Winch now over lockers if you had to choose. Especially since you stated where you plan going. your jeep is very capable. Then get lockers when you regear for the larger tires you will end up getting later. I've used my winch for other uses than just pulling myself out.

 

This is pretty much my logic. If and when I decide to get larger tires, then Ill get lockers when I have to re-gear.

 

Still say rear locker and winch...

This whole winched vehicles can go as far as lockers makes me laugh.....learn to wheel yes when you get stuck flip a switch and get unstuck.....
Dragging a winch line takes a lot longer than flipping a switch....

I use my lockers ALOT more than my winch hands down.....the couple times I got stuck was my ARB lost air and my rear didn't engage right away.....
I've winched vehicles flipped over and helped manuever a jeep with a destroyed transfer case on the trail to get him off.....I've used it a couple times aside of that but on big nasty rocks in my 4dr.....

I've been in situations with open diffs a lot that I clicked the lockers and continued where a vehicle without would have winched....

A 4x4 is really only a 2x2 and the tire with least resistance will spin leaving the tire you need to spin not moving....

Rear locker and winch....hands down

 

traction aid is 4 pussies! if u really need more traction get ur tires siped. you can gain up to 22% more traction with siped tires. Lockers only help you break sh!t. If you really have two wheels in the air (one on each axle) you shoulda taken a better line anyways. IMO its better to get stuck once in a while and take another line or winch out if needed, than break something while locked up cause your "i'll never get stuck" pride is getting in the way...

 

No. No on so many levels.

 

Lockers provide equal positive power to both wheels, decreasing your chances of slipping or spinning tires, providing constant loading, making you less likely to break something. They help greatly in keeping the driver on their line, and reducing the need for wheel spin and "bumping" up obsticals.

If you are wheeling something with a higher likelyhood of a tire leaving the ground, lockers are a significant traction aid.

Winches are very useful, however it's often easier to use a quality 20 or 30 foot tow strap. Unless you are a trail leader or doings a solo climb with difficult second vehicle access (at wich point you would likely already have lockers) a winch isnt often used.

 

Exactly. +1

 

Mike, I hardly disagree with you but I kind of do here. It really depends though...if the OP wheels by himself or with other people that don't have winches...get the winch. Even locked rigs get stuck and sometimes a tow strap is just not possible. I got pinned between two trees last month and had to winch out sideways. Lockers did nothing for me there.

if the OP wheels with a lot of other people that have winches then maybe the locker route is best option. However, a winch can be bought for $300. Lockers......yeah...unless you know what you are doing for install, that is going to be a lot more $$. And that mod is best done if/when you re-gear.

 

I agree with you here, this is the other side of the coin.

If the OP is the going to be the only one in the group with a winch, do it. However I will NEVER advise wheeling solo. Ever.

Never said locked rigs don't get stuck. I've been stuck enough to know that. But when you were pinned against the tree, that is really one of those situations that a tow strap doesn't work, usually cause a second vehicle can't get beside you.

And yes timing on lockers/gears is fairly importatnt if you can't do the install yourself.

It's really up to the OP to weigh what would be the better benefit.

 

haha keep buying all that craptastic stuff you don't need! how often do you REALLY need lockers anyway? prob never... I stand firmly behind what I said. locked up will break sh!t period. common sense will go a lot farther than lockers!