Personally, I would always go with a selectable locker before a full on locker, as long as I could spend the extra cash for them. There will be times when a locker could be a detriment in an off road situation (side hilling in snow, tight turns in 4 wheel, etc.) and being able to turn it completely off is a benefit. Not to mention the benefit of being able to have them turned off when driving on the road/highway. Do you live in a snow area where you often drive on the main roads in 4 wheel? This can be a downright dangerous situation with lockers.

My suggestion is a selectable if you can afford them.

 

I would lean toward a selectable locker if it is a daily driver. Like mentioned earlier, open differentials offer better performance than locked axles in some conditions. Usually weather related.

Remember, YOU don't control an auto locker, but it may control YOU...... (haha, that's my 1950s public service announcement)

ps People talk about Dana 30s like they are going to spontaneous combust! My suggestion is to NOT "drive it like you stole it".

 

For the 3.8L guys the issue with the D30 is how low they tend to gear it. 5.13's are very common and when you add a locker the chances of blowing up the gears increases. The 3.6L guys (and previosly the TJ guys) tend to not gear lower than 4.56's making a locker less risky. That said always put a selectable locker in the front and only use it when you have to.

 

See, I have 35's... i want to go to 37's in a few years and do plan on regearing to 4.56's or 4.88's on my D30 and D44.. sleeve and gusset the D30.. chromoly axles. and lock the thing.

The VERY FEW guys that have gone this route that I have spoken with on this forum stated that they have had no problems whatsoever.

Then you've got a general consensus that once you put a 37" tire and or a locker on that D30 .. it will freaking explode like an IED.

 

I talked to a shop near where I live and his general answer to me was to run the d30 sleeve, gusset, chromoly axles, and 4.88 gears . Said I would be completely fine. I informed him I went out every weekend the weather cooperated. That is when he said to sleeve it.

 

Sticking with my last post and at the same time agreeing with Black-JKU's comment.... I was trying to infer that IMHO it is the 5.13 gears with lockers that generate the biggest issues, not the D30. Most of the gear failures that I have seen with JKs have been rear axles actually, you know that D44 that everyone is soooo confident in, and all have been 5.13 gears.

 

i know its been a while since this post has been visited but now that we sparked the conversation- what kind of threat am I looking at with my 4.56 gears on the dana30's with an ARB locker? I have G2 gears front and rear and also have the Artec Axle armor kit installed on the front axle as well.

also, on a side note- ive had many a debatable conversation with people when it comes to which axle to Lock first (since I cant afford to do them both at once)

one discussion is that the front is the way to go because its what will bite the rock to get you over. (ok, agreed- makes sense to me)

the other side of the senate says to do the rear because your rear wheel are on the ground more often and can give you the push you need (yet another valid point)

suggestions?

 

Same suggestions as every other thread asking this. You'll get both of the opinions you listed, slightly favoring the rear axle first.

But, what are your local conditions? I tend to like locking the rear first, since you are more likely to need the traction from lockers while going up something, which loads the vehicle weight onto the rear axle. So while a locked front may help 'pull' you over, will those tires have enough weight on them to actually allow them to grab and hold? Or will they be light enough to mostly just keep spinning?

And then there is the discussion of turning while the front is locked...

 

Rear. Lockers are most useful to get you up and over stuff. That puts more weight on the rear axle, which will help those tires grip better. It also gives you a locked axle without compromising your steering (steering with the front axle locked can be a challenge sometimes because both tires are turning at the same rate even though one has further to go). This also means that each time you lock the front axle, you're shortening the life of your power steering pump--the fluid in it overheats and causes the plastic vanes to bend over. Steering with a front axle locked is difficult. Steering without your power steering pump with oversized tires on pavement while headed back home sucks big time--been there, done that, hated it.

Also: Ever see a new vehicle sold with front-only locker? Ever notice that in the stock Rubi you cannot even turn on the front locker by itself? There must be something those engineers know. My own experience: I rarely use lockers, and have only used the front twice in the five years or so I've had them. Lots of off-road miles in those years.

 

as a DD its mostly highway on flat ground in Virginia beach. wheeling is most often in the mountains of north carolina and the poconos. should i put a front selectable in, it would only be used as a last chance scenario to get over an obtacle and then turned off right after- however, it sounds like rear is the way to go which was the gut feeling anyway. it'll be interesting to see more opions on it though.