YES! gear oil is flammable. Have an extinguisher handy.

As for a spool being the same as a locker, yes and no. Welding the spiders is the equivalent of a Spool. A Locker allows some differentiation. In an automatic locker like the detroit, you can have wheels that spin at different speeds. The automatic locker has geared clutches that allow it to disengage momentarily. This allows you to go around turns without dragging one tire too much. A spool, on the other hand, physically locks the axles together, providing all the time lockup. There is absolutely no allowance for different wheel speeds. So, for example, if you have your rear welded and one tire is at a different pressure than another, you're going to be hearing a lot of chirping and squealing, because the lower pressure tire will spin at a different speed. Also, you will wear your tires VERY fast, because they will be dragging quite a bit. You will wear tires faster with a locker, too, but not nearly as fast as with a spool. A spool is also much harder on components, and you increase yor chances of breaking an axle or u-joint or driveshaft quite a bit.

An ARB locker is the best of both worlds. When engaged, an ARB is a spool. When disgengaged, it is just like an open carrier with spiders and everything. So, when driving on-road, you disengage the locker and all is nice and driving manners are good. When off-road, engage the locker and get instant traction. The best argument for lockers vs. spools is seen in racing. Drag racers use spools. NASCAR uses Detroits. If you are only going to go in a straight line and want maximum traction, the spool it up. If you are going to be turning, lock it up.

Welding the rear is not nearly as bad as welding the front, but you will notice unpleasant handling characteristics. I wouldn't recommend it for a daily driver.

 

How are you liking that E-Locker? I haven't seen anybody who runs one, so I haven't anything good or bad. What do you think of it?

Oh, and let me know when you take the EZ Locker out. I'd be interested in it.

 

I like the ELocker in the 8.8. It is a good pick for that rear because the Elocker operates as an open diff when off and as a full spool when on. I also have a reinforced diff cover to support the bearings. I'll keep you in mind on the EZ locker. Someone else as first dibs on it but if he backs out its yours.

 

yeah, Im gonna weld the spiders tomarrow on my 1978 Bronco. Its a dedicated off-road rig. I usually dont drive it in the street much!! I'll let you guys know if I like it or not.

 

Soo, an arb locker takes a 200 dollar compressor? How much pressure does it requier, cause I may be able too come up with something cheaper with whats laying around here at my place.

 

If you run ARBs front and rear, you only need 1 compressor. Go over to Pirate and do a search on "on board" air.

 

An ARB locker takes between 80 and 110 PSI to engage, and it's happiest at 95 PSI. It doesn't take much air, but it only takes a couple engage/disengagements to drain a 2.5 gallon tank, for example. And if you have even a tiny leak, the amount of air you use will go way up. Because of this, you'll want to have an air source that is rechargeable on the road, or is guranteed to have enough to keep you going for a full weekend, as a rule of thumb.

A friend of mine runs ARBs in both of his Jeeps. In one he has OBA, and in the other he has the ARB compressor. They both work well. The big huge major advantage to OBA is that you can air up your tires when you're done wheeling, and you can run air tools. You can't do that with an ARB comressor. I have a York OBA on my Jeep, and it is the single best upgrade I have done to it, better than the gears/lockers/lift/tires combined. There is a company that sells and adapter bracket for the Jeeps, though. I don't know how hard it would be to adapt another compressor to the Bronco. You CAN convert your A/C compressor, but then you lose your A/C. My Jeep still has its A/C, and let me tell you, it is very nice after a long hot day of wheeling to be able to crank up the A/C for the drive home. Of course, if your A/C isn't working (and you don't plan to fix it), then this is a great time to hack those hoses and start building your system.

You can find OBA writeups on the Pirate board, and also at www.jeepaholics.com, and there's one on my website, www.petesplace.net. These will all be centered on Jeeps, but the principle applies to any vehicle. You can also find a lot of info at www.onboardair.com, but they focus almost entirely on Jeeps, and have nothing for Fords. You can buy a lot of the equipment there, though.

Other people run CO2 tanks, and have good results. You'll need a regulator to step down the pressure from the tank, and then another one to regulate the pressure for the locker. In my experience, CO2 tanks tend to freeze up at inconvenient times, and they run out of CO2 all the time. I can't tell you how many tires I've filled from guys who's tanks just ran out before they could finish airing up.

Those little cheapo compressors that you buy at Wal-Mart will not do the job, and will let you down at the absolute wrong moment. You can buy a QuickAir II, and that will certainly do the job. But they are sllllooooooowwwwww. And by the time you spend the $300+ on the QAII, you're more than halfway to OBA.

 

I use CO2 and nitrogen for several differnt things and several differnt rigs so its nice. As far as running out of CO2, those turkeys need to look at their gauges . I use a big 'ol nurse tank for my nitrogen and refill the small tanks myself. This equipment isn't necesarily cheap unless you already have it. I already had it and just made some adapters to air up tires. With ARBs and other air lockers that are coming out, onboard air makes the most sense.

 

Hey Prick1
It sounds like you are doing a complete body off restification. Sound like fun. One thought for you, is instead of using that chain driven piece O Crap Borge/Warner Transfer case, Why don't you install an Atlas II transfer case? I have one in my '90 Bronco along with a KluneV under drive unit. Oher than having the twin shifters for the T/C and one shifter for the Klune, I can't even tell that they are there. I have had nothing but troubles with the B/W TC.

As far as having an an board Air compressor, I highly recomend it. Whether you get an ARB or Not. In Jan. during Winter Fun Fest, I filled all 4 of my tires, and all 4 tires of a Jeep, and 3 tires on a Dodge by the time one of those small portable units filled 1 tire up. Not only that Since I have the Air compressor, I just installed an ARB two weeks ago in my rear 8.8, along with new gears. I havn't had a chance to go off road since . Mainly because I've gotta change gears up front to match the rear, 4.10 front & 4.56 rear just doesn't match.

I am planning on getting an ARB up front, too. But, I am holding off on doing that for now, cause I have heard recently that ARB is coming out with a 33 or 35 spline(or both) unit, I think like June. I sure could use it now.

As far as the U-Joints and all the stress that they and the axles have to enduer. One word = UPGRADE. 2 companies that I know of that makes huge upgrade U-joints are CTM and OX. I have a set of the OX U-Joints that I'm planning on installing. Then there is cromoly Axle upgrades. There are a number of companies that makes these hardened axles.

Just my .02 worth. Hope it helps.
Late

 

All the input has helped me get a plan. I just purchased two detriot lockers for front and rear along with 33 gears ( still pull the bike to rally's ) "The compressor" Old ac unit going to locate it in the spot the smog pump was. Drive shafts i build my own using u joints from F550 drive line. Running a machine shop has it's perk's. as far as the restoration it started out as a 4" lift, had so much fun tearing it down could'nt stop. Sold motor, trany,rim's & tires, Front bumper, Rear bumper, electric mirrors and spare tire rack. Wife said it would have been easyer to sell it in one peice. If every thing falls in place this time next year MY TOY WILL ROCK!! What are you using for an air tank "Bumpers". The transfer case is electirc shift, i like that.it fits in to my scheme for the interor. Have you rewelded up your axel tubes its a week point in the 8.8. I've only been at this site for a month and love it.

 

It sounds like you have a good plan there. Nice pick on the Detroits

For an air tank go to a big rig junkyard and get an air brake tank. I run a small 2.5 gal. tank from Summit, but that's in my Jeep where space is limited. In the Bronco, there's all kinds of room to mount a bigger tank. Bumper tanks are good, but they don't hold all that much, and you can get a decent tank for around $30 or $40 from the big rig graveyard.

A trick way to run your lines is to have a quick disconnect come out the back of the truck, and one out the front (like, under one of the headlights). That way you can run 2 hoses if you want. A lot of people run the lines from under the hood, but then you have to pop the hood to get to the quick disco. Also, if you run a hand-throttle you'll be happy, because it's nice to run the motor up to around 1800 - 2000 RPM to get max output from the compressor.

When you're ready to build your air system, do a search here, or on Pirates, or on Jeepaholics.com for OBA and you'll find all kinds of info that will help you build it.

Good luck! Can't wait to see the finished product.