I have been working on my 83 for the past couple months. 120 dollar CL motor, 50 dollar lift springs, DT shocks, shackle lift in rear, v6 calipers, fj80 mc, rebuilt front end, Marlin HD clutch, bucket seats out of some ford car. I am running 31's right now but would really like to put my 33 bfg at's off my K5 on. I want to re-gear to 4.88's and possibly install a locker. My question is should I lock the front or rear? This is my daily driver and I am getting around 20mpgs with 31's right now so I don't think there will be much of a loss with 33's if I re-gear but I would like the extra traction of a locker. I will be DDing it and hunting a lot but would like to get into some moderate 4wdriving in the future. Was thinking about an Aussie Locker in the front due to their rep and price. Would put it there because thats where most of the weight is but am concerned about turning in the snow/ice on the road. Would love arb's front and rear but I have spent 1000 on it so far and re-gearing it will come close to that...

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

If it's in the front you'll never know it was there until you were in 4WD, and on a more firmer surface.


If it was in the rear, you'd know it. And snow and icy conditions you better... Or you might find yourself slipping and a sliding.

The Aussie is vary light and smooth so front or rear would be fine, just know that and drive accordingly for the situations...

Fronts (Birfields) hate to be locked and turned... That's when things go pop.

Also, the more softer the goo, the wheels just won't turn the truck. The wheels will be turned, but you'll just be going straight...

Usually if you're in that much goo turning will be hard anyway. And if you find yourself in that situation just modulate the throttle to unlock it and let one wheel pull you and one bight to get you to turn.

 

Tried4x2 is dead on....Just lock the rear. I have Aussie's Front and Rear, I wish I had a selectable (ARB or E-locker) up front ... Had to drive home when i lost the rear driveshaft...locked up front sucked...

 

that's a good point Robb! (about losing the driveshaft..and driving home on a locked front axle.)

selectable up front is the way to go

 

do the rear for now and call it good.

 

Install the rear locker first........ If your going to regear I would plan on installing lockers both front and rear at the same time. That will cost more money up front but will save you money in the long run.

 

one more vote for the rear

 

For 95% of the people I've seen its a natural progression to lock the rear first.
Save the strain on the front end for when you start getting into the big stuff.

 

I'll try to say this in a little more details so others may understand. If you are going to run your current gears ratio go ahead and install just a rear locker. When and if you deside to install lower gears I highly recommend install a front locker at that time. The reason I say that is there is much more labor installing the front differential components. I you replace the front gears only you will then have to take everything back out again to install a locker later. Why do or pay for the labor twice?? If your in the snow or ice alot I would go with an ARB air locker up front. I do not have ARB's and I can tell you my Yota is a handfull on ice! I'll be installing ARB's front & rear when I install 5:29 gears along with my new dual transfer case this winter.

 

I was gonna say do the front 1st, b/c it's a DD and you use it for hunting...

But then I read where you said something about snow and ice...

No, do not put it in the front... You'd see why when you came to your 1st turn in 4WD... B/c you wouldn't turn... Open diffs; one wheel gets the power and the other wheel more or less holds you on the ice.


And also, ARB's aren't the only game in town as far as selectable's... Get you some TRD diffs, and head over to Inchworm to get the stuff you need for the conversion and wiring.

Oh and hey... When it's time for brake rotors, do yourself a favor and get some FJ60 rotors and IFS calipers...

All that's a bolt on and you get to get rid of those solid, VARY prone to warping, non venting rotors.

You can use V6 calipers, but the pedal gets soft b/c the more fluid V6 calipers use, but you can off set that by using a bigger bore master cylinder.

Plus, you've prolly already got "Birfield Soup". The axle seals degrade and let the diff oil contaminate and thin the grease that's supposed to be in the knuckle.

It thins out the grease thus giving the joints less protection and thus making them weaker and prone to damage.

 

Bump


I forgot...

IF, I was going to lock or LTD slip a DD... It would be in the front.

And there is a limited slip-esq... pocket locker...

The powertrax no slip...

NOT THE LOCK-RIGHT... THE NO SLIP...

Don't ask me how it does in the front axle though. I don't know.

 

I've got a lockrite in the rear now and an Aussie in the front. Previously had the no slip up front.

Before the rear locker never bothered me, now that I'm wheeling less do to my job. I really hate to watch the wear on the rear tires. I will put a selectable in the rear as soon as time allows.

So really consider what you project your going to use it for, as time goes by my rear locrite seems to not release as well as before.

As for a rear locker in snow and ice. Throw it in 4wd and the rear will stop wanting to come around.

Either way you go think youll enjoy the increase in traction.

 

Thanks guys I do have LC rotors, v6 calipers. I think I am going to save up so I can run Arb's front and rear when I regear.

 

Geared with dual ARBs is the ideal setup as far as I'm concerned. But considering you have manual hubs, if you wanted to save some $$ you could regear with an ARB in the rear and just spool the front. I have a lot of friends that run this set-up in the snow and just lock one hub on packed snowy roads.

The choice to run the rear open or locked in the snow is essential IMO because a locked rear can make your ass end slide out around corners and that sucks. I have found that running one hub locked while spooled (essentially 3WD) works surprisingly well. You can still steer pretty well on packed snow and if it gets deep, lock both hubs and you'll crawl out of almost anything.

 

The thing about ARB's is... Yes they are crazy expensive... But you will have the best traction money can buy, and it's not like you have to keep on buying them...

You might blow out a seal, or o-ring... But it's not like any of that will occur on a regular basis...

If you want to see what lockers will do, just hit youtube up.

Look for G Wagons, Hilux's and Landcruiser 70-80 series. G's and 70-80 Cruisers came from the factory with selectables. Not all, but most. You have to fiddle with the words, but check it out...

Crazy lifts and tires need not apply.... They do crazy things with nothing more than 31-35" tires.

And in most countries, they can't wheel big tire b/c it's illegal... We can't get out of the Red Lobster parking lot w/o 10" of lift, and 38's...

Look what they do on locking diffs and small tires... It's crazy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vilGi...eature=related

Check out the snow wake...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR57e...eature=related

 

Although I installed my rear locker before I installed my front, if I had to do it again I'd lock my front first.

Pros to Locking the front first
-less wear on rear tires
-locking the front might help saving front birfields
-easier to drive on the streets
-if you ever need the rear traction on the trail you could always just pull the e-brake


This is my opinion, but then again keep in mind I live in Southern California so I don't really deal with snowy or icy conditions.