Michiana Jeep Club

Anyone ever run lunch boxes front and rear on the street?

derek, and rubble , thats off the top of my head

Gunguy

may i say, dont do it. i hated the ones i have drove.

jason, run4lo -daily drives his tj with lockers, all year long

But are they fully locked? I did notice a difference on how mine drive with the front locked but I`m cool with that. I just don`t know how much different it will be over my limited slip in the rear.

i am not sure, was hopeing they would see this and chime in ?????

The lunchbox style locker would only lock when under load, so in 2HI it would make no difference as it would remain unlocked. But if you plan to use 4HI on the street it would be locked and on snow/ice it would make things...interesting. With the front wheels locked turning is difficult, it always wants to go straight. Try to pull into a parking space in 4HI. ha ha ha. On ice in 4HI the front end would break loose completely following the hump of the road to the ditch. Around here, with winter driving, I would definitely go with a selectable or limited slip for the front.

why woul 2hi or 4hi make a differance in the load? under a load means to me "heavy skinny pedal" not 2hi/4hi...... my .02

In 2HI the transfer case is not putting power to the front axle. This would cause the front lunchbox locker to stay disengaged, or free-wheeling.

Here is an excerpt from http://www.offroaders.com/tech/lock-right-locker.htm

Lock-Right Lockers operate in much the same manner as full carrier automatic lockers. These locker are automatic locking differentials designed to lock both wheels of the axle automatically with power input, when forward or reverse torque is applied, so that both wheels are providing 100% power to the wheels and creating essentially a "spool" that solidly connects the axle shafts together. When torque is not being applied, the locker is allowed to unlock, permitting a differentiation variance in wheel speed while negotiating turns. As an automatic locking differential, the primary drawback is their characteristics when they engage such as accelerating out of a turn or going from torque to no to torque to torque again such as when a manual transmission vehicle is shifting gears. In these situations, the driver must be aware of the characteristics that will affect the handling of the vehicle. For example during a turn the inside axle will spin slower than the outside axle, which is the basic purpose of the differential. If torque is applied to an automatic locker during the turn it will engage due to the torque engaging the locker gears. When the locker engages, it will cause the vehicle to push towards straight ahead or possibly to the inside of the turn. The net effect is somewhat un-predicable handling characteristics when compared to open differentials. These effects are much more noticeable in shorter wheelbase vehicles and smaller lighter vehicles. The odd handling characteristics will also be more apparent if road traction is compromised such as in rain or when the road surface is ice or snow covered. Further noticeable characteristics of automatic lockers can be a banging or clunking noise during engagement of disengagement, delayed engagement, and added significant backlash, also known as slop, in the driveline. Disengagement can be abrupt and sometimes a ratcheting noise can be heard when cornering. Most people who use automatic lockers become accustom to these handling characteristics and adjust their driving style accordingly to accommodate it or just simply just get used to it.

My XJ is fully locked front and rear and it takes some getting used to. Once ya get the hang of the quirky handling, it's not too bad. Little things, like approaching a corner in such a way to allow yourself to make a slightly wider right turn, will help preserve tread life. A little too much skinny pedal while cornering will cause it to try and push straight ahead, resulting in a fair amount of jerking as the tires try to regain grip on the pavement. Personally, I felt it was worth it for the added offroad performance. Peace of mind knowing that no matter what the situation,(off camber, slick rock, deep ruts, full throttle, or barely idling) all four corners will be pulling equally! It works for me, but most people would prefer the much tamer on road performance that a selectable locker will provide. Just my 2 cents worth, hope it helps.

I have a Spartan if the front and will be doing a gear swap in the near future. I will be losing my rear l/slip which is why I asked about front and rear. Problem now is the cost of a locker for the D35 is more than a brand new Trac lock. That being said I`m money ahead if I put an 8.8 in it instead. Decisions decisions!!!!

Yes, I am running a lunch box (Aussie) in the front D30. Still open in the rear. Yes, its true that it will only be locked when you are in 4HI or 4LO (my favorite!) It does take a little getting used to but, it's not a death trap like some make it out to be. If you drive like an idiot then it won't matter what you have in your diff's because you're an idiot! I take it easy on snow covered roads while in 4HI and when I want to have some fun it never lets me down. Like the Reaperman said it's well worth the minor inconvenience during the winter to get the off-road performance that I desire.

Mediocre wrote:In 2HI the transfer case is not putting power to the front axle. This would cause the front lunchbox locker to stay disengaged, or free-wheeling.

no "poop", i wasnt asking you to explain it to me... i was saying if you are not crazy with the throttle, it doesnt matter what you have the transfer case in.....

I ran lunch box lockers front and rear. didnt mind it a bit. I have to agree with reaperman

Thanks everyone! After doing much research I can add another $200-300 to the cost of a lunchbox for the D35 and install a 8.8 with a posi. Which is a plus to get away from the Dana "turdy" five. I`m probably gonna "beef" the D30 with the tube sleeves and C brackets so that if I go to 35`s I should have a pretty good set of diff`s.

I've had several front and rear auto lockers in a TJ but with automatics. Indeed some extremely small quirks to deal with, but freaking awesome. That flat fendered leaf sprung TJ I had last year had a full detroit in the rear and it was even smoother than an auto locker - auto trans. The caged green TJ you saw at my house this fall had an unknown brand locker in the rear - with a 5 speed - I wanted to slit my own throat - freaking annoying. With a manual every time you push in the clutch to shift the trans, it will unlock then lock again when you are on the throttle - causing the whole jeep to jerk from one way to another. One can get used to that - I am just getting older and grouchier I guess. Don't worry though, you won't spontaniously combust.