Looking into a locker or trac lok for D35

[Guest]

Ron Cleghorn is close to your home. Wheel it as it is
till you can run that trail comfortably once you do that and want to get more carried away, then go ahead and upgrade axles lockers and what not. Till then it is just water under the bridge.
Just go out and have fun with your Jeep as it is and see how far it will actually take you.

I hear you. For me, doing these things is all part of the fun along with the trail rides.

[aw12345]

Same here that's why nobody has ever touched my Jeep all the work has been done by me.
If need be I help you get across Cleghorn so you get a better feel for your Jeep

[inVERt'D]

I think you need to wheel more & do an in depth study on every type of locker & limited slip available. Write yourself a term paper on the subject, There's so much to learn and just asking for opinions isn't enough! Although you'll have no trouble getting opinions around here

You should go on runs for at leaset 6 months and really learn your Jeep and what it will & will not do. Lockers are serious business, a big expense, & expensive to repair. Make sure that whatever you decide is the right decision.

Roger, you're still running your Dana 30 and AMC 20 open-open aren't you? We're talking about getting an inexpensive traction device for his Dana 35, not investing in the commodities market! :geek:

[Roger]

Ron,
To answer your question to me, I have superior one piece axles and a trac-loc. I have an AMC 20 axle. They are better than a D-35. The pinion gear is much larger.

A future upgrade will be a locker in the front axle.

[Guest]

Ron,
To answer your question to me, I have superior one piece axles and a trac-loc. I have an AMC 20 axle. They are better than a D-35. The pinion gear is much larger.

A future upgrade will be a locker in the front axle.

I thought you had a trac lok! I think I remember asking you out on that run. No issues? If you had your choice, trac lok or assuie locker for the rear?

[OU812]

I would put a Aussie in the front before I put one in the rear. Front is usually the first to loose traction and when that happens you are just pushing forward into the rocks and not pulling yorself up over them. And I think I have said this before but... Don't over shim your TracLok! You will break your carrier.

[Roger]

I thought you had a trac lok! I think I remember asking you out on that run. No issues? If you had your choice, trac lok or assuie locker for the rear?

Ron & David (inVERTed),

Coming from my perspective I don't have a lot of $$ to spend on my Jeep. I just hate to see guys spend money on something and in a little while they wish they would have spend a little more on a better upgrade.

I've been really happy with the trac-loc. It's not for rock crawing though. I now feel more confident on some of the tougher trails. I'm only running 31" BFG AT's so I'm limited on tougher trails still.

David, you are right. I didn't think about it, but a trac-loc is a realitively inexpensive upgrade.

If you go that route Ron, just remember limited slips are not the best for rock crawling and it's not a traction cure-all!

[inVERt'D]

OU812 I would put a Aussie in the front before I put one in the rear. Front is usually the first to loose traction and when that happens you are just pushing forward into the rocks and not pulling yorself up over them.

You've got a good point there, Scott; maybe Ron should consider locking up his D30 first. I've told people the same thing since I found how well that has worked for me. I didn't harp on that with Ron because as of now, he's not into the rocks, and I think he knows to ditch that thing before he does get too far into it.

Ron & David (inVERTed),

Coming from my perspective I don't have a lot of $$ to spend on my Jeep. I just hate to see guys spend money on something and in a little while they wish they would have spend a little more on a better upgrade.

I've been really happy with the trac-loc. It's not for rock crawing though. I now feel more confident on some of the tougher trails. I'm only running 31" BFG AT's so I'm limited on tougher trails still.

David, you are right. I didn't think about it, but a trac-loc is a realitively inexpensive upgrade.

If you go that route Ron, just remember limited slips are not the best for rock crawling and it's not a traction cure-all!

Roger & Art, I've advised people on this same forum (maybe even Ron) to learn to wheel their Jeep open-open for those same basic reasons you have in mind--learning where to put your tires, and making sound purchase decisions. On the other hand, if a grown man is wanting a little more performance from his Jeep, I can totally understand. Part of the fun of Jeeping is building it up, experimenting and seeing what works, how it works, etc.

[Guest]

I could not agree more. I mix that with the fun of building it and jeeping it. So, are you saying trac lok the rear and lock the front? Or did I miss something?

[aw12345]

Locking the front, does wonders for getting the front tires up and over rocks. For steep climbs you cannot beat a rear locker. So in the end you are going to end up with both. Truth be told if you are going to mess with it at all then gears, lockers and axle shafts, since one thing invariably leads to another.
Same thing still stands, go have some fun with your Jeep first, then since you like to wrench on it, fix the short comings you find when wheeling.
You want to have a bit more excitement let me or Fred know we will get you through whatever trail you chose and we will be gentle

[Guest]

Thanks Art for the invite. I think I need more experience for your "gentle" rides. lol i think I would feel better out there with better equipment. Hense the reason I brought this up.

I hear a locker is tough on a D35. But, it's ok for a D30?

[aw12345]

The D30 is a tough little axle, I abused mine pretty hard and ot held up just fine. Yours is a high pinion which is better yet so yeah no worries there.
Still does not hurt for somebody to show you some of the ropes of wheeling, maybe go out with Mitch and Scott.
Those 2 intrepid desert explorers have a lot of fun out there

[Guest]

The D30 is a tough little axle, I abused mine pretty hard and ot held up just fine. Yours is a high pinion which is better yet so yeah no worries there.
Still does not hurt for somebody to show you some of the ropes of wheeling, maybe go out with Mitch and Scott.
Those 2 intrepid desert explorers have a lot of fun out there

Good to know.

I said it as a joke, I hope you took it that way

[Guest]

I didn't see a locker for a D30 here
http://www.aussielocker.com/make.php.../4cdf/10/.html

[Guest]

Oh David! Which is better? Your Aussie or this one? I didn't see a locker for the D30 on the Aussie web site.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DANA-...Q5fAccessories