Spool in front of 96?

[inh]

Since the 96s have the vacuum disconnect on one axel, im thinking i could put a spool in the front differential and it will drive normally on the road, but when i go offroad.. i engage the front axel, put it in 4wd, and have instant cheap locked front end..

Just a thought after reading about how great lockers are in the front.. and spools are much cheaper

thoughts?

 

[Jefe]

good luck turning with a spool in front. I soppose it wouldn't be too bad if you could control the vacuum disconnect. . but it'd be much less hastle (and likely fewer broken parts) to put a powertrax in.

 

[jimbo74]

i dont think anyone makes a spool for the front axle of a 96 explorer

 

[inh]

good luck turning with a spool in front. I soppose it wouldn't be too bad if you could control the vacuum disconnect. . but it'd be much less hastle (and likely fewer broken parts) to put a powertrax in.

Why would it be fewer broken parts? It seemed to me a spool would work great so long as i can control the vacuum disconect..

 

[JDraper]

It'll work if you do the modification to the vacuum disconnect. Check out http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88718

 

[inh]

Yea. thats how the idea came about.. I'm reading through the HUGE front locker thread, and I saw your mod Good job, thanks for saving me the legwork

I want to lock my front, but I am fairly broke.. I figured a spool or a lincoln-locker setup would be nice and cheap, and since i have the vacuum disconnect, as long as i run it in 2wd with the axel disengaged, it should be fine... And then when i want 4wd, i just put the tcase in 4hi or low, and flip a switch to lock my axel..

 

[nissanboy]

even with the disconect it isnt a good idea.

Offroad with it disconeected iy will constantly pull to one side sine the side that isnt disconected will be pulling constantly. This puts 100% of the torque that would go tot he front axles to one axle.

On the road im not sure if you have Auto 4wd on 96's but if it were to kick on you would change lanes as power went to that wheel. The spooled frontend is not good unless you can unloack a hub.

I wouldnt recomend it but to each his own.

 

[JDraper]

I have driven a 96X with a locked front, and the disconnect done. It does not pull, shake or do anything different than if you were running an open differential. The modification to the system overrides the automatic features. The disconnect does the exact same thing as unlocking a hub would. It disconnects the drivetrain from the wheel. I also chucked it in 4WD deliberately to see what would happen, and it did pull to one side, but not enough to move me out of my lane. The mod is very effective and works well.

The '96 also has a 2WD mode so that you're not in a position where the automatic 4WD function kicks in.

 

[nissanboy]

Draper a locker doesnt do the sam ething a spool does though. With a spool there would be no ratcheting and the side not disconected will always be spinning.

 

[jimbo74]

a spool behaves a lot differently then a locker.... lockers will disengage, a spool is solid... turning will suck big time, wear out tires fast, and suck gas mileage, even with the hub halfway disconnected.....

 

[inh]

Thing is, with a spooled front end.. and the tcase in 2wd, you would NEVER know it was spooled.. because of the vacuum disconnect on the passenger side axel would be diconnected until i wanted it engaged. So a spoole would lock the driveshaft and left wheel together all the time, but in 2wd it wouldnt matter.. then if i put the tcase in 4wd, i would have 3wd if i left the passenger axel disconnected.. but engage that as well, and i have instant, easy, cheap locked 4wd up front

 

[JDraper]

Sigh......I know the difference between a locker and a spool and I know how both behave in vehicles. I've been doing this stuff for well over 25 years.....

Jim, you need to read a little before you spout your "knowledge". The modification we are talking about fully disengages the right front wheel of the vehicle. Since the vehicles in question have the Control Trac xfer cases, the left front axle and either the right inner axle stub and/or the driveshaft is spinning all the time. As long as you don't engage 4WD on the highway and lock in the vaccum disconnect you won't have any gas mileage change or wear issues as long as you don't drop it into 4WD.

THE MOD WORKS FINE!