once again about gears and lockers

[matt6669]

whelp joe gave me some good prices on gears and lockers but boy does that add up fast.
I can do gears front and rear with all the install kits with an ox for 1300 or spend another 500 for the detroit and be locked front and rear for 1800
now i really don't want to spend either amount but im going to have to spend the money to get locked alteast front and be geared as well.

now does everyone feel it would be even worth it to install my gears and my locker up front and then down the road put a non lunchbox locker in the rear or would that just be a waste of money

what i also might do is junk the 8.25 because NOTHING bolts onto it and get a 8.8 and lock it
what does everyone think

Matt

[matt6669]

ps
what does everyone think of yukon heavy duty allow 30 spline axles locker carrier bearings studs and axle bearings with an ox locker for 899 is that a good setup
Matt

[ROCKREADYXJ]

Matt If you want I can go over some more option with you if you want. If you want to swap out the rear I would consider a 44 everything is much cheaper than the 8.25 or the 8.8. I may have two or three left.

[dmxjg35]

hey joe, im looking for a new rear axel too, to get rid of that crappy 35 what do you think it would cost for a 44.

ive found quite a few 8.8's with open diffs and disc brakes for under 250. Thats the route i was planing on going

so you figure 250 plus 160 for the m.o.r.e springs/shock plates you get 410 or ive been told you can reuse the stock spring perches and shock mounts. I would just have to find smoneone to weld them on.

How much do you think a d44 with disc brakes would go for?

[ROCKREADYXJ]

You would be looking real hard they are hard to find w/ discs on them. But an XJ/TJ/MJ/ZJ all have the same bolt pattern on the axle so the brakes can be swapped from a Dana 35 to a Dana 44. But I like the TSM brake kits they make very strong brackets and have calipers w/ e- brakes in them. If you want check mine out let me know I can pull the wheel off and show you.

I will work on those prices for you.

Another advantage of the 44 is no C-clips!!!! The 8.8 uses C-clips as well as your 35

There is much more readily available part for the Dana 44. They are usually a lot cheaper than the 8.8 fords because of that.

[Freebird01]

i found a yard in north central PA that has 8.8's for a good price...i bought one out of a 95 Exploder with 4.10 gears and a nice tight posi and factory disc brakes for $250 only had 50k on it too

Rick's Used Auto Parts
Kersey,Pa

it is about an hour north of clearfield

[ROCKREADYXJ]

posi is no replacement for a locker. I dont care ow tight the springs are they will still slip.

[Freebird01]

no its not a total replacement for a rock crawler...but for a part time crawler someone who wants a bit better traction with out all the driving quirks they are nice

[NYWheeler]

I had the lsd in my 8.8 and it didn't do anything for me offroad. It only worked in slippery situations. But I also had 37's.

[ROCKREADYXJ]

no its not a total replacement for a rock crawler...but for a part time crawler someone who wants a bit better traction with out all the driving quirks they are nice

If you do not want driving quirks get a selectable locker.

[Freebird01]

true statement...however most people dont have $600+ to drop on a selectable locker.

im not saying a posi will give you the ultimate wheeler or be 100% replacement for a locker. That is by no means the case. Lockers are great! i put one in the back of my zuk and ill never go back to anything else unless i have to..

but some some of these guys that are wheelin and are mostly stock or dont want to abuse their rigs...a posi is a good alternative.

the last tri-state run (april 05) i was on had 3 hardcore rigs and mostly stock or nearly stock....you cant tell me that everyone of those guys realisticlly needed a locker.... however, i can tell you that a couple of them would have benefitted even from a posi. and if your already spending $250 for an axle....why not get one with an option thats a little better then what you were going to pay for anyway???

Its all about whats available to you and how much money you want to spend. i lucked out and bought my locker used for $100. but when i swapped the rear under the back of my mazda truck....and found out i could get a posi for the same price i could get an open rear...hell yea man posi all the way!!!

Posi is also nice in the fact if your not building a hard core rig....it WILL slip, but will still help you with traction. the fact that it will slip is nice in the fact you wont break an axle as fast as you will with a locker especially in a front diff. ive been in spots with my zuk before i put the locker in that even just a small amount of traction would have kept me from either backing up or hooking up the strap.


great discussion man! some real world reviews can come from this and help some of the new guys!

[rsegriggy]

What gears are you going for? 4.10's are available from stock axles. Which means you may find someone upgrading......

I'd go with a dana 44 in the rear, becasue there are so many more options for that axle. Just remember about matching wheel bolt patterns.

You can look to ebay and message boards for used gear sets. I got a great deal on a locker, 2 gear sets, and install kits. (The install kits and gears were brand new.)

If you're sticking with the dana 30, I'd still think about a lunchbox locker......

[ROCKREADYXJ]

I can see what you are saying but I would rather see someone spend the money on a locker before a posi. I personally feel that they are pointless in this application. If you are going to build a performance streetcar you may want one. But when you are wheeling your vehicle a locker is key I don’t care if you have 31's or 46's its the reason why and how it works is what makes it a definite upgrade. Remember traction is key. And bigger tires only give you ground clearance not traction. So a TJ with 31’s and lockers front and back will do much better than a TJ with 35’s and no lockers. But the TJ with 35’s will have more ground clearance.

Posi is a nickname for limited slip. because thats what it does it slips from left to right so that the inside wheel can turn slower than the outside wheel in a turn. There are no teeth in the posi. just clutches and springs.

[Freebird01]

yep...i know that...and im not saying for someone to go out and buy one.....what i was saying is if your going to shell out the cash to drop an 8.8 in your rig...spend the little extra time and find one with a posi in it.

it makes absolute perfect sense if your spending money on a carrier to go and buy a locker right away. but an axle swap to a non stock axle can get expensive pretty quick. If you have the choice between a open rear and a posi before you blow your budget if the base purchase axle is the same...why not go posi until you can afford to buy a locker...its not the best but its better then a totally open rear.

[ROCKREADYXJ]

If you get an open carrier you can save money by putting a lunch box locker in it. You can't do that to a posi. So If that was my choice I would save money at the scrap yard and buy the open carrier then I have the option for a lunch box locker down the road.

[Freebird01]

good point...i had the option with the mazda of open or posi for the same money....but that was a pavement pounder....it didnt see more then a dirt road.