Traction

Adding a locker to the POS cheap ass rear axle you have can over stress it to the point of destruction, even with a four banger. If you like to fishtail a lot on icy roads, then a limited slip on the back only might not be a bad idea. If you like to go sideways, put one on the front too.

If you seriously want to increase the off road ability of your Jeep, then an axle upgrade sounds like a good idea.

Earle

I really prefer my open diffs for the snow. I have a CJ7 as my daily driver up here in Canada. With my 33x9.5" muds in snow, a TJ locked front and rear can more or less keep up if they don't slide sideways off the trail....

If I went for a locker I would go electric or cable only. As it is, I use 2 wheel drive at lots of intersections because 4x4 can end up plowing the front wheels straight when turning left at intersections. With a locker, that kind of slushy turn would be impossible.

I have been 'stuck' on slushy ice with one front wheel and one back wheel spinning away and the boys going for the straps and I have hit the brake pedal hard while goosing the gas to get all 4 wheels tossing rooster tails and away I go.

This method loads up the spinning wheel until the torque equals the break away torque needed for the tire not spinning and gets the diff to lock up both axles. The owners manual says you can use the emergency brake to do this, but I have better luck with the brake pedal.

Mike

I have a setup similar to yours except that I have a Dana 44 with limited-slip differential on the rear axle. My TJ is a 2004. I go off-roading nearly every weekend in Southern California (where I live). Here is the sum of my experience: Excellent tires and excellent articulation will get you very far. Practice will take you farther still, and a good line through/over an obstacle gets easier to spot with experience.

I regularly ride "Black Diamond" (3 on a scale from 1 to 3 -- 3 being toughest) trails here. I've not gotten stuck but have had to make a second try on a couple of occasions. The limited-slip diff is nice to have and it is my opinion, based on my experience and from observing others, that a full lockers will offer an advantage ONLY at the margin and in rare circumstances vs. limited-slip.

I prefer narrow tires and the lowest center of gravity possible (the math seems natural to me). The only change I am considering is the addition of an OX locker (engaged manually with a cable, not air or electicity) to the front axle (which is open now), though I doubt I'll ever use it. I'd invest in this order: tires (I have Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials and LOVE them), articulation, hi-lift jack, winch, and then limited-slip differential(s).

A limited slip is garbage off road. It doesn't have the holding power it needs to really get the traction you need in extreme 4-wheeling. I wheeled my 89 YJ open front and rear on 33's but I had to really rev the engine and rock over a lot of obstacles that I could have crawled up if I had been locked.

To the OP- Look into a Lockright locker in the rear. It locks under power, unlocks when you release the gas pedal. Its cheap, $250. Why get the cheap one? When your D35 breaks, you won't be out too much $$ so you can upgrade to a D44/ Ford 8.8. No, there is nothing you can do to keeep your D35 from breaking. Taking it easy will extend it's life, but a locked D35 is a ticking time bomb.

Lastly, unless it was special order or all ready swapped out, you have the D35.

HTH,

Carl

He might do okay with the lockright or the no-slip (both by Richmond) as long as he stays with 31s and keeps out of the rocks.

If you watch all Bill's videos and look at all the pix you will come to the conclusion that most of the guys pictured were trying to break their axles and were excited when they did.

A Lock Rite is a light weight locker but it is still a locker. A Trak-Lok is what I recommend for the D-35, but you are still going to go sideways.

Earle

Just personal opinion, but after one snow storm (28 inches ) I yanked the positraction (limited slip, clutch type) off the front end of the Scout I had just bought. As others point out, locking both ends is good if you want to get far enough in to REALLY break something but the front locker WILL cause you problems, especially in the snow. Turning becomes a challenge as it wants to just plow straight ahead and your first trip down a snow covered, high crowned road will introduce you the the reason they call them "low side finders". The part that got my attention was slowing down - even with a 4-banger it gets interesting, to say the least. If you let off the gas too much or too fast, you are going to get at least one wheel slipping (plowing) at which point you then get 4 wheels sliding and become a 4-pt hockey puck. It is counter-intuitive, but the only recovery is to give it gas until the wheels start to roll - which is hard to make yourself do.

Given the time you spend > I drive a 1997 TJ, 4 banger, 5 speed, 2 1/2" lift, 31" tires, front

My TJ is a four banger manual as well. Don't waste your money on a locker for a D35. Lockers are lousy on ice and snow. A locker in a D35 will get you broken axles if you are into serious rock crawling. A manual locker in the rear would be OK if you are just slopping around in the mud.

You're better off with a good winch and a couple of straps if you are going to stay with the D35. Tire choice matters, too. My 31's are like large skates when the roads get icy.

J.

Scotty wrote:

Awww, that's so sad...no one to wave to...:^(

Seahag