Spool for fron axle(CRAZY IDEA)

[73k20]

A friend of mine mentioned that he wanted to try out a spool on his Dana44 front axle.
I told him, he didn't want it due to turning purposes in the mud, woods, etc.
If any of you could please give me more feedback for this crazy idea, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Who said size doesn't matter?

 

[Blue85]

One thing to keep in mind is that if you can't make a turn, you can always get out and unlock a hub.

<font color=green>Oh man, 4:10's are sure better than 3.08's!</font color=green>

 

[6.2Blazer]

I run a welded rear axle (basically the same as a spool) and like it, but I'm not real sure about the spool idea for the front. For turning, all of the guys running lockers like Detroits or Lock-rights in the front say you have a hard time turning with them anyway......and I really don't think a spool would be that much different. Sure, Detroits do have the ability to unlock when turning, but only if you have no power going to them (aka coasting). For example, if you are in the mud or a rut and applying any amount of throttle a Detroit or Lock-right are not going to unlock anyway, which means they will be functioning just like a spool, at

 

[6.2Blazer]

I run a welded rear axle (basically the same as a spool) and like it, but I'm not real sure about the spool idea for the front. For turning, all of the guys running lockers like Detroits or Lock-rights in the front say you have a hard time turning with them anyway......and I really don't think a spool would be that much different. Sure, Detroits do have the ability to unlock when turning, but only if you have no power going to them (aka coasting). For example, if you are in the mud or a rut and applying any amount of throttle a Detroit or Lock-right are not going to unlock anyway, which means they will be functioning just like a spool, at least in my opinion.

I also don't think a front spool puts any more stress on components than any other type of locker, because again any time you are applying power the locker is going to be locked anyway.

 

[laketex]

yep you could get out and unlock a hub, but do you really want to do that on that 40 degree off camber slope where you have to cut it hard at the end to avoid hitting the tree? Unlocking the hubs sounds easy, but i personally think it'd be a real pain in the buns (as mr. mackey would have me say)

Have a freind that welded his gears in his toyota f/r. It was a total bitch, and when it was muddy, he'd need about 3 city blocks to turn a u.

Sherman, Tx
<font color=red>The blazer's almost on the road....anyone got tree fiddy?</font color=red>

 

[6.2Blazer]

Having Detroit Lockers or Lock-Rights is going to give you just about the same driving characterics in the mud or in off-camber situations.

I'm still not saying I would recommend it, though.

I did have one friend that welded his rear axle (the rear had a Detroit). He only went on about 2 runs with it and liked it off-road, but one advantage was that it was on a Jeep Wrangler that he had installed a Posi-Lock (this allows the person to manually disconnect the axle disconnect system.....kind of like unlocking a hub). We wound up swapping axles just because the stock Dana 35 and 30 couldn't hold up to the 33" Swampers and 350 V-8.

 

[jcg]

One of the guys I wheel with in NY has a spool in his D60 and he loves it. If he needs to make a tight turn he just unlocks a hub, and if it's in the middle of an obstacle a spotter does it for him. Then again 44" boggers tend to grab a bit and make the truck turn so it's not a problem very often

Joe
RIT Mini-Baja www.rit.edu/~bajawww
Team Mudnuts www.mudnuts.org

 

[muddin4fun]

A buddy of mine is trying to convince me to do this. NO WAY!!! I'm welding up the rear, but not the front. The only locker I will put in the front is an ARB or OX locker.
Say you're on a hill and that front locker has gotten you into trouble and you start sliding down sideways (cause both your steering tires are driving which means they are slipping=no control). How fast can you jump out of your truck, unlock the hub, and jump back in and recover before it rolls?
No thanks...not for me. If all you see is flat mud, then it will prolly be fine.

Don't hit me, Mr. Moderator... I'll go back on topic... I swear!

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.bluefox.tv/~lara>My Wonderful Site</a>