Ford 8.8

[Kory]

At the end of next month I decided to have a Ford 8.8 rear axle installed on my Jeep. I am planing on adding a locker but I am not sure if I will do it with the axle install or wait and do it later.

My question is this, what locker do you suggest I add to the 8.8 and why? I am leaning towards a non selectable locker because they are much more affordable.

[mattzj98]

Kory, you got it backwards, selectable lockers are the ones in the 600 - 1000 dollar range. The affordable ish ones are the mechanical lockers..

I would do locker install while getting the 8.8 because it is cheaper to have it installed while the axle is not under the vehicle and already tore apart. Are you also doing gears?

I am very happy with my yukon mechanical locker.. paid about 300 or so dollars for it, install was free since i had it done while regearing. the only complaint I had is how loud it is, BUT this can be easilly solved with a thicker guage fluid which is what im doing some time soon.. (a royal purple heavy duty synthetic)

[mattzj98]

everything I have heard, unless you want it locked all the time you want a selectable. what I was told, was imagine driving it ALL THE TIME in four wheel drive...I don't want to have to deal with trying to park or drive in four wheel drive on dry pavement.

a mechanical locker isnt locked at all times, only when it senses wheel spin. also, driving or parking, you would normally be in RWD not 4x4.. a locker like mine does the ratcheting while i park, so it actually doesnt wear my tires down. I love it

[Chris]

Lunchbox locker is fine, selectable is preferred until it starts screwing up. ;)

[mattzj98]

selectable is preferred

and expensive :)

[Kory]

everything I have heard, unless you want it locked all the time you want a selectable. what I was told, was imagine driving it ALL THE TIME in four wheel drive...I don't want to have to deal with trying to park or drive in four wheel drive on dry pavement.

My Jeep is not a DD so having a mechanical locker that is locked at all times is not a huge deal to me to be honest. Some one feel free to correct me if I am wrong but what I have read is that the mechanical lockers have two types. One that is locked all the time and the other only locking when the wheel slips.


Kory, you got it backwards, selectable lockers are the ones in the 600 - 1000 dollar range. The affordable ish ones are the mechanical lockers..

I would do locker install while getting the 8.8 because it is cheaper to have it installed while the axle is not under the vehicle and already tore apart. Are you also doing gears?

I am very happy with my yukon mechanical locker.. paid about 300 or so dollars for it, install was free since i had it done while regearing. the only complaint I had is how loud it is, BUT this can be easilly solved with a thicker guage fluid which is what im doing some time soon.. (a royal purple heavy duty synthetic)

A non selectable locker would be more affordable that is what I am leaning towards. The difference between doing the locker during the swap and after is only $100 so I am not too worried about when it is done.

I am regearing the front to match the back once the new axle is in.

[mattzj98]

ok if it only is a 100 dollars then yeah, don't worry about it right away. what gears are you going to run?

[Kory]

ok if it only is a 100 dollars then yeah, don't worry about it right away. what gears are you going to run?

I am debating between 4.56 and 4.88. What do you suggest?

[mattzj98]

if you're going with bigger tires eventually, just go 4.88 I know a lot of people who thought they were satisfied with 4.56 and then were beating themselves up for not going up to 4.88.. I'd go 4.88 just for peace of mind

[Brody]

4.88s and a mechanical locker if you are on a budget. You won't notice a difference with the locker after a couple of months. 40 years of driving with a locker or spool and I hardly can tell if what I am driving is open unless the wheels spin. Don't believe all the crap you hear about lockers being so hard to drive, yada, yada, blah, blah...A little more noticeable in a short wheel base rig, but not that big of a deal.

Almost everyone I know who is running tires over 33 inches is running 4.88s until they get into 37s. Just about everyone I know who stuck 4.56s in their rig for whatever reason, wished they had gone with 4.88s or higher. Oh...been there, done that and more than once over the years...

[Kory]

4.88s and a mechanical locker if you are on a budget. You won't notice a difference with the locker after a couple of months. 40 years of driving with a locker or spool and I hardly can tell if what I am driving is open unless the wheels spin. Don't believe all the crap you hear about lockers being so hard to drive, yada, yada, blah, blah...A little more noticeable in a short wheel base rig, but not that big of a deal.

Almost everyone I know who is running tires over 33 inches is running 4.88s until they get into 37s. Just about everyone I know who stuck 4.56s in their rig for whatever reason, wished they had gone with 4.88s or higher. Oh...been there, done that and more than once over the years...


Before I bought my Jeep I test drove a 99 TJ with yukon lockers front and rear. It was different but nothing I couldn't get used to. :)

Right now I am running 35" tires with 3.07 gears. My "crawl" is a brisk run. :p I am looking forward to being able to crawl and I would bet my brakes will be happy too!

[otisdog]

There's two types of mechanical [auto] lockers. There's the full carrier replacement like the Detroit softlocker. These are more expensive and require a gear check and possible setup. The cheaper ones are the lunchbox lockers. These replace the side and spider gears inside your existing carrier - much easier to install and cheaper by far.
It's the nature of the auto locker to be locked by default. When you are turning on a surface with traction like pavement the outside wheel turns faster and forces the locker to unlock on that side allowing the tire to turn faster. This is why you get the clicking noise when turning. When you are on dirt etc there's not enough traction to force the unlock so it keeps your wheels locked and turning. This is what can cause problems in the snow and ice and you have to be careful. When turning there's no traction to force the unlock so you have a tendancy to fishtail more. With an open diff one wheel acts as an anchor so-to-speak and helps to stop fishtailing.
A lunchbox locker is your best bet and there's several available for the 8.8. If I'm not mistaken you have to pull the carrier and take the ring gear off an 8.8 to get the cross pin out to install a lunchbox so the time to do it is when regearing.
Jim

[Brody]

Everything you probably want to know about lockers is already on the forum in quite a few places.

All of these links deal with lockers.

Front Range 4x4 TECH link:

http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?3927-Locker-Information-Links

http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?5026-Locker-Information-General

http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?11490-Locker-Information

http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?5001-ARB-Information-Links

More than you want to know.

[Kory]

I am looking at a few different lockers. Here are the links to the top four. Can you guys please give me your opinions/thoughts/pros/cons? Thanks!

http://www.aussielocker.com/index.php/lockers/aussie-locker-xd-48831.html

http://completeoffroad.com/i-2880804-yukon-duragrip-positraction-ford-8-8-31-spline-ydgf8-8-31-1.html

http://completeoffroad.com/i-122884-detroit-locker-ford-8-8-31-spline-det187c-145a.html

http://www.drivetrainamerica.com/p-3902-913a561-detroit-truetrac-limited-slip-ford-88-31-spline.aspx

[mattzj98]

the yukon and the detroit ftw. i have had an aussie, it failed

[Kory]

the yukon and the detroit ftw. i have had an aussie, it failed

Which Detroit? I linked two. :)

[mattzj98]

the cheaper one.. DUH! if you're spending 600 plus then just go all out and for 200 more get an arb lol.. otherwise, the cheaper one. they are guaranteed.. if broken they get replaced

just noticed the expensive one is for the 80s vehicles

[Errinjan]

I have a 99 TJ with an 8.8 installed running 4.56 I WISH I HAD GONE WITH 4.88'S I'm running 33's now but next up is 35's
Locker- I have a Eaton E-Locker in the 8.8 "I LOVE IT!" I have a ARB in the front "wish it was a E-Locker"

Locked full time is not something I want to get used to

Look around I found my eaton for under $500 it was previously owned "never installed"
I found the arb under $500

I'm almost ready to pay full price to replace the ARB with an E-Locker

I love the 8.8 Thanks to Josh at S F F Customs

[Kory]

I have a 99 TJ with an 8.8 installed running 4.56 I WISH I HAD GONE WITH 4.88'S I'm running 33's now but next up is 35's
Locker- I have a Eaton E-Locker in the 8.8 "I LOVE IT!" I have a ARB in the front "wish it was a E-Locker"

Locked full time is not something I want to get used to

Look around I found my eaton for under $500 it was previously owned "never installed"
I found the arb under $500

I'm almost ready to pay full price to replace the ARB with an E-Locker

I love the 8.8 Thanks to Josh at S F F Customs

The E-Locker looks nice but unless I can find it previously owned "never installed" for what you paid $700 is hard to swallow.

I plan to use Josh also. :)

[Beefy]

I have a 99 TJ with an 8.8 installed running 4.56 I WISH I HAD GONE WITH 4.88'S I'm running 33's now but next up is 35's
Locker- I have a Eaton E-Locker in the 8.8 "I LOVE IT!" I have a ARB in the front "wish it was a E-Locker"

Locked full time is not something I want to get used to

Look around I found my eaton for under $500 it was previously owned "never installed"
I found the arb under $500

I'm almost ready to pay full price to replace the ARB with an E-Locker

I love the 8.8 Thanks to Josh at S F F Customs

I agree about the gears. I have 4.56 gears and would prefer 4.88 gears.

The E-Locker is definitely nice, but pretty pricey compared to what he's looking for. What don't you like about the ARB? I love mine.

[Popsgarage]

You have two Detroits listed and you have two limited slips listed. Go with the Detroit LOCKER, not the Detroit LSD. You probably don't want to waste your money on a limited slip. The locker is going to mechanically lock the to shafts together. The limited slip is going to use a set of clutch packs to hold the two together with friction.

[otisdog]

You have two Detroits listed and you have two limited slips listed. Go with the Detroit LOCKER, not the Detroit LSD. You probably don't want to waste your money on a limited slip. The locker is going to mechanically lock the to shafts together. The limited slip is going to use a set of clutch packs to hold the two together with friction.

Correct - the Aussie or the full Detroit are the only two that are lockers, the other two are limited slip. If you go with a full case locker I think the Detroit Softlocker is impossible to beat. For the lunchbox style the Aussie gets very good reviews.
Read this:
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f13/best-lunchbox-locker-1076217/
Jim

[Brody]

What Jonathan said. There is a reason that the Detroit has such a good reputation. The one I was running in the back of my V6 Yota went through 4 sets of gears over the years (big tires, hp, lotsa torque, hard trails...not the fault of the Detroit) without a scratch. Less parts to wear out. Only thing, and the biggest complaint, is that it makes a noise when it unloads. If you are aware of what it is doing when it makes a noise, it isn't a big deal. Soft lockers, usually ones with a clutch type arrangement, unload quietly, but the clutches eventually wear out.

The Detroits are basically bombproof.

[Brody]

What don't you like about the ARB? I love mine.

I like my front ARB. If something goes wrong with it, it is easily fixed. I have an ARB in the 2000 Taco rear end that is now my spare rear axle. $7 worth of O rings are messed up so I have an air leak. Due to the design of the Taco diff/ARB, you have to have a bearing press to press off the ARB bearing cap in order to replace the O rings. A rather unimpressive design, especially since the replacement parts are under $10. I have yet to replace these due to not having access to a bearing press...

Other than that, I have liked my ARBs, especially the front. It is nice to simply use the front locker on an 'as needed ' basis and run with it open the rest of the time.

[Kory]

Thanks everyone for the information. I am going with the full Detroit. :)

[otisdog]

Maybe i'm wrong - by Softlocker I mean the Detroit full locker and not the True Trac limited slip.
Jim

[jesse05lj]

man the 3.07 have to suck right now with the 35" tires. I have 3.73 and 35" tires and my top speed going up hill is 50-55 it sucks I cant imagine having 3.07. its a good thing that it is not your daily driver! My jeep unfortunately is my daily driver. I plan on doing my gears with my tax return. not sure if I want 4.56 or 4.88 yet because I am running a Dana 30 and I have herd the because of the small size of the ring and pinion that they become fragile and easily breakable the higher the ratio you go. because your teeth on the ring and pinon get smaller the higher that you go.

[jesse05lj]

If money was not problem I would run ARB all the way!

[jesse05lj]

Any locker is better than no locker lol. you defiantly learn the limits of your vehicle without a locker

[Beefy]

man the 3.07 have to suck right now with the 35" tires. I have 3.73 and 35" tires and my top speed going up hill is 50-55 it sucks I cant imagine having 3.07. its a good thing that it is not your daily driver! My jeep unfortunately is my daily driver. I plan on doing my gears with my tax return. not sure if I want 4.56 or 4.88 yet because I am running a Dana 30 and I have herd the because of the small size of the ring and pinion that they become fragile and easily breakable the higher the ratio you go. because your teeth on the ring and pinon get smaller the higher that you go.

He has plenty of power. He has a Golen 4.6L Stroker motor. It's the crawl ratio that's not good.

[Kory]

man the 3.07 have to suck right now with the 35" tires. I have 3.73 and 35" tires and my top speed going up hill is 50-55 it sucks I cant imagine having 3.07. its a good thing that it is not your daily driver! My jeep unfortunately is my daily driver. I plan on doing my gears with my tax return. not sure if I want 4.56 or 4.88 yet because I am running a Dana 30 and I have herd the because of the small size of the ring and pinion that they become fragile and easily breakable the higher the ratio you go. because your teeth on the ring and pinon get smaller the higher that you go.

I have an aftermarket motor in my Jeep. It is a Golen 4.6L stroker motor. Hills are no issue. My issue comes when I am in first gear and 4low I can't crawl. :)

[jesse05lj]

Nice I plan on swamping a 4.7 into mine as well, but have other things to first. Gears, SYE, lockers, fenders ect.

[Kory]

Nice I plan on swamping a 4.7 into mine as well, but have other things to first. Gears, SYE, lockers, fenders ect.

I bought mine with it in there. :)

[jesse05lj]

Nice that is a good deal then!:)