Hey guys,
Been searching for a while and can't find a definitive answer as to if the 3rd gens IRS 8.8 can except a standard 8.8 locker. Primarily was interested in a lunchbox locker. Saw a few have installed them but required modifications. Was wondering what the mods were and how difficult? Thanks alot, this forum has already given me alot of info.
Yes it will work.
You DO need to remove the differential from the truck, which means you need to remove brakes, rotors, hubs, and pop the axles out too. Thats probably the hardest part about the whole thing.
I can only speak to the Aussie Locker as that is the one I am using, but if the Powertrax locker is similar then it might work too.
Take a look at this pic first:
See those two round washer-looking things in the middle row? Those are called spacers. The problem with the 8.8 Aussie kit as you buy it is the holes in those spacers are too small to allow the IRS axles through the hole in the middle, which keeps the axles from allowing to be fully inserted into the differential. The IRS axles are bigger in diameter at the ends than the solid axle shafts. It's REALLY important that you be able to get the axles in all the way in, since the IRS doesn't use C-Clips on its axles, but circlips at the very end. Without these locking into the diff properly, your axle can just walk right out of the diff housing.
So, with that said, the mods required are pretty simple:
-You need to enlarge the hole in the middle of the spacers to 1.370 inches to allow the IRS axles to come all the way through and lock inside the diff
-One person I know of still had issues with the axles getting in quite far enough to lock, so he filed a bit off of the ends of the axles so they'd go into the diff a bit farther and lock
-Another guy did the same thing by shaving some thickness off of the spacers (not sure how much he did). This is tricky because it will affect the operating clearances of the locker, so don't go over about .010
The locker is made of very very hard steel, so I recommend you take it to a machine shop to get it done. They did a good job (alot better than I could do with a dremel or die grinder lol). Also, it's important that the amount of metal taken off is even all over the spacer, especially if you shave off the thickness of them.
That's about all there is to it. The operating clearance measurements still apply as they do with the solid axle 8.8.
