I want to lock my front differential by welding the spider gears. My buddys dad can do it what he calls "the right" way. He said you weld bolts in between the gears to jam the gears. But my question is this...would it be better to lock the front instead of the rear? I thought it would be better since i can dis-engage my front end, thus not having to worry about binding axles and what not. I know steering will be quite difficult in 4x4 but is there anything else i need to know? Oh...whats a two-stick transfer case? Thanks guys

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

I am pretty sure that you really do not want to do this, unless you have locking hubs ( and I am not even sure there).

It could be a recipe for really bad handling on the road. Using a locked diff on the front would cause the outside wheel and the inside wheel to go the same speed on a turn, and unless you have lock out hubs that you have unlocked, I don't think it will turn very well at all.

the better way is to buy an airlocker differential for the front and the rear. If you can only afford one, buy an airlocker for the rear axle.

Greg

I Do have locking hubs, so if the tires arent connected directly then it shouldnt effect handling at all when the hubs ARENT locked...right?

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

Yup, if you have them unlocked, it might work okay. I still recommend the airlocker as the much better solution.

Greg

Carry spare lockouts with you when you go in the dirt.

Roger

What are lockouts? You mean the hubs? That would be a good idea...those would probably be the first thing to go if something were to break right?

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

You call them hubs, I call them lockouts, but we both mean the same parts. Yep, if you weld your side gears and make a poor-man's locker, you weakest link will then be the hubs.

Roger

Dont do it. You will gain many headaches and little advantage...

We race 4x4 mud boggers and drive 4x4 work trucks all the time . I would never have any truck where the front was locked and I have disabled the Eaton Pow-R-Lock in my work truck rear diff...

Locked diffs will drive you straight off the road in slippery situations. You will not be able to steer.

Get a set of chains. ...Cheaper , Easier , more effective,,,and you will break just as much drivetrain.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

Low tirepressure beats the most!

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Lasse

Signet -66 225
Holley 600 Offy-5270 Dutra Dual,regrind. cam 272 0,420 110, head shaved 0.100 slight.ported
MSD6A
A904
7 1/4 3.23

So i still wont be able to steer even when the hubs arent locked?

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Drive it like its stolen, and be glad im not YOUR son...

You will be able to steer when the hubs are unlocked. You will not be able to steer when the hubs are locked in.

The dude who thinks he knows the right way to lock a diff is a goof. The right way is to use a spool or an air locker.

Why do you want to do this?

A 2 stick transfer case just means the actuating handles for 4 wheel drive and hi/lo range are separate.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

As long as you aren't going to run it on the road, poor man's locker's work. Got a neighbor that runs the Rubicon on welded spiders very successfully. BUT He tow's the thing.
This is not a good idea when you plan to plant Road tags on it. When you start rattling around down the road, or at speed on the FS roads with the transfer case out, hubs in, your going to have a problem. Come over and drive my Ford locker with the hubs in, and the transfer case out if you want a demonstration of horrible. Thing makes a bucking machine look tame.
If you lock the front, and not the rear, you run the risk of having directional stability problems. Big problems, possibly. You will go thru tires too.

For the price of a couple carriers you can put a proper locker in. Blow the carrier out, and you'll know what I mean. It'll live a lot longer with an Air Locker or Detroit, or whatever locker, and keep you off the statistics page. There's a reason those darn diff's do what they do!

If it isn't for road use, do what you want! Carbide the tires, and run them at three and a half pounds with bead locks etc..

Rock hop till you Drop!
My favorite pogo stick is an XJ.... But it doesn't weigh much....

I'd have a CJ except for the ribbing I'd get.

CJ

Hey Ceej....What's so wrong with a CJ5? Try drivin' a Binder and see what you gotta put up with!

Roger

I miss my 800A! Sniff...

CJ

as far as /6 stuff goes i am new...
but 4wd stuff...i know a little..
my opinion is go ahead with the poor man's locker...
just keep the darn hubs unlocked on the road...you'll have no problems then...(except what you happen to do to it in the mud!).

air lockers or detroit lockers are incredibly expensive (if it's not buying it it's the other stuff - such as onboard air and electrical linkage).
just my opinion
-josh

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My Dart
GO VOLS!
It's not rocket science, we're just splitting atoms.