Locker, front or rear?
- Thread starter 808CJ7
- Start date
AlwayswrenchN
New member
I'm going against the grain on this one.
FRONT first:
1) in soft terrain the front will help pull you through. A non locked front will tend to push snow and mud.
2.) having the front will help your jeep pull over a obsticle
3.) there is a lot of weight directly over the front axle for improved traction.
4.) you won't have any road manners change unless you are in 4x4.
With all that being said you will lose a little turning radius in 4x4 but not that big a deal especially if you plan to lock both ends later anyway. If you don't have hubs or if you have the disconnect style axle your front driveline will turn all the time.
As for lunch box style lockers I highly recommend the Aussie Locker I have had two sets of them (both stock axles and now front HP44). Very durable, excellent street manners, easy to install and affordable. My front is going on three years running 38" tires in the rocks. If you go that route Northridge 4x4 has good prices and customer services.
FRONT first:
1) in soft terrain the front will help pull you through. A non locked front will tend to push snow and mud.
2.) having the front will help your jeep pull over a obsticle
3.) there is a lot of weight directly over the front axle for improved traction.
4.) you won't have any road manners change unless you are in 4x4.
With all that being said you will lose a little turning radius in 4x4 but not that big a deal especially if you plan to lock both ends later anyway. If you don't have hubs or if you have the disconnect style axle your front driveline will turn all the time.
As for lunch box style lockers I highly recommend the Aussie Locker I have had two sets of them (both stock axles and now front HP44). Very durable, excellent street manners, easy to install and affordable. My front is going on three years running 38" tires in the rocks. If you go that route Northridge 4x4 has good prices and customer services.
both have pros and cons, only you can decide what will work better. as for brand, i've been very happy with power trax ( in the rear ) and a aussie in the front. i really wish i got cromos before gettign the front locker. i've been threw 2 shafts in 3 runs with it. if your cj has the 260 style joints then i'd go rear locker, untill ya go the cromos..
RudeDog
New member
I'd recomend you test drive someones 4x4 with a locked front end 4 low making turns left and right in tight area's or trails. Pay attention, feel the steering resistance. It is tuffer to turn it and in tight area's kind of anoying. Also try a muddy inclined road. With both locked it drifts (pozzi's) sideways, (hard to steer). Their is a time and place for the front to be locked, but not constantly. Personally I'd recommend a locker you can turn off and on... My last rock trip I played with it on and off and was happy I could turn mine off and on. The majority of the time I only had the rear locked. Just my opinion.. Not trying to squish any toes..
Last edited:
808CJ7
New member
Point well taken. I've ridden in my buddies Tj, his was locked front and back. and I noticed what your talking about, it does want to plow straight ahead. and sharp turns on hard surfaces, forget about it. So it looks like I'll have to save up more coin for a selectable locker.
Saddle Tramp
New member
I have Lockrights front and back. The lunch box lockers, although cheap, are squirrely on asphalt causing your jeep to hop, skip, and jump down the road to the point that they can be dangerous. In fact, to turn I have to be off the power or the jeep will just keep going in a straight line regardless how much the wheel is turned. The issues with lunchbox lockers are great enough that I want to at least take my rear one out and replace it with an electric selectable. Leaving (or installing) a lunchbox up front is not really all that bad as with lockable hubs the locker doesn’t come into play on the street. So if you drive the jeep much on the street and can only afford one lunchbox at this time, put it up front. (But I live in mud and sand country.)
Bounty__Hunter
Super Moderator
Lock the rear first, as most of your weight transfer is to the rear when offroad. Doesn't matter that the heavy engine is over the front end, when you climb all that weight and need for traction is transferred to the rear.
808CJ7
New member
Ok so I've had my rear locker in for a couple of days now and I have experienced the the drivability issues, but to me it isn't that bad. I just have to be careful with the throttle around corners. I also got to do some mud bogging yesterday with my brother in law who has a lifted Toyota, same size tires as me but with open diffs. I noticed when he was driving forward in the mud all four tires were spinning but when he lost forward momentum and tried to back out, only one front and one back were spinning and he was stuck. When I was in the same situation, I could still easily back out. This got me thinking, when I'm backing up, the locker is actually in the front now. I was on to something lol. On muddy hill climbs, the rear locker pushes you to the top, but a front locker will help pull you over the crest when the weight is shifted forward. So with that being said, I'll be getting a selectable locker for the front. In my opinion fully locked is the only way to go.
