So I am planning on locking the front of my IFS up this summer. From what I can see it drops in just like another locker. My rear is locked up and I know that being locked in the rear has given me less than great street manners although i do survive with it. What I am wondering is if being locked in the front is going to give me the same effect as the rear? IE: bucking around turns when the wheel wants to hook up, spinning if it doesnt.

From what i can tell none of these problems are there when I clutch in (the way I've realised I needed to adapt to driving with the rear locked). Does that mean that I wont feel the front locker unless I have it in 4wd?

 

It sounds like you have an auto-type locker in the rear, meaning that when no power is at the wheels, it can ratchet and turn like a diff, but when power is added, it will lock up.

If you swap to manual hubs, you shouldn't notice any issues with a front locker. If you don't, i'm not sure how ADD reacts with the locker, you might be fine though.

 

You REALLY need to do an ARB in the front unless you have manual hubs. An autolocker will constantly ratchet and wear out prematurely with an ADD setup.

Also, since you live in NJ, I assume you occassionally need 4WD on the street. If you think turning is, well, "interesting" with a locker in the rear, wait til the front is locked...

 

Having the manual hubs on 4X2 will disengage the auto locker in the front, correct?

 

I wouldnt do it, take tc's advice..

 

Well, with manual hubs, none of the front drive parts (CV's, diff, driveshaft) will be turning when they're unlocked...

 

Ok so i am good to lock the front up since I plan on going with manual hubs. I never new that the ratcheting only took place when I clutched in... that explains alot.

 

ratcheting takes place when there isn't power to the wheels. Manual hubs will help prolong CV life as well. Good choice there.

It will be a pretty big adjustment driving in snow, but i think that has been beat to death too much to go into it much more. Just be careful and take it easy at first.

 

Yeah manual hubs were a choice I decided to go with once I broke my first IFS part. I had a snap in my idler arm which led my wheel to ride at an extreme angle and in return bust up my passenger axle. Those hubs are just one thing on my List of IFS Managment Prevental or LIMP as I like to call it

Manual Hubs
Caddy Idler arm
locker
spair parts