doesn't work got to JPmagazine.com and search locker and it will show up.

Another option for the rear would be a mini spool but that still relies on the carrier's strength. If you can get it welded then that would be the cheapest route but a mini spool would get you by the cheapest w/out welding and you could install yourself.
 
I ran a welded rear in mine and loved it on the street, with a manual 4spd a lockright would lock and unlock sorta and wiggle an pavement when shifting. Sorta hard to explain, but it always went strait and was "predictable" no pavement. Somebody help me out here.
 
roksld13 said:
i have a question, i have the factory d35 in the back geared to 4.88. cant afford to axle swap now(done right) sould i lock mine or just wait?
Click to expand...

It will break, Mine did with 4.10s 30mins into the first ride after installing it, Here is a video from the ride where it broke, This is the walk you don't want to take.

Here is what it will look like

Dana 35 Lockrite with Busted Passenger side shaft
View attachment 88058
 
Chris_M said:
As said above, a spool locks both axle shafs together, all the time. No on-off, no need to select anything, the traction is always there. For the 8.8 to run a full spool, you'd need c-clip eliminators, and the ones available for it are drag race oriented, and not great for the sideloading of off-roading. I used a minispool, it replaces your side and spider gears, locking the shafts together, always. I've hammered on mine with a 4.6 stroker, driven it back and forth from Bragg to winston salem and chapelhill many many times, taken it on trips to carolina beach, and up into the mountains on a friends property near marion, nc. On the road, you'd never notice the spool, and the front locker does nothing unless i put the transfer into 4wd. The only time you know the spool is there on the street is in tight turns, and parking lot manuvers. If I wasn't in Iraq right now, I'd let you ride in it, as I venture in and around Greensboro alot.
Click to expand...
Iraq?:confused:
 
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