I'll let ya know in about a week, hopefully I'll have my jk back.

 

I've got an X w/optional Tru-Lok® equipped locking Dana 44 rear axle (which is a bonafide Rubicon axle).

On a related aside, there are different part numbers for overhaul kits for non-Rubi D44 and Rubi D44 rears due to a difference in carrier and pinion bearing size.

Used to be you could purchase a JK with a Dana 35 rear axle, an open Dana 44, or a locking Dana 44 (Tru-Lok® Rubi). That changed with the 2010 model year IIRC.

And unless I'm grossly mistaken relative to my memory of a conversation I had with Northridge this summer, the only option (other than stock) for my axle the ARB. I called David and inquired when I thought I broke my stock locker on Wheeler Lake in July only to discover I'd severed the wiring leading to the locker, no damage to the locker itself.

 

Durability and simplicity.

Very strong, no wiring that can get cut or short out, no air lines that can become damaged or leak, no reliance on a compressor that can stop working, etc.

I live in a place that sees plenty of snow. I think it's really just a matter of adjusting your speed. Not a huge item the way I see it.

 

As one that has Detroits in the rear axle for many years, my opinion is bit different. For me, it depends on you and your attitude. You'll know a Detroit is back there, no doubt (especially with a SWB and a stick). There are adjustments you can make to make it better but it will never drive like stock.

Are you DDing your wheeler or wheelin' your DD? How you answer this question will help you better understand your expectations.