Locker!!!!! Front or Rear?

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Sas eventually but cant right now so ill be going with my d35 which I actually like for the most part

I hear ya, I liked mine too. There will come a day...

My day came when I broke both beams, a shaft, a u-joint, a hub, and tore a brake hose... All in the same day... At the same time. I jumped out of a muddy creek. My fault really, but if the truck won't hold up to what you wanna do, what good is it....?

 

[UrbanRedneckKid]

Sas eventually but cant right now so ill be going with my d35 which I actually like for the most part

I hear ya, I liked mine too. There will come a day...

My day came when I broke both beams, a shaft, a u-joint, a hub, and tore a brake hose... All in the same day... At the same time. I jumped out of a muddy creek. My fault really, but if the truck won't hold up to what you wanna do, what good is it....?

 

[rickybobby]

As far as the strength of the Aussie, I wheel with a heavy right foot occasionally, and have never had an issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LohUdEVm3zo

As you can see in the link mine has been used well and held up

 

[siguaw]

Front!!!

 

[Flip4ford]

a power trax or aussie for the front is all that is required-- Don't spent the money for a selectable locker up front because you can always unlock the hubs or even unlock just a hub if you need a little more traction.

full locker in the rear, ditch the limited slip.

 

[Dweeberman]

I was mistaken in my previous posts here...just thought i would announce that lol

But to the OP, what budget are you looking at? Do you have enough for an aussie up and a selectable rear at the same time? If so, that would settle the whole debate. Aussie is more price efficient and has shown to be strong enough to handle (if properly installed) what you would throw at it. Unless you decide to be a hardcore wheeler, you shouldn't need anything more. Plus if you have future plans of a SAS, dont spend all the money up front.

That said, a selectable in the rear would be nice that way you can "select" what you want at that time. Spend the majority of your money on the rear, not the front. So if you can afford a low priced lunchbox locker for the front and a high end selectable (or whatever you choose), I would go that route. If i had the money, that would be my next step. BUT I will be moving to Montana where the snow and ice is a common thing to drive in, so i may leave my rear with the l/s, but would love to lock the front.

 

[jd4242]

I was mistaken in my previous posts here...just thought i would announce that lol

But to the OP, what budget are you looking at? Do you have enough for an aussie up and a selectable rear at the same time? If so, that would settle the whole debate. Aussie is more price efficient and has shown to be strong enough to handle (if properly installed) what you would throw at it. Unless you decide to be a hardcore wheeler, you shouldn't need anything more. Plus if you have future plans of a SAS, dont spend all the money up front.

That said, a selectable in the rear would be nice that way you can "select" what you want at that time. Spend the majority of your money on the rear, not the front. So if you can afford a low priced lunchbox locker for the front and a high end selectable (or whatever you choose), I would go that route. If i had the money, that would be my next step. BUT I will be moving to Montana where the snow and ice is a common thing to drive in, so i may leave my rear with the l/s, but would love to lock the front.

X2 also if you do go sas in the front, d35 fits more than just explorers (heeps) so easy to sell.
Aussie front and selectable or ls rear if you drive in snow or ice.also a ls or selectable in the rear will save you gas and tires for a dd rig

 

[FROADER]

I read most, but not all of these posts since I'm just telling my opinion based on my experience.

I put a Detroit in the rear and TrueTrac L/S up front in both (one ttb w/35s and one SAS w/36s) of my rigs. I was on a trail in Big Bear and popped a hub midway through. If I didn't have a locker in the back, I would have been stuck or it would have at least been a much longer day than originally planned. I had no problems daily driving it on the street (just don't drive like an ass) and I did that for 3 years as well has beating he crap out of them.

My reasoning for the L/S in the front was so I could still turn with a decent radius. Ask tbars4 (has lunchbox up front) about following me in some ditches that have switchbacks... I also was able to climb a lot of obstacles because I could put my foot on the brake a little to have both front tires grab a little more.

For Moab, I would put a locker in the rear first. There is so much traction there you will be fine with just a rear.

 

[jd4242]

I read most, but not all of these posts since I'm just telling my opinion based on my experience.

I put a Detroit in the rear and TrueTrac L/S up front in both (one ttb w/35s and one SAS w/36s) of my rigs. I was on a trail in Big Bear and popped a hub midway through. If I didn't have a locker in the back, I would have been stuck or it would have at least been a much longer day than originally planned. I had no problems daily driving it on the street (just don't drive like an ass) and I did that for 3 years as well has beating he crap out of them.

My reasoning for the L/S in the front was so I could still turn with a decent radius. Ask tbars4 (has lunchbox up front) about following me in some ditches that have switchbacks... I also was able to climb a lot of obstacles because I could put my foot on the brake a little to have both front tires grab a little more.

For Moab, I would put a locker in the rear first. There is so much traction there you will be fine with just a rear.

With that said l, I dont know what kind of sand is out west but me and xeek both put lockers and gears in the rear first.we then went on a trip to the beach and buried our truck.I made it to the water but left 3foot ruts all the way out then got stuck up to my bummper.personally I would prefer to have to get out and lock both hubs when needed than run a ls up front.if you break a hub up front just lock the other, never lose front wheel drive.the rear is less likely to break and if something does your dead in the water no matter what you have.but yes turning with both fronts locked is not easy at all, I use a spotter in the mountains that unlocks and locks them in for me when sharp turns have to be made.your find you rarely need both front locked tho, but when you do its night and day having both truly locked especially on rocks or deep ruts when one tire is air born

 

[jd4242]

This is why I chose aussie

Front and rear aussie=$600ish for both, true 4x4!!
Arb front=$800+ just for one

If you got money to spend the arb front and rear $$$ but cant see spending that much money.for that price I got gears, lockers and tires

 

[Dweeberman]

With that said l, I dont know what kind of sand is out west but me and xeek both put lockers and gears in the rear first.we then went on a trip to the beach and buried our truck.I made it to the water but left 3foot ruts all the way out then got stuck up to my bummper.personally I would prefer to have to get out and lock both hubs when needed than run a ls up front.if you break a hub up front just lock the other, never lose front wheel drive.the rear is less likely to break and if something does your dead in the water no matter what you have.but yes turning with both fronts locked is not easy at all, I use a spotter in the mountains that unlocks and locks them in for me when sharp turns have to be made.your find you rarely need both front locked tho, but when you do its night and day having both truly locked especially on rocks or deep ruts when one tire is air born

I can definitely agree with the Front Hubs being a Night/Day difference. I had an 89k5 that had locking hubs...well my dumbass self decided to take the road less traveled, and wound up digging a ditch and sinking my rear axle into the dirt (EXTREMELY SOFT GROUND)...now the rear was not locked..but i was not going anywhere and facing uphill. yes going backwards might have gotten me out, except for the tree that was at my rear bumper. The ground was one of those that when you just stand on it, your foot makes a deep impression on the ground. So I locked my front hubs and the mothertrucker pulled out the ground as if i was on the street accelerating...at that point i was amazed by front locking warn hubs.

 

[FROADER]

With that said l, I dont know what kind of sand is out west but me and xeek both put lockers and gears in the rear first.we then went on a trip to the beach and buried our truck.I made it to the water but left 3foot ruts all the way out then got stuck up to my bummper.personally I would prefer to have to get out and lock both hubs when needed than run a ls up front.if you break a hub up front just lock the other, never lose front wheel drive.the rear is less likely to break and if something does your dead in the water no matter what you have.but yes turning with both fronts locked is not easy at all, I use a spotter in the mountains that unlocks and locks them in for me when sharp turns have to be made.your find you rarely need both front locked tho, but when you do its night and day having both truly locked especially on rocks or deep ruts when one tire is air born

Great point for the different types of terrain!

Since the OP is asking about Moab, I think it's better to get the rear first. Again, it's just my opinion, but I'd rather have the rear 8.8 pushing the heavy rig up an obstacle than the front d35 pulling.

 

[jd4242]

Great point for the different types of terrain!

Since the OP is asking about Moab, I think it's better to get the rear first. Again, it's just my opinion, but I'd rather have the rear 8.8 pushing the heavy rig up an obstacle than the front d35 pulling.

I've never been out west so ignore my ignorance. But can you all run just two wheel drive in the sand? Is it like a sand dirt mixture, where its kind of hard packed?do y'all air down at all? Wish we had sand or place to wheel like you all do.around here its so soft you can barley walk in it and the mud has ruts so deep that one tire has to be on hard surface (ls & open equals stuck)if you dont have a front wheel pulling your stuck, no matter the size of tire or how much you let air out in the sand and gota have a locker to hit mud or rocks

 

[FROADER]

I've never been out west so ignore my ignorance. But can you all run just two wheel drive in the sand? Is it like a sand dirt mixture, where its kind of hard packed?do y'all air down at all? Wish we had sand or place to wheel like you all do.around here its so soft you can barley walk in it and the mud has ruts so deep that one tire has to be on hard surface (ls & open equals stuck)if you dont have a front wheel pulling your stuck, no matter the size of tire or how much you let air out in the sand and gota have a locker to hit mud or rocks

Even the 'soft' sand here isn't as nasty as you guys have and we do air down.

Moab is mostly 'slick rock' though, so an AT tire is sometimes better than a more aggressive tread. It's like driving on the street (another advantage to the L/S up front). Search "Dump Bump" Moab on youtube for a good idea of the rock there.

This is me on that obstacle in 2006 with ~bald Pro Comp Xterrains. Yes the front definitely helped pull me up, but that is a more extreme example than most of the trails there. Guys with more aggressive set ups fail miserably on this obstacle.

BTW, my dad sucked at working the camera then...



When I do it again, I will get the E-Locker up front which is a TrueTrac L/S with the option of full lock and the Detroit in the back. No need for a selectable locker in the rear where I wheel.

 

[jd4242]

Even the 'soft' sand here isn't as nasty as you guys have and we do air down.

Moab is mostly 'slick rock' though, so an AT tire is sometimes better than a more aggressive tread. It's like driving on the street (another advantage to the L/S up front). Search "Dump Bump" Moab on youtube for a good idea of the rock there.

This is me on that obstacle in 2006 with ~bald Pro Comp Xterrains. Yes the front definitely helped pull me up, but that is a more extreme example than most of the trails there. Guys with more aggressive set ups fail miserably on this obstacle.

BTW, my dad sucked at working the camera then...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsWC8_RHOf0

When I do it again, I will get the E-Locker up front which is a TrueTrac L/S with the option of full lock and the Detroit in the back. No need for a selectable locker in the rear where I wheel.

Sweet!!! im in the same boat as you.if I had the money a selectable would be in the front.I dont have snow and im use to driving sideways if we did.lol

Like I asked the OP what type of driving and wheeling he does.because honestly thats what you need to consider first.then cash

 

[adamsbro2]

Sweet!!! im in the same boat as you.if I had the money a selectable would be in the front.I dont have snow and im use to driving sideways if we did.lol

Like I asked the OP what type of driving and wheeling he does.because honestly thats what you need to consider first.then cash

I live in utah and its my daily driver...snow and or ice at highway speeds in winter. A little of all tupes of off road but much less in sand and mud

 

[ZTraz77]

Much driving at freeway speeds in 4wheel drive? And how long have you had the aussie? How much offroad have you used it? Ive heard they are kinda weak.

ummm ive driven it a couple of times at 55mph and didnt really notice it but it was a pretty straight road lol. That aussie isnt that old either, i just put it in cause i didnt have the extra money for a detroit for the front while i had it all apart, but for the times its been offroad its done well.

 

[jd4242]

I live in utah and its my daily driver...snow and or ice at highway speeds in winter. A little of all tupes of off road but much less in sand and mud

Lock the front and throw an extra clutch in the back.if you ever get stuck then worry about a rear selectable locker.you wont want a full time locker in the rear if any dd is done in snow or ice

 

[adamsbro2]

Lock the front and throw an extra clutch in the back.if you ever get stuck then worry about a rear selectable locker.you wont want a full time locker in the rear if any dd is done in snow or ice

What about a selectable rear and aussie front how would that do for dd in snow or ice? And how would it do climbing ledges in moab?

 

[jd4242]

What about a selectable rear and aussie front how would that do for dd in snow or ice? And how would it do climbing ledges in moab?

To me that would be best but I would do the front first.cant comment on moab but your talking about being able to lock all four tires, you cant get more traction than that....idle for all situations except sharp turns and even then you can manually unlock the front one hub and turn sharp with 3 wheel drive.only way to get all four locked and be able to turn would be a selectable front and rear.you dont wanna do that to the d35 if you plan on sas.keep the front cheap for now.

Why I say front first is because the rear is ls and as long as both tires stay on ground you dont gain much by a locker because its a ls.the front is open, you gain there with a locker and front tires seem to leave the ground more (rock ledges. .) And you can trick the ls rear by applying the ebrake to act more like a locker.