but have you ever broke a front axle while under power while on a hardpack road with a front locker?
that is what i am talking about.
not breaking an axle in the mud or soft dirt.

 

I was in mud when mine broke but like I said turning around 6k rpm. I snapped the long shaft and also rung pinion in half but resulted in a brace for a couple weeks for a fractured wrist, I also run no sort of power steering though

 

No power steering would do it!^
My last axle broke on a steep dry rock face in my D60.

 

Yea I don't see the need for power steering in the mud, Seen way to many people over steer in the mud with it. So i stick to man handling the wheel

 

Personally Im going to be running hydro assist with welded diffs front and rear, I use manual hubs on the front for driving a low speeds, top speed of 50-60km/hour Ive never broken my hand, biggest mistake is people grabbing the wheel on the inside of wheel, I know from experience, I did it hurt like a sob but never broken bones would take a hard pull for it to happen. Lockers front and rear like everyone else said selectable if your got the $$ or poor man lockers made by Lincoln or miller, even Hobart.

 

I'll never again have an automatic locker in the front axle of any truck I expect to drive on the road in snow. I had a Lock-Right in the front of a '95 F-150 SC short box. For about a week. First snow storm I was on a freeway at about 45 mph, on the throttle slightly as I was going up a slight hill and changing lanes. When the left front tire lost traction on the snow between the lanes and the right was on semi-clear pavement the torque steer twisted the steering wheel in my hands so quick that the truck had jumped 10 feet to the left before I could catch it. I tried being more careful for the next mile or so, but I had to shift out of 4wd.

I don't think a decent limited slip would have been enough better, so I can't see putting anything other than an open diff or a selectable locker in the front of a truck I'll drive on the road in the winter.

For a dedicated rock crawler I could see using an auto locker in the front. If you won't be doing any relatively high speed driving in 4wd I'd think everything would be a lot more forgiving.

 

and that is EXACTLY what i was talking about happening with a locker in the front axle.

 

Glad I saw this thread. I have to do the front seals in my front axle and have been thinking about a drop in as well. I don't have the funds for a selectable and don't do extreme off-road, but often see myself in a lot of snow with no where to turn around and a quezy feeling about trying to back out. So far the biggest thing is spinout or broken axles. Oh and highway which makes me wonder. If your driving on patchy roads, why do you need 4wd. Can you not control your truck without it. Maybe a better investment for some could be better tires and learn to control the skinny pedal. At any rate. Still thinking about it. I've got 2 more days to think before I tackle the seals and right now my biggest thought is broken parts as it's usually just my truck in the bush and friends in the passenger seat. Hmmmm. What to do indeed.