On the Dana 30 front diff, can the "lunch box" lockers be installed without taking out the carrier? Or does the carrier and ring gear have to be removed? All I've ever really messed with is GM stuff and the spider gears can be removed and locker installed with the carrier in the diff housing.
I guess I'm wondering if the pin clears the ring gear or does the ring gear have to be removed to remove the pin

 

I replaced the spiders in the carrier and had to remove the ring gear....if that answers your question. I believe that was on the rear but I think they're the same style.

 

Not to sideswipe Karls but I thought I saw a YouTube clip of a lunchbox job being done on a TJ and they just gutted the diff in place and installed the new bits. Not sure though, like Karl alluded to, if the JK is the same.

 

I believe that you can install with the carrier installed, but it would be more of a hassle. Pulling the carrier is pretty easy....just make sure the bearing cap bolts and shims go in the same place. It will be easier to work on the bench. Since the ring gear is not being removed, simply install the lunchbox and then slap the carrier back in the diff.

 

Pulling the cross pin the problem, pull the carrier, it's far easier.

Proceed with caution putting a lunchbox in a D30. You can easily break things in that axle, especially if you use a lot of skinny pedal.

Yes, I speak from experience.

 

Hey Cranbiz - Is there an alternate type of locker for a D30 that you recommend instead of the lunchbox...or perhaps other upgrades to help fortify that model axle overall?

 

Leave it alone, upgrade to a 44 if/when it fails?

If you decide you need something different than a lunchbox now, other than selectables that many feel are simply too expensive to throw in a d30, read some reviews on the Truetrac limited slip (the Eaton/Detroit folks). It may be a decent alternative for you. A bit more expensive than a lunchbox, and since it is a full carrier unit, install is of course more complicated. But wont have the harsher mannerisms of a full-time locker, and no clutch packs like many of the other l/s's on the market. (someone else now makes another gear-driven limited that is comparable to the truetrac, but I don't recall the name at the moment...)

Just noticed you location. When I was in Denver driving icy mountain roads to go skiing or wandering every weekend, I formed a bit of a dislike for the pair of detroit lockers I was running at the time. Swapped them both for Truetracs and was much, much happier with the overall driving characteristics. Not quite as good as the lockers with tires-in-the-air wheeling, but plenty good enough for my offroad needs.

 

Installing a lunch box type or style locker in the dana 30 is a good affordable option. The dana 30 will handle the locker but it's based on how you use your Jeep. I'm will be installing an aussie locker or something close to the same in my dana 30. My offroad habits are slow medium technical stuff and need to be able to push through muddy conditions.

You didn't mention how the Jeep will be used and the terrain???

 

Anything more than regearing to suit your needs, installing a lunchbox locker (or LSD if you're already regearing), and upgrading ball joints is wasted money on a D30. Ball joints are a wear item, gearing and low-dollar traction control is worthwhile if it suits your needs. If you need more than that then the sad reality is spend money on a new axle. The big threshold in my opinion is determining you need selectable lockers. At that point an axle upgrade (or swap) is in order.

 

My use is slow, muddy roads, deer lease trails, some but very little ditch/ Creek crossing, where the front pulls you up the other you side once you get through the creek bottom, no rock crawling or bouncing around, I'm not ready to regear or put a lot in a new diff, just a little more pull, it actually does pretty well for my needs most of the time with just the track lock rear LSD, just a few places I go that I stay away from when it's been raining a lot cause it's slick