Lets say I only have enough money to buy 1 locker. Should I put it in the front, or the rear for better traction?

 

i would say the rear....many stock lockers you have to lock the back before you can lock the front...

 

Back. Why are you looking into a locker? What are the specs on the truck?

 

It depends, give us more info, like vehicle, type of locker and whats in the diff. now

 

Depends, if doing a gear ratio change with a TTB, do the front first. If both are straight axles, usually the back first. If you have a van or other extremely nose heavy vehicle, do the front first.

Also, depends on where it will see the most use, sand, snow, mud, dirt, woods, etc.

 

I'd say rear for more control. If only one rear tire is spinning, you can't whip the *** end around nearly as easy as if both rear tires are spinning.

 

I have found that one in the rear is pretty good. I don't use 4wd as much as I used to, and when I do use 4wd, it is much more capable. Obviously, 2 lockers would be even better, but if only putting in one, the rear gets my vote.

 

With that reply, you finally got some advice form experience and not just speculation.
Lets get back to basics and try something that is pretty simple.
IS it easier to push a vehicle or pull a vehicle?
Ever drive a front wheel drive vehicle?
Take two vehicles, one front wheel drive and one rear wheel drive, and try to navigate any incline, or low traction condition.
The front wheel drive vehicle has a much more difficult time with the trek. The rear wheel drive does not get stuck as easilly.
My rigs are all twin stick equiped, and I use front wheel drive quite often. It amazes me, (still) at how poorly the trucks perform in just front wheel drive.
In any conditionm the vehicle struggles when the vehicle is just engaged in front wheel drive. The same trail, or line, or hill, is easier to navigate in rear wheel drive.
Now lets not get into steering dificulties, and weak front axles, this should be a giben, though maybe not, but your best advice is to:
1) Actually determine if a locker is actually suitable for your application
2) Determine whether or not you are willing to accept some of the drawbacks of a locker
3) Verify that your axles are even up to the added loads and stress associated with a locking differential
4) Be confident that your condition requires the use of a locker and that your driving skills are not just lacking. (this is a biggie here. I cant tell you how many rigs I pull out of the mud, or up a hill, or simply have to rescue because the driver thought that after he ran his credit card up to the limit buying all sorts of junk, he was ready for anything. Truth is that the driver should have learned how to "drive". Some driving skills can go a long way.
5) Consider that a locker can and will find a weak link in the drivetrain, so be prepared to make additional upgrades.
6) Traction devices are just that, traction aid. These devices will do very little for a vehicle with weak tires. Consider whether the traction you seek could be obtained by just buying some new shoes.

For optimum traction, and to obtain the best results, installing the locker in the rear would provide the greatest benifits.

 

WOW i just learned a lot!

 

Thanks for the lesson.

Rick.

 

Although not knowing how you intend to use your truck......anyone who'd driven a rear wheel drive car and a front wheel drive car in snow...knows that you'll get through much easier in the front wheel drive one....

 

This is simply as the vehicle drives. The front wheel drive vehicle is less likely to spin out, since the rear has to follow, and applying power to the rear does promote the "fishtail", but this is totally different than the vehicles ability or inability to minimize a "stuck".

Back your truck up a hill and see how far it will go before it loses traction.
In fact that would probably have been a better excersize.
Back any two wheel drive vehicle up a hill with low traction and then drive it foward. The truck will do much better going foward.
Most do not have the ability to engage front wheel drive only, so there will be a slight arguement by those who cant, but for those of us that can, the differences are night and day.
Same truck with the same tires and lockers will do better with only the rear engaged than haviing just the front engaged.
The ideal situation is to have both engaged, but the OP had asked about just having one locker, and hands down the best bang for the buck would be to have it in the rear.

 

As a fellow twin sticker, I would have to say. First one reason a fwd car usually does well in the snow is because the weight is mostly on the front. second, backing up a hill in rear wd only will not go as far as going forwards in Front wd only, because a trucks weight is biased to the front as well.

So my truck has a LS in the rear, and if I only was going to put one locker in (and IF my front axle could handle it) I would want a selectable locker up front, rather than replacing the LS with a locker. just a thought

 

i would agree with you on that one, with LS in the rear a locker in the front would help more then putting a locker in the rear in place of the LS....

 

It has more to do with the weight distribution than which wheels lead....if you put 800 lbs over your rear axle.....then maybe you'd be equal...

but stock vehicles...about the only one that will go as good as a fwd with a rear wheel drive is the pontiac fiero...where the engine was over the rear....