i havent seen this question about spools yet. and my computer wont let me search... so sorry if it has been done before.

i have a 97 f150 4x4. my front end is a ford 8.8, 28 spline, ifs, open diff. i dont really know how this 4x4 system works, i only really know the older ones. when in park in 2wd the driveshaft spins freely and the wheels spin totally independently of eachother. i also understand that there is some vacuum lock in the dif itself. what i want to know is that i put a mini spool in there and in 2wd will the two front tires still spin independently of eachother or will they be locked together. i know that you can do this with manual lock hubs and in 2wd its no difference. but mine has auto hubs with no manual conversion kit since its a 97.

i do know the effects of a spool on your truck, i just need to know how mine really works so i can decide if i want one or not.

any help is appreciated!!

 

i will go ahead and tell you that you don't.... a spool in that ifs front end will cause breakage problems esp if you hammer it once or twice.

you might try asking in one of the other newer trucks sections about how the 4x4 system works.... they'd prolly know better

-cutts-

 

im not to bright in this field, but i got a open differentual on my 2wd, what would a mini spool do to it? would it burn my tires on dry roads or what? mudding is really a pain with open differentual. lockers are expensive but i guess they unlock around turns.

 

I would not put a spool in the frt axle, both wheels will always spin the same speed and if you drive this truck on the road its only a matter of time before you break something, See if you can just get a limited slip for it.

 

a mini spool would lock both your rear wheels all the time, constantly. on the street your tires would wear out pretty fast! i know from experience. also on the lighter duty axles the shafts may get weaker over time due to continual strain and stress.

you should never ever drive your truck on pavement while in 4x4 anyways. at least not around turns. going straight it really doesn't matter too much, but that doesn't happen often. i have both my front and rear welded and i LOVE it!

-cutts-

 

I'm thinking you have a 97 or newer F150???

The axle disconnect is vacuum that works inside the diff itself. I believe that there is a collar or something that seperates the right axleshaft coupler inside the carrier or right next to it. You can run a Limited slip but then the driveshaft and left axle will always be connected. Then when you actuate the vacuum coupler the right axleshaft will be connected. The downside is that the vehicle will wear out front driveshafts faster and it will probably pull to the left. The fix is the permanently connect the right axle coupler. The only problem is gas mileage will go down quite a bit. As long as the t-case is not in 4wd you won't have any problems with bind-up. But you will notice a difference in the steering and road feel. The only other cure is to swap the frontend to a style that has lockout hubs. Either a TTB or a Solid like the dana 44.

Just remember that the cv joints are going to wear a lot faster and they were never designed to have a locker applied to them.

Also, I've heard that you can run an ARB locker up front and not have any of the drawbacks above, but they also cost $$$. If it were up to me, I would work a little more overtime and spring for the ARB just so I could keep the steetability and not worry about my arms getting tired from fighting the heavy steering and feedback all the time. I would definitely not try to run a drop in locker or a spool unless you are not ever going to drive this thing on the street, especially on ice.

 

A limited slip or locker for the 8.8 IFS unit has not been offered yet. It has a lot to do with the engagement method, I'm sure. Mini spool would be a near impossibilty, you'd end up welding quite a few items together and maybe fabricating a few, then it wouldn't be driveable on the street.

You want a permanent fix? Whip out a few thousand and you can get the Fabtech SAS conversion kit (you supply the Dana 44).

-Kerry

 

thanks for the explination it makes alot more sence to me now! i guess ill just have to spend more money...