A buddy of mine and I were having a talk the other day about the plan I have devised in my head as to what order to mod my truck.

The next item on my list is a front lunchbox locker (I'm thinking I'll get an Aussie). He was wondering why people always seem to get a rear locker before a front.... But I tend to lift my front end more and could use the extra pull up obstacles. I have manual hubs now and have plans to add a twin stick so I can easily select 2-Lo if I need it to make a sharp corner with the automatic front locker. I plan on running an ARB in the rear because it is selectable.

Basically, I have some money set aside right now for some mods..... So throw out ideas and a vote.

Thanks!
Steve

 

i say front locker.. will help out greatly, and wont make any compromise on road when disengaged

 

I plan on installing the twin stick when I spring for some 4.7 t-case gears from Marlin.

The front locker made sense to me, but my friend was just really confused at my thought process behind locking the front first since people seem to always do the rear.

 

I always find that my rear lifts off the ground alot more...

 

Yeah, I do lift my rear as well... but the times that I feel I need more traction climbing something have been when I've been spinning a front wheel.

 

For instance, I was climbing a 2-3' ledge in Death Valley and there was a spot worn very slick in the rock. That front tire was the only tire spinning, the rear was fairly firmly planted. I had to bounce the front up and over and then pull the rear up which was scary due to the squeeze I was climbing in.

 

Positive aspects of having locker in front:
Weight is up front
Can be disabled with manual hubs when on the street

Negative:
Will definately break axles/joints esp when bouncing and/or with twin stick
Very difficult to turn with front auto locker when wheeling
Can only be disabled with manual hubs, sacrificing 4wd for "1wd"
Always engaged when under power

IMHO get the arb up front and an auto in the rear.

 

My understanding was that with a twin stick setup from Marlin on my current t-case, I could run 2-Lo (Rear), therefore no power would be applied to the front diff - therefore the locker would be disengaged even if the hubs are locked. Turning shouldn't be a problem.

Hopefully with the front locked, bouncing the front end over obstacles shouldn't be a problem. More traction should get me over the obstacles I've had to bounce in the past.

 

Steve,
I think Phalanx hit the reasons: easy to grenade the front diff/cv's, front is weaker than rear and difficult to steer is why most get the rear locker first. Ostensibly you will get more use out of the rr locker and then get the front for fully locked situations, not for front-only locked situations.

 

Ditto what these other guys have said. Just being locked in the rear gets me into enough trouble as it is, with less risk of breakage.

 

I have an ARB locker in the front and rear and I use the rear 10 times more than the front. It is nearly impossible to steer on the trail with the front locked. I just lock the front if I'm going straight (like straight up a steep hill) or through mud.

 

If you get the ball joint spacers later, you will have more flex and therefore lift less. With that said, you'll be lifting your rear more and it will make even more sense to have the rear locked.

I watched Marc P put his bj spacers to work this weekend, flex is respectable. I think the combo of rear locker and front BJ's will make you pretty capable.

 

That is understandable, but getting a rear selectable locker is in a completely different price catagory for me. I've always thought I would wait until I needed gears to do the rear locker.

Here's what I'm thinking:
Option 1) Front locker, BJ Spacers, rear shackles
Option 2) Save up a little more and order a front tube bumper from Badlands.

I also have a b-day coming up and I'm going to ask for new tires. My dad had offered to put 2 new Geolanders on there because one has a slash on the sidewall.... So I'm going to ask him to hold off on that and use the money toward bigger tires.

 

I have a Lockright in the front of my rig, and it has helped out in quite a few situations, but as stated it is almost impossible to turn the tires (on rocks)when locked. I have yet to have the misfortune of breaking stuff, but I'm sure ny time will come. If you wheel it moderatly and use the skinny peadal too much you can get away with it. If I had to do it over again I would have put it in the rear. But that was over 10 yeaars ago!

 

Seaflea: How long have you had the downey rear springs? and how have they held up?

 

I agree. The rear is so much stronger on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Gen 4Runners than the front, you wouldn't want to put that kind of stress up front when the rear isn't near its limit.

 

I've had them for about 7 years now. I think they have help up well. They have "settled in" a bit from when they were new, but overall I think they are worth the money. I also have used rancho add-a-leafs on there, so that may be why they have been so long lasting.

 

i drive in 4wd alot on the freeway in snow and ice, a non-selectable locker in the front would make this impossible [at speed] i've heard that with a front locker on ice about all you can do is go in a straight line...

 

Why not BJ spacers,shackles, and a rear detroit soft locker? I'll second that Marc P gets pretty good flex and goes everywhere he wants to go with that combo. Unless it's up a sand dune then the 3.0 factor kicks in.

Phalanx also has the detroit in the rear and has the spacers in hand,just needs to install them. His truck can also "git 'er done"

The other thing I was wondering is the difference in the 2 choices up there:
1 is leaning more towards wheeling and good off road ability
2 is more like:"I want the coolest looking truck at the mall!" badlands bumper and no locker isn't gonna do much for your ability to tackle tough trails.

I guess it depends on how you're gonna use your truck. The detroit is gonna get you a whole lot more places than a high clearance front bumper will.
Either way I would avoid the locker in the front, for exactly the reasons everyone has mentioned. The main one being strength of components and the second one being turning ability.

 

No, I wheel the truck. I bolted my current bumper together and it's not even strong enough to stand on - My theory behind getting the Badlands Bumper now is that I can save up for a winch my summer. I don't earn enough to do all of these things at once. I really want to wait to do the rear locker until I need gears and when I get gears I want to get a selectable locker. This may happen by next christmas, we'll have to see. It depends on when money comes in and side jobs and such. Being in college sucks for earning money and finding a place and time to install parts.

I do understand the turning issues (and snow/ice issues) and the bumper upgrade would be for strength (in case of crash) and for a winch somday. I know it won't get me very far on hard trails, but at least I won't be afraid of using it to push my nose up an obstacle.

I'm leaning toward getting the lift items on my own and asking for new tires for my b-day. I'm also thinking about getting a high clearance transfer case skid/brace and maybe a new steering stabilizer. Just some ideas. I really don't want to spend the time/money in putting in a rear lunchbox locker.