Lock-Right in front only????

Hey guys! I'm fairly new here. I've got a question that maybe some of you could help with. I have '75 Renegade, 304, 3-speed, and I'm looking for a little extra help on the trail. I have heard that putting a locker type diff in a SWB Jeep can be interesting on the pavement which is where it is used most of the time, but I was wondering what the drawbacks would be to putting a Lock-Right in the front diff only for a little extra pull off road? Is this asking for trouble? I was just thinking this might be a way to kind of compromise. Any Ideas????? Thanks, Curt

 

The only drawback that I have heard and please let anyone correct me if I am wrong but if this is a daily driver and you use 4wd to drive in snow and ice living where you do it wouldn't handle good. actually would be hazardous. This is what i was told and made sense to me. driving at speeds and turning with a lock front end doesnt work.

If using it for trails.....Go ahead you will like it alot.

I would put one in mine but I need mine for winter driving on the roads.

Just my two cents.
Tim

 

front is bad for ice/snow but then again ice is just bad to drive in anyway. now i would not listen to myself since i have an aussie locker sitting in my room waiting to go into my front axle

 

I have only a Lock Rite in the front of the Willy's --someday a rear would be nice but I don't seem to miss it at all

With the hubs locked, it steering is more challenging but no biggie.

 

steering will be alot more difficult with a locker up front. And if used on snowy roads its pretty hard to turn, you tend to just keep going straight. You will probably find yourself unlocking one hub to make tight turn arounds and such. I would put one in the rear. I had a lock-rite in the back of my wrangler for 2 years, thats 2 years of upper michigan winters. Its not that bad you just have to be a little more carefull, but off road it was sweet... And at the time the Jeep was my DD so it seen alot of pavement.

 

I would put a rear locker in first.

Most of the times you need a locker you are either on nearly level groung, or going up a hill- that's when the weight transfers to the rear of your rig, and a locker will do the most good there.

Also, consider that the rear axle on your Jeep is much stronger than the front, and will be better able to withstand most of your torque going to one shaft.

 

I've run a lockright in the front on my '74 for years, (lincoln locker in the rear), and love it. On pavement I never run it in 4 wheel, it handles like crap. I wheeled for a long time with no power steering and it's really not that bad with the locker, but ya gotta keep your fingers out of the steering wheel! I now have power steering so no more broken fingers.
I would never suggest running an engaged locker in the front on pavement, it can be just plain dangerous.

Jeff

 

This has been a source of debate here.
The guys up north say front, the rest of us say rear.
The reason as I understand it, the front locked pulls better in snow?
We get some snow here and I run rear lockers and have not had any problem.
If you want it for a better trail setup then go rear.
What kind of wheeling do you do? If its not hard why bother?
I went years without one.

 

i would run it in the front you could always unlock one side and drive thru the snow like that, its not the best to have one side pulling and one side free spinning but if you take care of your spindles and hubs (mantanice) then it wont be a problem.

the rear will push you straight in corrners but if you learn how it handles you should be ok. i would ask my self how many times you are in the snow with your jeep, i live in NE and we get alot of snow but if its bad out i dont go out.

the trail handling will be worth all the crap you put up with driving in the snow 6-10 times of year (maybe) jason.