Front Locker Performance in a 2nd Generation Explorer

[Big Jim M]

You are WRONG on that point Jason!

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!

I do believe you... I guess I have had the biggest bunch of stupid idiots around me that one person could have. I am gonna get me a 92-0435-2702
and put the damn thing in myself.
One question. What holds the axel in to the pumpkin? Are there C-clips? My stupid Jeep mechanic said that even if the locker would go inside of the pumpkin he could not see what would hold the axel.

Ok so here is a list of stupid folks.
1. The Jeep mechanic. (JustJeeps)
2. The vendor (completeoffroad.com)
3. Whoever at Richmond the two of the above spoke with.
4. The guy at Richmond that spoke with me 2 weeks ago and said
Only the lockright would work in the axel I have.
5. Jeff at Richmond that I spoke with today. He sez they have stopped
production and nothing will fit in my axel.
6 Then there is Grant at Randy's Gear that today told me that there has
never been a locker that would work in my front end..
So you see it was at first very hard to believe that you guys really had a
genuine no-slip in your front ends.
I am a believer now... Do I have to sign it in BLOOD?
I think I am getting a slightly used no-slip from a member here.. I hope anyway. Or as a last resort I will put this new lockright in there..
Big Jim

 

[jasonb]

jeff at richmond may be correct. it is possible that they stopped production and nobody sees it on their computer or something. who knows. i doubt they were selling a ton of them so its very feasable. i don't know why those others would tell you none ever were made. i guess they just didn't feel like researching and assumed some stupid kid with an explorer will go away if you don't help him out.. dunno. its also possible they sent you a wrong part the first time and that's why the guy couldn't install it. i'm sure its happened before.
in general, you can expect offroad places to know very little about explorers unless by chance you get ahold of a place that has actually done work on one. not many. like i said.. i've had these guys tell me my vehicle was unibody before and that there are no lifts for it. that was after superlift and trailmaster released lifts for it. this was also with my lifted explorer sitting out in the parking lot! some people just don't care. i guess they figure.. an explorer.. who cares. blow that guy off.

as far as the CV axles being held in... basically they stay in thanks to the diff and the hub assembly. they are sandwiched between basically and have nowhere to go. there are no C-clips holding it in place. once you get the spindle and hub assembly out of the way, you just pull them right out of the diff. its that simple. getting past the 200+ ftlb spindle nut is the toughest part!
glad you decided to take our word for it. some of the guys here (not me) know more about explorers than anyone at ford does. its great!

 

[Jefe]

as far as the CV axles being held in... basically they stay in thanks to the diff and the hub assembly. they are sandwiched between basically and have nowhere to go. there are no C-clips holding it in place. once you get the spindle and hub assembly out of the way, you just pull them right out of the diff. its that simple. getting past the 200+ ftlb spindle nut is the toughest part!

Actually, there ARE circlips (not c-clips) on the ends of the half-axle. They do a fine job of holding the axle in to the spider gears, but the locker is not machined to accept the circlip so the axle just 'wanders' around. Thats not a problem though, since as mentioned, it doesn't really have anywhere to go.

 

[Big Jim M]

Ok that tells me something

Actually, there ARE circlips (not c-clips) on the ends of the half-axle. They do a fine job of holding the axle in to the spider gears, but the locker is not machined to accept the circlip so the axle just 'wanders' around. Thats not a problem though, since as mentioned, it doesn't really have anywhere to go.

That may be why the Jeep mechanic said there was nothing to hold in the noslip even if it would go inside of the carrier. He did say the axels would slip right out of the carrier.
Thanks I needed that.
Big Jim

 

[Bronco638]

I may have stumbled on to the reason for a 'shortage' of the NoSlip units. I had planned to buy these lockers for the front and rear diffs after reading this thread (and a few others). Money was a little tight but I figured this would make a good winter ('04-'05) project so why buy now? Well, it appears that when Richmond Gear purchased PowerTrax, and moved the operation from southern California to South Carolina, some of the tooling was not in working order. This may have affected Richmond's output or decision to cease production (as jasonb mentioned). Now, this is second hand information at best and Gerald mentioned that two were in production to fill an order. So, who knows. I have also seen threads here concerning different carriers for different model year Explorers. Perhaps that's what Big Jim M ran into? Anyway, I have a source with 4 in stock. If anyone is desperate for one of these units, let me know.

Dave.

 

[jasonb]

national drivetrain always had some in stock when i called before i got mine. don't know if that's who you source is but they were good.

 

[Vozar]

First, i have had some problems also when a shop installed my front. I brought them the lockright and they double checked my front difs serial number and the locker and they said that no one makes a locker for my front. I was like WTF! They said they could try the install and see if it fit. I new it would fit! Well it fit when they tried it and they looked like assholes. I think some companies are discontuing it for some weird reason. I also have to say i love the front locker. I have a question though,

The lockright is a bit noisy in the front with the ratcheting(which i like) but i also hear some chafing noise that goes away when i turn. Any idea what that is?

Front locker is worth every penny! If you dont have one Get one!!!

 

[Bronco638]

jason, my source is not national drivetrain but thanks for the (future) parts source tip. As soon as I get mine ordered, I'll be happy to share.
D.

 

[Big Jim M]

I do NOT wish bad luck on anyone!

First, i have had some problems also when a shop installed my front. I brought them the lockright and they double checked my front difs serial number and the locker and they said that no one makes a locker for my front. I was like WTF! They said they could try the install and see if it fit. I new it would fit! Well it fit when they tried it and they looked like assholes. I think some companies are discontuing it for some weird reason. I also have to say i love the front locker. I have a question though,

The lockright is a bit noisy in the front with the ratcheting(which i like) but i also hear some chafing noise that goes away when i turn. Any idea what that is?

Front locker is worth every penny! If you dont have one Get one!!!

BUT! I sure am happy to see someone else has had problems with folks not knowing what they were selling.. Or what to do with the product after they received it. Particularly the no-slip from Richmond.
Big JIm

 

[GJarrett]

I can attest to everything they've said, it has happened to me several times - I can't count the amount of bad info I've received trying to get the "help" of 4x4 shops.

Just remember, you have an Explorer...... you will constantly find yourself talking to 4x4 shop "experts" who will strive to impress you with their expertise. Well, they're experts on Jeeps. Whenever you find yourself in that situation, just ask the expert, "how many Explorers have you done?" When he says "zero" and you hear conflicting info from the hundreds of us on this board that have real world experience and use the things ourselves, the next question to ask yourself is "who is right, a guy who's never worked on one, or hundreds of experienced Explorer fourwheeling owners who are using them?". That should help clarify things a bit

 

[Bronco638]

I ordered mine this morning. Drive Train Specialists of Warren Michigan has three more in stock, if anyone is interested. DTS.
Dave.

 

[Trail Runner]

Well, it seams that due to the resent rumor/info that ProwerTrax will quit making the 02-0435-2702 locker, they all of a sudden have been hard to find. So I decided to look at the Aussie locker (part no. XD-13527B) https://offroadlockers.com/trucks.html Does anyone have any thoughts on this.

Edit: All though it would help if the assie was available to buy. hmmmm

 

[jasonb]

yeah.. you're gonna be waiting longer for that one. they don't have one.

nm.. i see your edit!

 

[Bronco638]

TR,
I had planned to wait until this fall to buy mine. But, what I feared appears to be coming true, they're now difficult to find. I'm sure someone has these in stock but they'll probably be in small numbers (like DTS). Good Luck locating one.
Dave.

 

[Trail Runner]

Yea DTS is SOLD OUT!

 

[jasonb]

give national drivetrain a call. they always some when i called them back then.

 

[Nitrous SSC]

I hate to repost a question but am I screwed with getting a front no-slip because of my AWD?

 

[Premier]

Yup pretty much.

You might be able to do a t-case swap.

 

[Bronco638]

Nitrous,
Couldn't you do the brown wire mod to activate the t-case by switch? Or, is that not a good idea on an AWD Ex?

Dave.

 

[Premier]

Its just not do-able.