Help to find an E-Locker for my IFS Dana 35 please

[Devan]

I've been trying to find an electronic locker for my front Dana 35 IFS diff for quite sometime now. I think I may have come across an air locker but i would much rather have an E-locker. I am aware of the automatic lockers that replace the spider gears like an Aussie locker but I would prefer to have control of locking my front and rear diffs. Any help on tracking down a front diff E-locker for my 01 XPLR Sport would be extremely appreciated. Thx guys

 

[boominXplorer]

There is no direct fit e locker for our D35 ifs. You may be able you use one from a Jeep d35 but some major customizing will need to be done.

I have a Torsen in my front diff and I don't notice it at all unless I send power up front. I have a locker in the rear and it can be a bear to take off in the rain quickly. I pop it in 4x4 and can launch hard and quick without horrible torque steer. I'd imagine front and rear lockers would be hard to keep straight on the street due to driveline torque and everything wanting to spin at a certain rate.

 

[Devan]

I was just reading on a ranger station forum some guy said "When I ordered my Lock-Right for the D35 TTB, it had previously been used in a Jeep D35 rear. The Jeep D35 gears fit the SLA D35 (I accidentally ordered my gears wrong the first time). So long story short, some Jeep lockers will fit I think, but you have to pay attention to carrier breaks(as in slightly different carriers for higher and lower gear ratios). I can't remember it all off the top of my head though."

I'd imagine front and rear lockers would be hard to keep straight on the street due to driveline torque and everything wanting to spin at a certain rate.

You shouldnt be using a fully locked drivetrain on the street lol
View media item 53067Heres a shot of the ARB air locker in a dana 35 that belongs in an IFS explorer. Here is a link to the ARB air locker: ARB Dana 35 27 Spline 3.54 Ratio Up Air Locking Differential - RD102
I have been thinking about getting some 2000lb Air bags for my rear leaf springs to assist in towing and that system would have a nice quiet pump and I would also get a reserve tank for it and then I could use that same air system for the lockers as well however im really not so serious about the air bags and I would really prefer an E-locker still lol. Does anybody know about any Jeep dana 35 E-lockers? And does anybody know if itll fit the XPLR IFS Dana 35 SLA?

Update: I could be wrong about that air locker fitting in the front diff of my 01 Explorer Sport Dana 35 IFS. It might only fit jeep Dana 35s but according to somebody else whatever fits the Jeep Dana 35s should also fit the Ford Dana 35 SLAs however the housings do look different.

 

[boominXplorer]

Ah I figured you were looking to launch it in 4x4 and we're looking for traction haha. My ranger is horrible in snow (slides all over unless on power) and a selectable would be nice up front.

 

[Devan]

Ah I figured you were looking to launch it in 4x4 and we're looking for traction haha. My ranger is horrible in snow (slides all over unless on power) and a selectable would be nice up front.

My truck is supercharged but the tires are decently big enough to the point where its not really necessary to launch in 4WD cause theirs not much wheel spin in 2WD when launching however launching in 4WD Low could be fun lol. In other words even with my amount of power, 2WD is more then sufficient to launch the truck. I would like to have lockers for rough terrain or even snow. The e-lockers would really come in handy when plowing or off-roading. My explorer kicks ass in the snow but the tires i have right now are total ass in the rain and they had a great rain rating on tire-rack.com. I may just have to go with something like an Aussie locker in the front even though i really really dont want to. I wish I knew what kind of E-Locker would fit in the front diff.

 

[fastpakr]

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't anything other than some lunchbox locker options that fits up there. None of the e-locker choices fit from any reading I've done in the past.

 

[Devan]

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't anything other than some lunchbox locker options that fits up there. None of the e-locker choices fit from any reading I've done in the past.

Dam if thats the truth then that tottaly blows. Has anybody ever swapped in some kind of other diff for the front and kept the independent front suspension. Like a different kind of diff that has the same casing design? Like maybe an expedition IFS front 8.8

 

[CDW6212R]

Dam if thats the truth then that tottaly blows. Has anybody ever swapped in some kind of other diff for the front and kept the independent front suspension. Like a different kind of diff that has the same casing design? Like maybe an expedition IFS front 8.8

The problem is that the D35 in the 2nd gen Explorers is a hybrid non standard diff, housing size unique and has circlips for the CV axles instead of c-clips like the 1st gen Explorer. So the only differential that can fit is the OEM, Torsen, and I think a lunch box type(is that available).

 

[CDW6212R]

Ah I figured you were looking to launch it in 4x4 and we're looking for traction haha. My ranger is horrible in snow (slides all over unless on power) and a selectable would be nice up front.

Do you think that is from the Torsen in front? I got the one for my work truck, just for better traction in the snow. Stopping is most important, but not sliding sideways is critical too.

I got up a steep snowy incline a few years ago with my Mercury, but with the front open I was spinning a front tire on the steepest part of the hill. The Torsen in the back worked great, given excellent snow tires and a surface not tilted or twisted.

 

[bigred4x4]

Swap in a center axle disconnect Dana 35 from a 95-96 explorer, a lunch box locker and the necessary vacuum parts and some solenoids from the donor and a on-on spdt switch to switch the grounds in the solenoids to lock / unlock the axle. Some People say the cad is unreliable. Ford cut it out and went live axle to cut production costs in my opinion as I've yet to see a tsb on it and I have a 96 with CAD with about 250,000 hard miles on her and never had issues with the CAD. You have to drop the axle anyway to install the locker the lunch box unlike the selectable locker install won't require a gear set up.

^ this will get you close to a selectable locker set up.

Or do a avm manual hub conversion with a lock right.

Either way limit straps and spare CVs are probably going to be a must for harder trail use with a locked front.

 

[Devan]

Bigred that's a genius idea. The center axle disconnect disconnects the RF axle right. The only downside to that I see is that Ill never have the option for an open diff and any time I engage the four wheel drive Ill have to engage the Axle Disconnect which will engage a locked front axle but id still have the lunch box locker. I think I would prolly be better off just throwing a lunch box locker in there as it is now which ill prolly end up doing.

I got a question for anybody who has a lunch box locker. Can you hear the thing clicking while your driving? And who makes some good lunch box lockers for the front dana 35 in my 01 explorer sport?

As far as limit straps those are coming sooner or later when I ditch the front torsion bars and go coilovers lol.

 

[Devan]

I have a Torsen in my front diff and I don't notice it at all unless I send power up front. I have a locker in the rear and it can be a bear to take off in the rain quickly. I pop it in 4x4 and can launch hard and quick without horrible torque steer. I'd imagine front and rear lockers would be hard to keep straight on the street due to driveline torque and everything wanting to spin at a certain rate.

Ah I figured you were looking to launch it in 4x4 and we're looking for traction haha. My ranger is horrible in snow (slides all over unless on power) and a selectable would be nice up front

Do you think that is from the Torsen in front? I got the one for my work truck, just for better traction in the snow. Stopping is most important, but not sliding sideways is critical too.

When your trying to launch in the rain does it pull all over the place from the rear locker trying to engage Boomin? And CDW asked if your ranger being horrible in the snow is because of the Torsen. My truck as it is now is great in the snow why would your ranger be horrible.

O and btw I think ive decided to shell out the bucks and I think I'm gonna go with the Torsen in the front and an E locker in the rear. I also wanna change my gears to. I have 3.73s but I haven't decided if I want more torque or more speed. I'm trying to figure out if I should go down to 3.55s or up to 3.90s. As my truck is now I'm making 250 RWHP and 275LBFT and its got all the torque you could want down low to mid range that's why I'm contemplating going to something like 3.55s

 

[bigred4x4]

When you engage 4wd with the lunch box and the cad you will be sending power to the driver wheel until the cad is engaged then you'll have a locked front and you can engage and disengage whenever you want with a flip of a switch, thus being close to an actual selectable e locker, I had a thread where I was contemplating welding the spider gears up front after I put everything out on the table and considered all pros and cons with all options available I came to the conclusion that the torsen was probably going to be the best bet, but if your going to spend the money I would definitely e lock the rear the 8.8 is solid and can take plenty of abuse the dana 35 isn't bad but the CV's are the weak link and will probably bust one or two with harder use especially if you remove the sway bar or gas it at full lock.

As far as the lunch box goes the lock right seems to be the one and those who have it say it's transparent on the road in 2wd. The torsen is about $150 more than the lunchbox but will require removal of the Ring gear and will have to be setup and measured to make sure mesh and backlash are still good.

I would stick with the 3.73 if you say you are happy with the torque etc... Going lower than 3.73 is a down grade in my opinion especially if you expect to gain the performance you are looking for that will fit your trucks purpose by adding locking diffs, then torque and power is what you want, not highway mpg's

With the rear you have plenty of options for lockers. And by adding one to the rear first will put the most power on the ground with the rear being fairly flexible even stock and it can take the stress worry free alot more so than the front,

My setup I decided was best for me was a torsen in the front and over clutching the stock rear Trac lock. But with all the off roading I've done in the last few months I've realized that I really don't need it and upgrading to 4.10's from my 3.73's will give me exactly what I'm looking for.

 

[Devan]

ah so you over clutched the traction lock, interesting. you do mean you installed extra clutches right?

 

[bigred4x4]

I have the stock rear Trac lock and an open front and have no problems wheeling most trails in my state, in fact I rarely get stuck only been a few times in the last decade and it was because of driver error and a locker would not have saved me a winch is better to do first in my opinion and I've yet to have to use mine which I'm glad of but want to justify the project at the same time lol, if I do the final stage which is a SAS and 35's then I'll do lockers but for now the only thing I really wish I had was 4.10's the 3.73 are ok for around town and get good highway rpms, but accelerating is sluggish and she struggles a bit at times in 4hi trying to turn 32's in soft sand. But is just good enough all around to make me not want the expense and hassle of a gear change. Figure if I go to the final stage someday then I'll just jump to 4.56 or 4.88 at that point.

It's just easy sometimes to get into the groove of upgrades and wanting more but in the end I realize there is a difference between just wanting and actually needing , then the costs of such upgrades start to become less attractive lol my truck is pretty much perfect at this point for it's intended purpose and could even handle more than I put it through but when it becomes a trailer queen and I want to do the real serious stuff that's when I'll go to the final stage of the build which may or may not ever happen I'll have to see what my wallet and free time are looking like 10 years from now.

 

[bigred4x4]

But I do plan on rebuilding the Trac lock at some point with the carbon fiber clutch kit and restacking the packs with an extra clutch disc to get maximum lock up from the Trac lock, but I've noticed mine actually still works fine in sand mud and snow it's only when one side gets bound up pretty good it goes open diff on me which an over clutched lsd will do the same thing just maintain lock up a little longer under more stress before it breaks loose and goes one wheel wonder

 

[boominXplorer]

The reason my truck is horrible in the snow is everything all together. I have 4.88s so my gearing is super low and my locker engages on almost every take off. Not to mention it's a ranger w/ a v8 swap so it's a ton lighter in the rear than an explorer. I also have 35" mud tires which are only good in deep snow, a couple inches on the road just make them slick.

With the locker in the rear and limited slip in the front just driving on the roads in 4x4 the truck will slide unless under power when turning due to driveline lockup. If I stay on the throttle it will for sure go anywhere I point it.

Off road in snow the truck is unstoppable but that is not what this convo is about. Just normal snow driving is much more work in my ranger then in my F250. Now I'm in va beach and we only get one or two snows a year. I drive the ranger around to play jack ass the day of the snow and drive my f250 every other time as it does 10x better in the snow.

 

[WormsExplorer]

I am really enjoying reading this thread. Much info here.

 

[CDW6212R]

...
I also wanna change my gears to. I have 3.73s but I haven't decided if I want more torque or more speed. I'm trying to figure out if I should go down to 3.55s or up to 3.90s. As my truck is now I'm making 250 RWHP and 275LBFT and its got all the torque you could want down low to mid range that's why I'm contemplating going to something like 3.55s

If you have 250hp and I gather it's positive displacement boost, you'd do well to go down in gear ratio, the 3.55:1 wouldn't be too much. As power goes up, the gearing need is less, the fastest cars have less gear.

When I do a 306 build for my 99 work truck, it's already a 4.10:1 4WD truck now. I'll build the 4R70W with close ratios(the AODE planetary set of parts). That moves 1st/2nd both closer to 3rd/4th, which don't change. The difference is similar to two gear steps, say a 3.27 versus 3.73, so with 4.10's the truck will be the same as a 3.55 truck in 1st and 2nd, and 4.10 in 3rd and 4th. That would be poor for a stock 302, but mine will probably hit 250-275hp, which should be fine.

 

[Blk2kXLT]

I put the Torsen in the front of XLT AWD 5.0 and is great in snow. Does make some whine noise when turning far to the left or right.