So I spent the last 2 day searching and everything that i came up with referenced tire size.

I just acquired 2 3rd members with ARB lockers 5:29 gears and all hardware (lines switches compressor...) to install in my truck for 1100.00 (they look almost brand new) I currently have stock 4:10 in my truck so i gotta do them both at the same time. I want to get them in sooner then later but i am concerned about the breaking a BIRF. I have 32" tall tires which should be ok but if it is something I should be concerned about I want to upgrade the axles before I install the lockers.

I have never wheeled with lockers and I want to make sure I dont break something being stupid.

Do you guys think I should be ok with the stock birfs till i go to 35's and more lift in about 12 months or should I save up and do the birfs before now?

Thanks,

 

i would wait to do it all at once 5.29s and lockers with 32s is going to be a little much. just my opinion

 

the truck hardly ever sees the freeway 1 or 2 times a month. If driven its under 45 MPH so I am not worried about that aspect. I am primarly concerened about breaking an axle while wheeling.

 

i think you would be fine with 32" tires, stock birfs are pretty stout imho. nothing compares to long-fields of course. if you have the money and the patience i say wait and do it all at once. it would be easier anyways. but if your like me and cant wait, just put them in and wheel the piss out of it until something breaks. then fix it/upgrade.

 

With all due respect, I would disagree with the last part of your post TOY 1. If you plan on being out in the bush, wheeling hard, then you better hope you have the tough stuff on your rig. Stock birfs ARE tough... but locked, with 35's, hanging a tire and then coming down hard are enough to break them, potentially even with just 32's. All it takes is the right amount of force.
I think I would agree with the first idea you had...

To the OP:

Save up, do it right the first time. Learn from a lot of us that didn't and lived to regret it. I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck far from the road with a busted birf wishing I would have been patient and put in the good stuff....

Just my 2c.

 

well they are selectible lockers, worried about breaking something just don't turn em on and you'll be fine. In my opinion I'd like to have them in there just in case you needed em.

 

Frankly, if never use 4x4 on the road, I'd do an auto locker as the allow one wheel to travel faster around corners, so if you need to be locked, and are going around a corner, the selectable in this case would probably be easier on axles.

IFS truck (slightly weaker axles) are supposed to handle tires up to a 33 while locked. I think you'll be fine with stock birfs.

 

its gonna take me 4-6 months to get the funds for the longfields cause I am also about to start the 22r to 22re swap. Anybody else running a locked front axle on stock axles...besides bringing a tire down how else have you guys broken axles so I know what to look out for?

Thanks

 

yea most people would lol.. i agree that doing it right the first time is the best way. but i believe that stock burfs would work just fine for the op. you would have to be beating the living snot out of your truck to break a birf with 32" tires. dont get me wrong it could happen. but chances are he would be fine.. i run stock birfs with 35"boggers, never broke one. ive busted my front pinion in half once and the axels held up fine!

 

thats about it, besides driving on the pavement locked up in 4 lo with the wheels turned all the way lol..

but i know you smarter than that

 

I sure like to hope so...

Cool well I guess I will be putting them in the next 2 weeks. I gotta get new fluid I am gonna go royal purple for now got a good deal on some

Thanks

 

You will be fine.

I've got 4.88's on an IFS ARB'd front end, and haven't broken an axle yet. Granted, you are getting a bit more torque output.

However, the key here is the following:

KNOW YOUR SYSTEM AND DRIVE ACCORDINGLY. You have stock birfs: so, don't crank the wheel over full lock and then try and give it a bunch of gas while locked, and you'll be okay. Try not to hammer the gas or bounce the truck.

If you drive smart, you'll be just fine. However, make damn sure you know how to fix it if it breaks, and carry spare parts.

 

I just rebulit the front axle (new seals throughout). I have crawled up some things here in texas were the front end has bounced but I was not giving it a lot of gas i guess I will just have to be more careful or chalk it up as a learning experience

 

you will be fine lol... just dint let those front tires come to far off the ground during a bounce. you dont want it to bounce at all really, but in rocks, dry dirt, "high traction surfaces" it will bounce/hop.

 

I was in a bunch of white rock and the it just hopped a couple times I couldn't imagine it hopped more then 4-6 inches in the air

 

Lots of power + lots of throttle/aggro driving + low gears/big tires + lockers = boom.

Be careful and keep your foot out of it, and you should be fine.

 

I get what your saying but its a 22r lots of power

come on now lets not lie to ourselves

 

While lots of power will get you into trouble, where there seems to be the most breakage w/ front lockers is when the steering is locked, the truck bounces, allowing the free wheel to gain momentum, then coming back down hard. The wheel stops, but the birf (or, in the case of IFS, the CV axle) is still essentially turning. You really don't need a LOT of power for that to happen, just the right amount of torque.

You *should* be ok...but I guess the question is do want to hope you'll be ok, or know you'll be ok?

 

i would like to know i will be ok but i really want to wheel with lockers to see how much different it really is