Front Locker Performance in a 2nd Generation Explorer

[Big Jim M]

Ok I spent theday searching and talking to presidents and such...

Now here are the skinny's! The ONLY locking device available for the front of a 1997 up D-35 (IFS and Abs) is the LOCKRIGHT... The no-slip is off of the market. Also checked with Aussie lOCKER. Bill Cole (president) told me that they have nothing at this time but he expects in the 2 or 3 month future to have a working Aussie locker for that front end.
Big Jim

 

[jobunn]

Good to know. Sounds like just a handful of us got a no slip just before they were discontinued.

 

[Big Jim M]

Maybe so but I do not understand it!

Good to know. Sounds like just a handful of us got a no slip just before they were discontinued.

Powertrax claims the No-slip never did work... I had one and they paid me to send it back. Something about the size of the carrier from 97 up and the needed size of the no-slip. I do not doubt you but the company is adamint that it never did work.
Now the lockright is a different story. It does work.
Big Jim

 

[GJarrett]

They all work for us just fine

 

[Jefe]

They all work for us just fine

Plus, I thought it was the Lock-rite that people were having problems installing? I know my No-slip went in like clockwork.

 

[GJarrett]

Yep, I sold two Lockrites last fall when I tried to get people on this wagon and both had install problems, no one with a NoSlip had any problems at all.

 

[jobunn]

Powertrax claims the No-slip never did work... I had one and they paid me to send it back. Something about the size of the carrier from 97 up and the needed size of the no-slip. I do not doubt you but the company is adamint that it never did work.
Now the lockright is a different story. It does work.
Big Jim

Big Jim M, did Richmond say what what specifically, other than the carrier size issues, did not work on this model of the No Slip? I assume some buyers were complaining about something in the operation of it or maybe it just was not installing correctly?

 

[GJarrett]

Big Jim M I'd like to know who you talked to. I just got off the phone with tech support at Richmond gear and both the NoSlip and LockRite are still good part numbers that have not been discontinued; as a matter of fact they are building two 92-0435-2702 NoSlips today to fill a previous order.

 

[Big Jim M]

All of these reports are getting to me!

Big Jim M I'd like to know who you talked to. I just got off the phone with tech support at Richmond gear and both the NoSlip and LockRite are still good part numbers that have not been discontinued; as a matter of fact they are building two 92-0435-2702 NoSlips today to fill a previous order.

Ok I purchased a no-slip from "completeoffroad.com". It was advertised by Richmond to fit 97-up Rangers. This is th D-35 with IFS and ABS! I took the device to my mechanic.
The next day he called and said it would not ENTER the carrier. I called Complete offroad and THEY in turn called Richmond. Then Mike (completeoffroad) called my mechanic and Richmond on a 3-way conversation.
The result of this conversation is that not only will the advertised noslip not go in the carrier but if it DID get in there it will not attach to the axels..
I forget if the axels have C-clips or not but if they do then the advertised model does NOT and if they do NOT then that model does.
In any event Richmond paid the mechanic to put it back together and I got my money back too.
I just received a lockright in the mail yesterday. I was assured by the tech at Richmond that it would fit.
In truth it is SKINNY'R than the noslip was (looks thataway) and I have read the directions... The darn thing will fit either the C-clip or the no C-clip models!
If you will call again and ask around the Richmond shop you will find someone that will tell you that no matter if it is still in the catalog it WILL NOT WORK!
I am stunned that some of us here say it works for them... Richmond Tekkie told me it never has been developed and never has fit in the carrier.
BUT he sez the lockright does work and told me maybe the guys that told me they had a noslip were confused and actually had a lockright. Remember We are speaking of the D-35 IFS & ABS!
Big Jim

 

[Big Jim M]

Nope nothing like that!

Big Jim M, did Richmond say what what specifically, other than the carrier size issues, did not work on this model of the No Slip? I assume some buyers were complaining about something in the operation of it or maybe it just was not installing correctly?

Howdy JB
Nope All I have heard from them is that neither they nor anyone else have got the D-35 IFS 7 ABS sliplocker to work.. except for the lockright nothing works. I cannot explain why they have not taken it out of their catalog.
Big Jim

 

[Big Jim M]

Big Jim M I'd like to know who you talked to. I just got off the phone with tech support at Richmond gear and both the NoSlip and LockRite are still good part numbers that have not been discontinued; as a matter of fact they are building two 92-0435-2702 NoSlips today to fill a previous order.

Howdy Gerald
And to make my last post this evening, I will say this. If YOU are anyone else here can get me a no-slip that will go in and work in my D-35 IFS & ABS.. I will send this lockright back and buy whatever it is you find.
Big Jim

 

[jasonb]

big jim.. there are many of us running the no slip in our front diff. i am one of them. its a "d35" IFS with ABS. no matter how much they tell you they don't make it and never did, i have one! its in there now. it works. nothing didn't work. perfect fit. gerald has one. jobunn has one. there are others that have them! jefe had one. go offroad had one. desert spive had one. those last two ran them in rangers.
we are not confused about having no-slips over lockrites. the two that got lockrites recently were the ones that issues with the install! josh adams is one of them. his works. premier is one of them. his works.
heck here are some pics for you. the first is the day mine came in the mail. the box even says no-slip on it. its got the no-slip part # that i ordered. it looks exactly like the no-slip in the rear just smaller. its a no-slip. the next pic is of the day i cracked open the front diff to install it.
what i'm trying to tell you is.. there is a no-slip for the IFS front end of 95+ explorers and 98+ (or whatever year they switched) rangers. and they WORK!

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12953&stc=1

 

[Big Jim M]

Howdy Jason

big jim.. there are many of us running the no slip in our front diff. i am one of them. its a "d35" IFS with ABS. no matter how much they tell you they don't make it and never did, i have one! its in there now. it works. nothing didn't work. perfect fit. gerald has one. jobunn has one. there are others that have them! jefe had one. go offroad had one. desert spive had one. those last two ran them in rangers.
we are not confused about having no-slips over lockrites. the two that got lockrites recently were the ones that issues with the install! josh adams is one of them. his works. premier is one of them. his works.
heck here are some pics for you. the first is the day mine came in the mail. the box even says no-slip on it. its got the no-slip part # that i ordered. it looks exactly like the no-slip in the rear just smaller. its a no-slip. the next pic is of the day i cracked open the front diff to install it.
what i'm trying to tell you is.. there is a no-slip for the IFS front end of 95+ explorers and 98+ (or whatever year they switched) rangers. and they WORK!

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12953&stc=1

You make statements equally as strong as I do.. I MUST believe that you know what you are talkin about.. Damn! Now here I am with a lockright and what I really want is a no-slip.
I am calling richmond right now and I will be back here in a few..
Big Jim

 

[Big Jim M]

Ok so now MAYBE I know!

I spoke with Jeff at Richmond and got from him that they have crossed out the D-35 IFS ABS part number from their catalog. He does not know why?
So I called Randy's Gear in Washington State.. I spoke to Grant. I got an earful from him.
Grant told me that to his knowledge their has never been a locker and is not NOW a locker for a dana 35 IFS ABS with standard gears... This means the ones with the C/V joints!
However there has been a locker that fits the Dana 35's that have the reverse driveshaft...(they have the U-joints at the axel/wheel joint).
So, most all of the 97 1/2 to 01 Dana-35 front axels are of the C/V joint models... This leaves me out completely for a locker.
A question here for you readers.. Do you have a locker AND constant velocity front axel joints? If so please report here..
Hey guys I could be very wrong here. I am simply reporting my experiences trying to put a no-slip in the front of my 99 Ranger.
BigJim

 

[jobunn]

A question here for you readers.. Do you have a locker AND constant velocity front axel joints? If so please report here..
Hey guys I could be very wrong here. I am simply reporting my experiences trying to put a no-slip in the front of my 99 Ranger.
BigJim

I believe all rangers and explorers went front IFS with CV joints 95 and up. I have a Powertrax No Slip 92-0435-2702 in mine. Works well too.

 

[JDraper]

Powertrax lockers are available for the 95-01 IFS Explorers (Axles with CV joints). I installed one in the front of ExplorerEB96's truck last year. The No-Slip part # is 92-0435-2702, and the Lock-Right part # is 2311S2. I put the lock right in her truck and it works well.

 

[Bronco638]

I hope this gets cleared up, I had planned to install a NoSlip in both diffs. Please continue to post updates.

Thanks, Dave.

 

[jasonb]

there is nothing that needs clearing up.. they make them! all of the IFS explorers have CVs.. it doesn't matter what year IFS you get. its got CVs. every 4x4 explorer from 95 up has CVs and a "d35".
jim.. no offense, but i don't think you want to believe us. i don't know how many times we can tell you that we have them in our trucks. we didn't all gather up at a machine shop and cut them ourselves. we got them from powertrax because they are the only company that makes them for our application. maybe they are discontinuing them. i don't know.
most people don't deal with explorer related stuff so they don't know the answers to these things and just rattle off what they assume. i've had folks at 4x4 shops swear to me that my explorer is unibody! and that i couldn't lock it. the same guy who has an 8.8 rear end from an explorer under his jeep and has locked it will tell you that!

 

[Jefe]

No-slip installed:

 

[Nitrous SSC]

I asked this on its own thread but maybe I'll ask here.

with me having AWD am I basicly screwed on putting a no-slip up front? Cause I can't exactly turn off my AWD.

if I can't is there a way I can put a traction-lok up there? I'm getting a no-slip for the rear for sure.