Does anybody know if your standard Detroit locker for a D44 will work in a JK D44? I know the JK gear sets are different, but what about the carrier and all the rest?

 

I'm pretty sure that Off Road Evolution had a set in their Sahara and I don't think they had any issues getting them in.

 

You may have to drill the bolt holes for the ring gear bolts is all. Just make sure you have the one for the numerically low gears.

 

not to steal the thread, but is the detroit a good choice for off roading? the local shop is trying to talk me into a detroit locker for the rear, and i was always tought that they were for drag racing. won t they bang alot off road? or is a limited slip better and a locker in the front?

 

I just had my gears(4.88) & locker done. I have dana 30 in front and dana 44 in rear. My mechanic wanted do put detroits in the front & back. He put a Detriot trutrac in the front. I think it was for a Yukon. He could not find anyone who makes anything for the rear dana 44 30spline. It came out really good, and no noise from gears or locker.

 

Blue is correct on the lockers.
The only issue I have had is when we replaced the factory Rubicon Dana 44 locker. We found the carrier bearing bore and housing is a differnt size than the common 44 bearing and it was it much harder to find the correct size bearing.

 

So, the detroit locker for the D44 with 3:73 gears and lower will work in the standard non-rubicon D44? I just want to be sure. It can get real expensive buying the wrong parts.

Do they make a 35 spline option like ARB?

Also, how does it drive on the street with the longer wheel base of the unlimited?

My plan was to put a detroit in the rear and build a D44 for the front with an ARB, or Trutrac.

 

Yes. Like we said earlier the ring gear bolt holes will have to be drilled larger is all. Some people don't mind a Detroit in a dd but some finding them annoying. That's where a soft locker would help. However, since the backlash and pinion depth will have to be reset, I suggest going with a selectable locker.

 

The detroit locker is hands down the absolute best unit for off roading. It is especially suited for conditions where one wheel may come off the ground (like rock crawling). For a daily driver, the soft locker would be advisable, because the noise level is much less. The only drawback to driving a detroit on the street is while towing. It is possible that when wet, and taking a turn, the unit could stay locked. This could result in the trailer "pushing" the rear into a spin. The condition is somewhat rare, but it can happen. By just going slow and being careful (which you should do towing anyway) you shouldn't have any trouble. I would look at one of the units available from PowerTrax. They work the same as a detroit and cost less. They also do not require the carrier to even be removed. Lastly, unless you change gears out, ring gear backlash is the only thing that needs to be addressed. Usually, you can just put the shims back in their same positions and you're fine. Pinion gear depth will not need to be addressed, unless you remove the pinion gear for a gear swap.

On edit: I called Richmond Gear this morning. According to them, our Danas aren't really Danas. They are "metric" danas that are different from the tried and true Dana 44s and Dana 30s. There is no PowerTrax unit available yet. Also according to the tech guy I spoke with, the Detroit Lockers shouldn't be fitting at all. He said nobody makes anything to fit them yet. If someone has used a Detroit or something similar, I wish they would speak up. I want to upgrade mine. Hell, makes me just wanna say piss on it and get Dana 60s. I bet they won't break.

 

I have towed with a Detriot in the rear of my CJ. I did not experience your scenario, even in the rain. I likely drove more cautiously since I was aware of the Detroit. An adjustable brake controller could almost completely eliminate the problem just by adding a little more trailer brakes in the rain.

I found the biggest problem was on icy roads. There was not enough traction to unlock the Detroit and the Jeep would very much like to go straight despite my attempts at steering. You could steer with the throttle to overcome the issue, but it was not for the faint of heart on ice. This might be a problem for any auto locker, not just the Detroit (Aussie).

There was also an occasional swerve when unlocking occurred on slight sweeper curves. No big problem, but driver input was required.

My JK did have the problem you described twice when towing my little popup. I don't have a Detroit (or a stuck factory locker). I guess some vehicle/tire combos are just more prone to the problem.

I liked my Detroit, even on the road. But I can understand that the compromise is not for everyone.