locking front axle on a TJ

In 2wd, it would be perfectly fine. Only if he were in 4wd would the front locker be so firmly locked that it would cause steering problems on snow or ice.

Jerry

RoyJ wrote:

No, the lockright will lock the two axle half shafts together, give you a nasty case of understeer. You have the same issues with any locker or limited slip on the rear (referred to as the 'low side of the road finder') but on the front it automatically makes one wheel slip when you try to turn.

It actually works slightly BETTER > In 2wd, it would be perfectly fine. Only if he were in 4wd would the

No, but I have a YJ with axle disconnect so it wouldn't make any difference. If I put a locker in front I will leave the disconnect in place. Bogs in the summer and ice in the winter does not put a lot of torque on the axle.

But I also run > Do you have one up front as I do?

It is well known among those with a TJ that has a true neutral for the front driveshaft when it is in 2wd that a front locker cannot be felt when in 2wd. I have one in my front axle and it cannot (!) be felt in

2wd. It drives just f> No, but I have a YJ with axle disconnect so it wouldn't make any

I'm sure that your experinces in southern Californina make you an expert on PACKED snow and icy roads. If conditions are icy or snow packed like we see in suburban and rual roads for much of the winter, any locker/limited slip can lead to almost no steering control.

As I said several posts back, with a front locker/linited slip and any reasonable turning radius, one wheel must be sliding since there is not traction to break the locker loose. So you only have ONE WHEEL rolling to help you go a different direction. This will change the handling from a mild (and maybe unnoticeable understeer) to complete uncontrolable understeer. Rear lockers will give you understeer, front lockers will give you more understeer.

After every major snowstorm, the majority of vehicles in the ditch are

4wd. And each fall I retire my YJ with mud tires > It is well known among those with a TJ that has a true neutral for the

---snippy---

That's just because the majority of people who buy these things are dumbasses. In the San Juan Mountains of SW Colorado, we get every kind of snow condition you can think of, and I drive my YJ through it all winter. Before that I drove it in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe you have a heavy foot.

Earle

During snowstorms the majority of vehicles on the ditch here are automobiles... and by the look of them belong to the 'no brakes-bald tire brigade' that makes a mad dash to the store to stock up on beer and cigarettes.

There are some 4WDs certainly in the ditches but they are just the opposite in appearance as they are almost always brand-spanking new yuppie SUVs (Lexus, BMW, Cadillac, Range Rover) who were out joy-riding in their first snow.

I guess you just called me a d*****s for driving something that works better than the SWB Wrangler in the kind of traffic I deal with for the daily driver. Note the word TRAFFIC in the last sentence. I have no trouble driving all by myself. But I learned long ago that mud tires are not to be trusted on wet or slick roads.

Enough.

Earle Hort>

It's never enough. If you're driving in traffic, there's not much you can do about that, except to move to the country. Mud tires? The wheel and tire people would be glad to set you up with a set of winter wheels and tires that would be more suitable, but if you have another vehicle then that's just as good. I'm posting this just so people don't get the idea that the CJ/YJ/TJ is inherently a bad vehicle for snow.

Earle

Fort Collins sucks. The traffic is similar to Madrid. Take a look at the picture under "Flood Awareness Week, July 15-21". In 1997 a flash flood wiped out a trailer park, which they converted into a "memorial" park. The main thing that I require from a municipal government, is that they leave me the f*** alone. I have taught City Hall here

to do just that. In Fort Collins theyencourage people to rat on their neighbors about grass growing too high, toomany motor vehicles in the yard, stereos a little too loud, etc. Earle