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Front lockers...pros and cons, let's hear em.

I haven't tried my front locker in the snow yet, but I have noticed that it is a little harder to steer and in the sand the wheel has the tendancy to pull to one or the other side. But this is nothing that is unmanagable you just have to change your driving style much like you had to when you install a rear locker.

I say go for it, I definately love the added traction and you will too.

Oh and your 10bolt will do fine with 35"s and a locker, thats what I run and the only reason I have had bad u joints and I was missing the thrust washers from inside the hub which bound up the u joints. I fixed it all when I put in the locker and have yet to have a single issue with my front axel.
 
Unless going to a ARB or some sort of selectable locker up front, don't lock it. Locked fronts suck in the snow unless your crawling.
 
My solid axle S-10 had lockrites in front and rear and I was running 33x12.5 GY MTRs. I drove it in the snowy streets without issue. Coasting around corners and even light throttle was fine around corners, even at speeds of 35-40ish. From a stop, taking a left/right turn was pretty much turn the wheels and hit the gas. The front wheels would pull the truck around whatever way you wanted to go. I experienced no negative effects having both axles locked and will certainly do it again with the K5. The only times I ended up doing a 4 wheel drift was because I was doing it on purpose, having fun with it.

Lockrite in the front? Do it. You won't regret it.
 
I ran with the front locked in my DD K5 & 10 bolts for many, many years. Usually on the snowey streets i ran with one hub locked and the other out. It behaved a little more like an open diff that way and did no harm.
I used 4x4 only when needed. Most of the time my locked rear was enough to get me around unless the snow was deep.
The best locker i found for the front is the Powertrax no slip. They are quiet, less torque steer, and not as harsh an a Lockrite in the front. They cost more but worth it IMO.
Altho not a locker the detroit truetrack is strong and works very well on the front. They do not cost an arm and leg new ($400)
If you look around you can pick them up used cheap.
10 bolts do ok locked. Just avoid those "Hold my beer and watch this moments"
Ask me how i know:D
 
I am pretty sure you can get RWD low range out of a 241 with some mods, but I don't think you can get front output only.

I never really thought about unlocking a hub and just using the 4WD sparingly. I guess that is an option.

Hmmmm.

Rene
 
id get it if i had the money.3 wheel drive will still work pretty good in the snow if you leave one front wheel unlocked.they definitely jump up the breakage factor, but you know what you are doing, so it may be not as bad as a normal shlub going balls out on a 10 bolt.
 
I had pretty bad luck in my blazer with a lockright in the 44, 4.56 36 radial swampers, Detroit 14 bolt rear. Off-road i had a hard time turning the steering wheel at times, And the front end would plow constantly during sidehill, off camber action and tight trails were a nightmare.
Real Snow was just a hairy, Fine when moving for the most part, but trying to turn from a dead stop,,,, you were going straight regardless of the front wheels turned.
Cross over steering and the spring modified in the pump is a must to attempt locking a front axle off road.
 
I have a Detroit in the rear and an ARB in the front but don't run snow at all in my Blazer, strictly the desert. However, in my 78 F150 I am building, I have a Detroit in the rear and will be going Auburn limited slip for the front since I may see some snow occasionally and a broader selection of wheeling. I had an Auburn in my Bronco and it performed pretty well without being overly squirrely.
 
tRustyK5 said:
I never really thought about unlocking a hub and just using the 4WD sparingly. I guess that is an option.

Rene
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I know nothing based on experience, but this idea has come up occasionally in talking with a few folks. I was going to suggest it, but someone has beat me to it.
 
tRustyK5 said:
I'm kind of thinking of a lock right up front in the 10 bolt...

The thing is I will be DD'ing this Blazer, and that does include snowy roads in the winter. So, let's hear some firsthand experience with a front locker. I'm mainly concerned with poor steering control and general bad manners in the snow. I am aware of the benefits off road...

Until now I have always run the front open.

Rene
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Rene,

It's been a while since I drove something locked on both ends on the street and in snow but memory says it sucked.

My most recent fully locked high speed driving experience was after I decided to go boulder surfing in the SS300 race in April. After the 3' boulder took the right front tire, wheel, caliper, caliper mounting bracket and all associated lines and parts out we ran the last 30 or so miles with no brakes on the right front with the ARB locked to give us "normal" braking force in both front tires. At about 75 to 80MPH things got a bit interesting in the steering aspect and cornering was a new adventure.

I ended up steering in corners with the gas since the front was either sliding making the car push or would convert the push to an oversteer situation fast with a bit of throttle. This was on basic rough dirt roads and some graded county roads. Not slick but also not real grippy.

I would stay away from a non selectable locker in the front of any thing that sees ice and snow on the streets.
 
miniwally said:
Rene,

It's been a while since I drove something locked on both ends on the street and in snow but memory says it sucked.


I would stay away from a non selectable locker in the front of any thing that sees ice and snow on the streets.
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I cant agree more, anything but selectable locker in the front when dealing with ice or snow (in on road conditions) was a REAL sphincter factor of about 9.8 on my scary stuff scale.

I tried out the ARB in my front when driving up to my cabin on highway 4 in California (maybe 30 - 40 MPH max). WOW, that thing got turned off real quick both front and rear. The rear was not too bad but it was still a much more comfortable drive with both unlocked. The front on was just plain scary.

Selectable for The WIN on a street truck. A mostly off road truck is a totaly different story.

Rufus
 
rufusbooth said:
A mostly off road truck is a totaly different story.

Rufus
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I've heard of a lot of guys complaining about being locked in up front while trying to climb a side-hill where you need to steer and go up at the same time. I think the selectable front is just really the best way to go no matter the situation.
 
rene, don't know if you remember him but wrath was a member on here years ago. Was going to school up in the UP of Michigan and had a pretty nice "restomod" 80's long bed K10 pickup on 33" muds. He put a Lock Right in the rear and then put one in the front. They get FEET of snow at a time up there and he loved the rear locker...not so much the front. Talked a lot about how it steered the truck, he couldn't steer the truck, sliding through curves, etc. I don't recall if he ever removed it but he definitely wasn't a fan of it for a snowy winter DD vehicle.
 
AJMBLAZER said:
rene, don't know if you remember him but wrath was a member on here years ago. Was going to school up in the UP of Michigan and had a pretty nice "restomod" 80's long bed K10 pickup on 33" muds. He put a Lock Right in the rear and then put one in the front. They get FEET of snow at a time up there and he loved the rear locker...not so much the front. Talked a lot about how it steered the truck, he couldn't steer the truck, sliding through curves, etc. I don't recall if he ever removed it but he definitely wasn't a fan of it for a snowy winter DD vehicle.
Click to expand...

I live in the same town as wrath did, and i have a lock right in the front of my truck and a Detroit in the rear.
s30403427_31744075_676.jpg
here is a picture of the amount of snow we got over night, that is my car barley sticking out of the snow pile. The snow in our yard got so deep that the snow blower could not throw it high enough to get over the bank

s30403427_31744075_676.jpg
 
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