I have a 2dr. X model and am relatively new to offroading. I am interested in finding out more about lockers. I know basically what they do, but are they worth it? Does anyone have lockers on their 30 or 44??? Would this be a good bang for my buck...Northridge has Aussie lockers for $250. I have read that lockers that aren't able to be disengaged are bad on the pavement and tend to pull...

Any Any help would be much appreciated...

 

You say you are relativly new to offroading. So take your jeep out STOCK, and go as far as you can. Not alone ofcourse. As you driving skills progress you will find that lockers are over rated for the weekend warrior. I refuse to lock either one of my Jeeps, and i run with the bigdogs on all levels of trails, green through red. You will also find the the JK has the Brake Lock Differential, which Hummer 1, and Land Rover have been using for years now. it works very well in all sorts of terrain, with exception to deep mud. But you JK was NOT designed for DEEP mud so that explains that. So in short ,go out with some buddies and have fun, dont worry about lockers just yet, you will be surprosed what a good line and finesse can achieve. Stay off of the skinny pedal and you will be fine. save your money for lift and tires, the Two things that are the most important in getting up and over those nasty rocks.



07 JK Unlimited
3 Inch BDS Suspension lift
33x11.1xtires
JKS quicker disconnects
Mopar Offroad rear bumper
Custom Front winch bumper from RoundStar Offroad
oilpan/trany skid plate from SkidRow
and plenty of character from trees and rocks

 

0311sgt is dead on the money. I will add that whatever you read about lockers causing a pull is totally off base. The automatic lockers such as the Detroit or Aussie (both use the same principle), are fine on pavement. When under power going straight, the axles are locked togerher like a spool. However, when cornering, the locker allows the outside wheel to ratchet and turn faster. Once straightend back up, they are locked again. When a problem could occur, especially with a driver not experienced with lockers, is on wet pavement (especially when towing), or on ice. On wet pavement, the locker can sometimes stay engaged, and if towing, the trailer could push the rear end of the Jeep into a spin. Being familiar with the locker's operation and how to drive it, makes this almost impossible, though. The second instance, on ice, is a bit more difficult to overcome. Even seasoned drivers have lost control on ice with a locker. Still though, being familiar with them and knowing how to dirve with them will certainly decrease your chances of an accident. Personally, I like the automatic lockers above the selectable units. That's just my personal preference. There are less things to have to worry about malfunctioning. Also, I live in middle Georgia. Ice around here is rare, though it has been known to happen. Also another note to remember is that a locker in the front is not even operating at all until the transfer case in engaged into a 4 wheel drive setting. Lockers have to be POWERED to work. A locker in the front will have no affect whatsoever on the Jeep in 2 wheel drive. It aill act like a standard open differential, until you put the transefr case in 4 wheel drive. I have an Aussie for the front of my Jeep, though I have not installed it yet. I am going to also get a Detroit locker for the rear. All it takes is a little finesse, and you can drive lockers just fine in almost any condition. But, reiterating 0311sgt's point, if all you are going to do is wheel occasionally, you may not need them at all.

 

Just to reiterate what redneck said, Aussie's can be tricky on ice, but if you just place them on the front, you should be fine. Quite often just having lockers in the front will get you through most situations.

 

I will say that the Brake Lock Differential really is a nice thing to have in place of the locker if you use the jeep as you DD. I was going up a hill with a washout in the center and while other unlocked jeeps were having a pain getting up, I went up with no problems. I was told that one of my front tires was free up in the air for roughly 10 feet while driving up. Thats 10 feet of forward distance, not 10 feet up. :P You just have to remember to keep your foot on the gas but not too much. Just go out stock and be happy when you find yourself how surprised you are with your stock jeep.

Tires and lift are the two most important things. Think about lockers a year or two from now.

 

im just going to keep my answer short and sweet you in most cases will not need a locker in either front or rear for a weekend rig , with the braking setup that the JK has it can do quite alot , go get your feet wet and have fun these are very capable lil vehicles and will go where they are pointed with a lil bit of finese, good luck go get some bigger shoes and a lift

 

Maybe I was unclear with my original post....This is my second Jeep, I have wheeled...but nothing too crazy; such as rock crawling. However, I am far from an expert and just wanted opinions on whether a locker would be worth it...

I already have the lift and tires, as well as some other mods (check my sig)

Thanks so much for all the great feed back though...it was very imformative and cleared up a lot of what I was unsure of. Redneck would a locker in just the front be worth it down the road??? (That is where I came up with the idea of lockers in the first place, a member mentioned installing an Aussie locker on just the fron 30)

What I would like though is a better explanation of the brake lock that a couple people mentioned...I have never heard of it and wasn't even aware my Jeep had that feature. What does it do exactly?

 

Brake Lock Diffs brakes the tire that is spinning with e least resistance (traction) and sends the power to the other tire that has good grip.

 

Thanks for the easy explanation of what they do. I knew some sports cars (Porsche has something similar) had this technology but NO clue that my Wrangler did!

So this feature would almost eliminate the need for lockers then?....at least for myself who is not making any trips to the Rubicon or Moab anytime soon, although Rausch Creek is a definate for this coming Spring/Summer.

 

ARB air lockers - The best locker in my opinion.

David