need some advice here guys...

i am htinkin of welding up my spiders in the open front diff in the d44. it does not see MUCH highway use, but i would like to be able to use it once in a while when my new truck cant get out of my driveway (snow, 1/4mile @ ~8-9% grade). i also need to drive my truck on the street to get to wheelin spots...usually about 10-15 miles on the paved roads.

my question, since i have lockouts, i could just unlock the hubs, and it would be like i had no locker, right?
mainly worried about ice/snow driving, as i use it about 1 every two months to go put around in and do errands...

also thinking of welding the rear spiders, but i think id rather have a detroit locker in back....although, free does sound alot better!

so, ideas?? theories? better yet, experiences??


TIA!

 

the lincoln locker front does not seem like the best idea to me, i think if you only engaged the 4x4 in reallllly slick conditions then you will be just breaking axles here and there, but there is no way that you will be able to engage it on the pavement! (garenteed snapped axles with slight turns)

 

I have an ARB air locker in the front. I myself wouldn't put anything in the front except selectable, because it's too difficult to turn without it. A locked rear end is not preferable in the rear axle for snow driving. When the locker ratchets itself around a corner, it will become unpredicable and more dangerious to drive. Surely possible, but not recommended. I personally am going with a limited slip in the back and the air locker up front. The only other better combo then that, is a selectable locker in the rear, that is a limited slip when not activated (the ARB is open when not activated which is perfect for the front axle).

 

If you weld up the front and drive it in 4x4 on ice it will not turn. No matter what you do with the wheel it will want to go straight bad. The only solution is to unlock one front hub but that will make it pull to one side every time you give it gas.

 

Everything that has been said is true. I have front and rear welded on my truck and i love it in the mud/rocks/sand and although it is a hell of a lot cheaper i would opt for the detroit in the rear and the electrac in the front...BTW my truck is a daily driver. I never lock both hubs except when I am going through some real tough stuff. It is hell locking/unlocking them too...I have to rock my truck back and forth sometimes with a pair of pliers.

It has it's pros and cons but I would definitely just work with an open or selectable locker on ice/snow

i would go ahead and weld up the rear...that alone will make a difference

-jason-

 

thanks for the input guys, i had thought about the unlocking of just one hub up front for snow/ice...however, when i do go play with the truck (every weekend in the winter) it is mostly snow i play in...not too much mud in the elevation i live and play.

dont think ill weld up the front, although it sounded mighty intriguing. the rear is pretty darn tight for an ls.
up front, a 60 is far more likely than a electratrac, cuz even if i spend the 850 for the diff, i gotta set up a r&p, bearings, and after all that, im stuck with a fragile 44...