Lockers: front axle vs rear

KarlVP · Oct 31, 2008

If you only had the money to lock one axle, what would it be. The front or Rear?

pokey · Oct 31, 2008

Rear, Both for tooling around in two wheel drive and for when climbing most of the weight is transfered to the rear thus better traction.

dirtygoat · Oct 31, 2008

Front, weld the rear...

Wildman1 · Oct 31, 2008

Front since you didn't say what type of locker and which type of rig.
You can unlock the hubs and/or take it out of 4wheel drive.

Climbing a hill it helps to have your front end pulling you. Your rear can push without the locker.

greenie · Oct 31, 2008

Im sure evryone will say rear but i say FRONT!!
rear is better for straight climbs, but when you get sideways......

Plus for rock crawling, you want the front to pull you up, rather than pushing from the rear, its easier on suspension components imo.
this is just with real wheeling in mind, who cares about 2wd.

dirtyhall · Oct 31, 2008

pokey said:
Rear, Both for tooling around in two wheel drive and for when climbing most of the weight is transfered to the rear thus better traction.

I don't agree with this completely because I have seen where the rear(welded) has continued to push over the obstacle and the front(open) wasn't pulling because one tire was in the air and flopped the vehicle.

http://nw-wheelers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4763&highlight=walker+valley

Agree with dirtygoat if the vehicle is not driven on the road much or you can stand the constant chirping when cornering on the road.

PORTER · Oct 31, 2008

Rear.

Nuzzy · Oct 31, 2008

Rear.

nighthunter · Oct 31, 2008

Rear unless you plan on actually Rock Crawlin

CHOP SHOP · Oct 31, 2008

front:awesomework:

its harder to push a dead front tire up an obstacle than pulling a dead rear tire up the same obstacle. plus its cheapest to weld one end, and I wouldnt put the welded diff up front.:eeek:

I dont care for a rear locker at all. I prefer the predictabilty of a spool/welded diff in the rear. rear locker bad manners are worse to put up with than a little tire noise/wear, IMO:beer:

NotMatt · Oct 31, 2008

dirtygoat said:
Front, weld the rear...

x2. I have a spool in the rear and a detroit up front. Welding would be the same out back. I love the detroit up front, but it would be cool to unlock it at times. I'm not rich though, so I don't have the funds for an ARB, so I'll just stick with my setup on the next 1-ton incarnation... welded 14 bolt rear, detroit in the 60 up front.

CHOP SHOP · Oct 31, 2008

it seems jeepers prefer the rear locker to the front

. is that for fear of exploding jeep fronts?:beer:

pokey · Oct 31, 2008

CHOP SHOP said:
it seems jeepers prefer the rear locker to the front . is that for fear of exploding jeep fronts?:beer:

No its because its what works ecspecialy in a short wheelbase rig.

jakes89f150 · Oct 31, 2008

this is a trick question because both can get you ****ed...
if you get side ways, or in some rutts, the front being locked can really help, and if your side ways and the rear is locked it can actually make it worse.
But generally the rear is doing the most work and thus it is best to be locked...
I agree with the person that said weld/spool the rear, and put the locker in the front

crash2 · Oct 31, 2008

Front--because thats where your most traction oportunity is...

We tried this years ago and found the front was a better choice..

JOOP · Oct 31, 2008

Rear so you can push your front tires over obstacles. SWB only

EDIT: FWIW I wheel most of the trails at Reiter, Evans, Sadie, Tahuya with my rear only lock.

Wildman1 · Oct 31, 2008

pokey said:
No its because its what works ecspecialy in a short wheelbase rig.

Nope sorry I disagree, it is better if you can AFFORD only one locker to lock the front if this is also your DD. And I guess I'm not in the SWB rig group then?? :eeek: :eeek: I still think you'll get more traction in most situations with the front locked first.

Guess we could experiment with this. For those of us with ARB's front and rear-try a trail with your rig lock in front only and then in rear only?

Binder · Oct 31, 2008

Some of you guys are on crack, lock the rear assuming one axle must be open.

Totalled · Oct 31, 2008

Both. Having only a welded rear and open front ****ed me more often than not in a SWB rig.

Boonie Buster · Oct 31, 2008

I vote front,

because I had a limited slip rear with an ARB up front, that setup PULLed me over a lot of stuff. I liked it a lot more that a locker in the rear. (sorry for this TJ :fawkdancesmiley: ) But wheeling my dads truck wtih only a locker in the front got the front end up on stuff very easily, while watching TJ with only a rear locker, had to bump it initially... not that either of us DIDN'T make it, but just a different approach to the obstacle...:corn:

EDIT: plus that is where your weight is. and the first tires to hit the obstacle....