If you could only lock one axle?

BigClay

BigClay

Knower of useless ZJ things
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Location
Winston-Salem
So for discussion sake, say you could only lock one axle on your rig. Also for discussion sake lets say it was a selectable locker loke an ARB. Would you lock the front or rear axle?
 
Both....selectable front and Detroit rear.

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Front. Long ago when I was building my stock axled 96 XJ I purchased the lock-right for my 30 front. Before that I was open/open and with locked front it was amazing how much more I could do. A month later I rushed out and bought a powertrax for the 8.25. Went wheeling the next weekend expecting a bigger difference and honestly I was disappointed.
In some way shape or form it seemed as though it LOST capability. (?)
Next rig was a 96 XJ on half tons and 36s. Same deal.
Next rig was the Tj buggy, 6.0 on tons and 42s.
Again, same deal.
It's probably an expectation vs actual performance type thing.
My theory is lock the front, go wheel. You will not be disappointed.
 
I had both front and rear lockers then broke the rear. I kept it open rear for about a year with just the front locked. I now have both selectable front and rear. From my experience you will go way further with a rear locker pushing you along then with a front trying to pull you over everything.

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rear.
 
I always do the rear first, especially if it's driven on the road a lot. Nobody likes a one wheel wonder on wet pavement.
 
Rear. Most of the times you need a locker, you're trying to climb up stuff, which transfers more weight and traction force to the rear.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Rear. Most of the times you need a locker, you're trying to climb up stuff, which transfers more weight and traction force to the rear.
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I'd argue that most of the time trying to climb up something one of your front tires ends up in the air while both rears are on the ground. So with an open front once that one wheel comes off the ground your back into 2wd.
 
jeepinmatt said:
Rear. Most of the times you need a locker, you're trying to climb up stuff, which transfers more weight and traction force to the rear.
Click to expand...

That weight transfer and traction does you no good if your front tires won't pull up a ledge.
 
So lets add in a certain scenario, lets say it is not rock crawling but rather a muddy hill, which axle would you lock?
 
BigClay said:
So lets add in a certain scenario, lets say it is not rock crawling but rather a muddy hill, which axle would you lock?
Click to expand...

rear.
 
BigClay said:
So lets add in a certain scenario, lets say it is not rock crawling but rather a muddy hill, which axle would you lock?
Click to expand...
I might still say front, having both wheels pulling when I have it turned in a certain direction might be better than having the rear pushing me off the side of the trail because only one front tire is pulling.
 
Stuntman Autoworks said:
I'd argue that most of the time trying to climb up something one of your front tires ends up in the air while both rears are on the ground. So with an open front once that one wheel comes off the ground your back into 2wd.
Click to expand...
And if the frontend is light enough to have a tire in the air, not much weight is on the other tire. The amount of force traction can generate is simply the weight on the surface (tire meeting dirt/rock) multiplied by the coefficient of friction.
Chris_Keziah said:
That weight transfer and traction does you no good if your front tires won't pull up a ledge.
Click to expand...
A locker would help for getting the front up if you are only pushing 1 tire against the hypothetical ledge, but then you still have to drive the back up, and thats where weight transfer and traction are still needed in the rear.

BigClay said:
So lets add in a certain scenario, lets say it is not rock crawling but rather a muddy hill, which axle would you lock?
Click to expand...
Rear
 
jeepinmatt said:
And if the frontend is light enough to have a tire in the air, not much weight is on the other tire. The amount of force traction can generate is simply the weight on the surface (tire meeting dirt/rock) multiplied by the coefficient of friction.

Rear
Click to expand...

Just because one tire is in the air doesn't mean that the front is light. For example, your going up a ledge in a moderate wheeling rig on let's say 35s. At the bottom of the ledge your right rear tire goes into a dip as the left rear starts to grab a little rock. The rig pivots up on its right side picking the left front in the air and forcong the right front down into the top of the rocky ledge. The rears both have plenty of traction and if your locked in the front the right tire will continue to pull you forward until the right rear gets to the first part of the ledge and starts coming up, at which point the rig levels back out goes over the ledge and pulls cable for the guy behind him with an open front and rear locker.

True story not fake news haha
 
My last few buggies/jeeps have had spool up front and arb air locker in the back. I love the setup, and rarely lock the arb.


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I know this is a hypothetical and I think my answer would be rear axle. The truth is though it's like asking "how much boost" or "How much heroin"? As soon as you lock one axle and the other starts peg legging on flat ground in the mud you're going to hate yourself and want more.
Probably locker in the rear and welder in the front.
 
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