I know from extensive pounding of pickups that a locker in the rear can get you out of some semi hairy messes, but for my 01 TJ, would an OX Locker in the rear only be enough for trail duty?  Any body out there that only runs the single setup? If so, how is it working for you and would you change or add anything?  I'm about to drop new gears, shafts, and the OX in, but would like to save the pesos on the front end it I can get away with it.  Thanks  

I have ox lockers in my TJ both front and rear. I actually play around all the time with combinations of locked rear, 4x4 unlocked, 4x4 rear locked etc. Locked rear 2x is almost worthless. Just digs holes. 4x4 nothing locked is way better than 2x rear only locked. But 4x4 both locked - it's incredible. Save your pennies.  

Another thing. Do not waste the money on a locker for the rear if it's a 35. If you are getting axels, locker, gears anyway upgrade to a 44. The bare housing from Jeep is only $600, and it bolts right in. I did this and have about $1900 in the whole thing. 44 housing, alloy usa 33 spline shafts, alloy usa 4.56 gears and an Ox locker. I got the gears, shafts and locker from quadratec as a package for $1050.  

I hardly ever lock the front of the rubi, just never need to unless I'm in straight line mud hole or a hill climb, besides the fact it wont turn as sharp as a full size creww cab with it locked.

this came about after the front air pump got smashed, I went without it for a while and found it still went the same places without it with ease.  

The big difference is really when a wheel is off the ground. Not so much when everything is touching. I never lock either front or rear unless it looks like it's needed. And that's usually straight. In any high traction situation you don't want locked. Hard steering even with the rear locked or just in 4x4. Locked with high traction just needlessly stresses stuff. If it's hard steering, it's probably high traction.  

I installed a Detroit Locker in my 44, and a Detroit True Trac in the 30.  I don't have to flip any switches; they lock and unlock when needed.  

A Detroit Locker is strong and simple... but for something driven on the street, that's why people pay extra to flip switches.  

Rear locker is better than no locker...  

On the 01 TJ, how long of an OX cable would I need to reach my 35 if I wanted to mount the shift knob where the ash tray is?  I'm currently in Iraq, or I would measure it myself, but if somebody knows roughly what that length would be, I would appreciate it.  

The Quadratec catalog recomends a 70" cable. I used a 70" cable and put the shifter next to the e-brake. I have the factory cup holders but no console. I've seen some installs where the shifter is in the cup holder mounted in a nice cover plate and the cable is routed back through the console. You would not be able to mount the shifter any more forward with a 70" cable. There's not much room forward of the cup holders. If you go all the way to the ashtray I think the dash overhang might make it difficult to shift. The shifter is pretty small, but still needs room for your hand and the throw movment. It works out really well between the seats, is easy to shift and accessable without reaching to far. The cable is VERY hard to work with. It is very stiff and needs to make gradule bends. That's good for durability but not for installation ease. This is a keep it simple install. The ashtray is about 24" forward of where my shifter is using a 70" cable.

Also, my gears were not included for the $1050, bad info. They were $150 plus an install kit for $80.

My point about putting a locker in a 35. If you put larger tires on and wheel where you would want a locker, the 35s break really easly without a locker. A locker puts even more stress on the internals. Almost nobody would reccomend putting the expense into axles, gears and a locker for a 35. Any comments out there...???  

I would be very reluctant to put that kind of cash into a Dana 35. It's just not an axle that will last, even under relatively mild use with a locker and tires bigger than 30s.  

Jeep Drivetrain Components - Perfect 30
Definitely Not Trudly
writer: Pete Trasborg  

According to this article put out by JP, doing peice by peice work on a Dana 30 would work just fine with 35"ers.  Now, if there is some hairline reason why Dana 35's wouldn't tolerate the same stresses the front end 30 does, then I'm going to end up rebuilding some junk yard 44's I guess.  I don't see me doing anything drastic on the trail to my baby.  It's a jeep, but she's the only thing I've got outside of 4 months of football and the occasional poker night with the boys that gets me out of the house.  Hate to ruin that golden ticket.  

What exactly about the axle is it that won't hold up?  If I put in new gears, locker, and shafts, will that not be enough to hold up to some 35 KM2s?  

it will depend on how you drive it. avoid banging gears and It'll last a long time. most that I've seen only have the spiders broke  

35" tires are the max size for a 44 generally. Way over a Dana 35. The 35 ring and pinion will fail. The 35 is just not a good design. It is inherantly weak. The 30 in the front is stronger. When you go up hill the weight of the vehicle proportionally transfers to the rear axle. The steeper the hill the more weight the rear axle has to handle. The converse is true for the front axle. That's why the 30 in the front of TJs lasts. The most force is applied to the rear when going up hill (throttle and weight transfer). Add in a little wheel hop because of momentary lost traction and that's the end of the 35. Remember, bigger tires are bigger levers working against the ring and pinion. The formula for force is (mass x acceleration = force). Acceleration is not speed. Acceleration is the rate of change in speed. The greatest acceleration and thereby the greatest force is when something suddenly stops. (car hits a wall) When a tire looses traction under throttle it speeds up. Then when the tire regains traction it will abuptly slow down (acceleration) and if it is a big tire, that's a big lever, and the resistance is all transmitted right to the weakest point, the ring and pinion.