4.88'S on a daily driver

[Clusterpup]

I'm thinking about doing 4.56 gearing and lockers front and rear after everything goes on. My truck came stock with 3.73s on 235/75-15s and now i'm on the verge on putting on my 33x13.50x15s, i definitely want more torque and acceleration for my 4.0L V6. I really dont care for speed, i'm content with 80mph as a top speed.

I never go more then 70, usually I'm at 65. I don't think my truck can do any evasive maneuver at more then 65 without losing control.

 

[gmanpaint]

Depends what lockers is used. Selectable lockers are open carrier when not engaged and you wont even know they are there when turned off.

All the talk of hard steering and hard control on the road are with automatic lockers/spools.


ARB selectable lockers are expensive, but you get what you pay for. For a DD that goes off road, or a trail rig that drives itself to the trails, this is the best choice if it fits in your budget.

 

[LONO100]

agreed. you get a set of selectables, and its a different story.

 

[Gse Brent]

Well as for lockers i was looking at the powertrax lockright. But can you put a locker in the rear and not in the front with me being 4wd? Also with gearing same question, if i do 4.56 i have to do both front and rear diffs? Even if my truck is a dd with occasional offroading.

 

[Clusterpup]

Well as for lockers i was looking at the powertrax lockright. But can you put a locker in the rear and not in the front with me being 4wd? Also with gearing same question, if i do 4.56 i have to do both front and rear diffs? Even if my truck is a dd with occasional offroading.

If you are regearing you need to regear both diffs. Yes you can run a locker in only the rear diff, thats what I run. I have an Aussie in the rear and the front is open. I plan on putting a good limited slip in the front in the future to get more traction in the mud. If I had the funds I would put an ARB in the front and rear.

 

[OffTrac]

I don't think I'd put a locker in the stock front suspension, but that's just me. For the rear, definitely.

 

[Gse Brent]

Well glad i got that info before i bought a locker for the front. What do the ARB lockers run price wise? I know the powertrax i was looking at were around $330.

 

[LONO100]

arb in the front? youre looking at spending 600-900 depending on if you can install it yourselfor will need to get someone to do it.

 

[IZwack]

arb in the front? youre looking at spending 600-900 depending on if you can install it yourselfor will need to get someone to do it.

Plus if anything goes wrong, its not like you can just pop the differential cover. Nope, you have to drop the entire axle housing just to access the carrier - and that of course means pulling at least one wheel bearing and axle shaft.

 

[OffTrac]

I have been corrected....Read on...

 

[LONO100]

i forgot to mention that you would also need to buy a compressor and find a place to install it if you go arb lockers. so if you got 2 arb lockers front and rear, compressor and install, thats about 2500-3000 right there. your best move is to regear (both diffs) to 4.56 and then get a powertrax or aussie locker for the rear. you should be good to go with that.

 

[TmacTrac]

nah, just buy a little gas-friendly truck and a nice trailer. the gas money saved will pay for everything

 

[gmanpaint]

You're also looking at destroying the D35 by putting a locker in the front. So, go ahead and figure that into your "maintenance" costs.

Please explain your statement in further detail if you would.

The CV axles will go out before anything else does. I should know as I have a locked front D35 with a Lockright and have had no issues whatsoever with it, and I wheel the snot out of it.

Having a locked front diff is when the "REAL" 4wd experience begins. Pulling & pushing over obstacles is better than just pushing with a rear locker alone.

Limited Slip is also great for the front. Jeep rear D35 track lock LS will work in the front diff of our rigs, and give up to 90% traction. They run just under $300 new. I suggest this set up in the Live axles used from '97+ 2nd gen.

'95-'96 CAD D35 set up, can run a lunchbox/auto locker with a simple addition of a double throw switch to unlock/lock the pass side axle. This axle can be swapped in a '97+ 2nd gen rig.

 

[OffTrac]

I guess I can't really explain it as I don't have any experience with it. I just seem to remember reading some stories on here about the weakness of the front D35 being compounded by adding a locker. Perhaps only because it gets pushed further when it is able to do more. I had pretty much given up on the idea of locking the front because of some of the stuff I've read on here, but if what you say is true (and I have no reason to doubt you), then I may put that back into consideration if the SAS stays too far in the distance. Thanks for clearing it up. Excuse my ignorance.

 

[IZwack]

Just to get this out on the table: One of the weaknesses of the Explorer's front axle are the carrier caps - they are aluminum (and somewhat poorly designed with a stress riser near the inner corner of the flat spot where the bolt's head rests against) and can fracture under high torque and/or high impulse (4LO + deep gears + large tires). Of course most drivers won't really notice anything because the carrier bearings do remain in place (as long as the bolts do not start backing out) and, as mentioned in a previous post, the differential cover isnt exactly very easy to get to and remove (on Gen 2+ Explorers) so inspections are very rare. But we can all speculate what could happen once one end of the carrier is allowed to deflect under high load.

from: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=294348

Maybe you could go with a diff cover with "girdles" to minimize the chances of fracturing a cap - but IMO that's more of a "band aid" solution.

 

[Clusterpup]

Please explain your statement in further detail if you would.

The CV axles will go out before anything else does. I should know as I have a locked front D35 with a Lockright and have had no issues whatsoever with it, and I wheel the snot out of it.

Having a locked front diff is when the "REAL" 4wd experience begins. Pulling & pushing over obstacles is better than just pushing with a rear locker alone.

Limited Slip is also great for the front. Jeep rear D35 track lock LS will work in the front diff of our rigs, and give up to 90% traction. They run just under $300 new. I suggest this set up in the Live axles used from '97+ 2nd gen.

'95-'96 CAD D35 set up, can run a lunchbox/auto locker with a simple addition of a double throw switch to unlock/lock the pass side axle. This axle can be swapped in a '97+ 2nd gen rig.

Thanks for the info about the Jeep Track Lock. I will take a look at those. I just want a LS for my front.

 

[Gse Brent]

i forgot to mention that you would also need to buy a compressor and find a place to install it if you go arb lockers. so if you got 2 arb lockers front and rear, compressor and install, thats about 2500-3000 right there. your best move is to regear (both diffs) to 4.56 and then get a powertrax or aussie locker for the rear. you should be good to go with that.

Yup leaning towards that route. I cant fork out that kind of money.

 

[gmanpaint]

If for some reason the caps on the D35 bearings do snap, these diff/axles are cheap to replace. You should replace the entire diff as those caps are machined specific(side to side as well) for each case individually. I really think it's a rarity that it would happen anyways, but is possible as our good Senator Izwack pointed out.

 

[IZwack]

I really think it's a rarity that it would happen anyways, but is possible as our good Senator Izwack pointed out.

That kinda leads to my point - most people don't know because they never actually have the chance to open the differential, and even when they do, oil (especially when its cold when and has a higher viscosity and clings to parts easier) covers it up and makes it hard to see the fracture. Mine broke and didn't know it until the guy I sold the axle assembly to pointed it out.

The broken cap situation is similar to the broken gear that sometimes happens to the BW-4405 transfer case (image here - happened to me too). The driver doesnt know about it because the vehicle still drives just fine on the streets, and not many actually tear down the t-case to see the inner parts. I didn't know that the t-case gear was cracked until I was trying to scavenge parts to rebuild another 4405.



[/hijack]

 

[Glen4X4]

Thanks for the info about the Jeep Track Lock. I will take a look at those. I just want a LS for my front.

I looked into this awhile back, and am putting one in my front as soon as a friend takes it out of his rear and puts his locker in.