Air Lockers?

nickram

nickram

New member
I have a Sport Jk so I have been looking into air lockers and don't really know much about them or if I really even need them(moving to colorado next year and plan on doing some pretty decent wheeling). I saw what I assume to be a pretty good kit from ARB that comes with the air compressor but what are your opinions on air lockers and what would I need to get if I decided to go down that route? Thanks!
 
I have arb air lockers getting installed on my jeep tomorrow.
Are they necessary?
For most people no. But if you are doing some pretty decent trails then yes. They're the difference between having to get out the winch or making an obstacle look like it was nothing
 
Oh boy...this is the question that I asked that got me started down the path I am on...

Locking a D30 is not really a good idea. But before you go any further you have to ask yourself a hard
question: What do you intend to do with your Jeep and how hard are you going to wheel? Sounds like you
are just getting started so your answer to this question will lead you to what you do next....
 
Ddays said:
Oh boy...this is the question that I asked that got me started down the path I am on...

Locking a D30 is not really a good idea. But before you go any further you have to ask yourself a hard
question: What do you intend to do with your Jeep and how hard are you going to wheel? Sounds like you
are just getting started so your answer to this question will lead you to what you do next....
Click to expand...

This is true
I left out that locking a 30 isn't a good idea.
 
So if locking a d30 (i assume thats what i have) is not a good idea what is? Seriously I know nothing about this stuff hahahaha
 
I've got an 08 X two door. Yes, it currently has a D30 and an Aussie locker. It also has C gussets and Synergy sleeves. The full build up of the Dirty D cost less than a Detroit. I hear it all the time...don't lock a D30...why? Guys on the forum always say it's not a good idea but never say why. Look at a 30 compared to a 44... Same size tubes, same stock C's, less flange on the diff and 3 less axle splines. Where do most front axles break...the tube. Believe me, I fully understand the 44 is a superior component, but it's not standard on most JK's. For those of us with a huge list of wishlist mods, dumping $4000 plus on a new 44 isn't practical. Think of what else you could do with the cash. 95% of the people who own a jeep do not treat it like an Ultra 4 buggy...most are daily drivers and get let out on the trail once in a while. Mine gets wheeled, and wheeled pretty good. It's done John Bull, Dishpan, Cleghorn, and many other trails in So Cal...all with the Dirty D30, 3.73 gears and 35x12.5 General Grabbers. So from someone who has the "stock" setup...go on and lock it up...have fun with your Jeep, drive it to your own personal limit, and quit listening to all of the unsupported claims that it's not a good idea to lock a D30...I didn't.
 
I'm regearing front and rear and leaving the dirty 30 open. But that's because I'm planning on ditching it and upgrading the front. It's your money, but I would recommend leaving it open IMO.
 
1stbaserobo said:
I've got an 08 X two door. Yes, it currently has a D30 and an Aussie locker. It also has C gussets and Synergy sleeves. The full build up of the Dirty D cost less than a Detroit. I hear it all the time...don't lock a D30...why? Guys on the forum always say it's not a good idea but never say why. Look at a 30 compared to a 44... Same size tubes, same stock C's, less flange on the diff and 3 less axle splines. Where do most front axles break...the tube. Believe me, I fully understand the 44 is a superior component, but it's not standard on most JK's. For those of us with a huge list of wishlist mods, dumping $4000 plus on a new 44 isn't practical. Think of what else you could do with the cash. 95% of the people who own a jeep do not treat it like an Ultra 4 buggy...most are daily drivers and get let out on the trail once in a while. Mine gets wheeled, and wheeled pretty good. It's done John Bull, Dishpan, Cleghorn, and many other trails in So Cal...all with the Dirty D30, 3.73 gears and 35x12.5 General Grabbers. So from someone who has the "stock" setup...go on and lock it up...have fun with your Jeep, drive it to your own personal limit, and quit listening to all of the unsupported claims that it's not a good idea to lock a D30...I didn't.
Click to expand...

Unsupported? Really? I don't know about you but I sure as shit don't want to drive from all the way from Pa to do the Rubicon only to end up breaking my D30 and getting stuck 2500 miles away from home! I'm built to handle pretty much whatever I want to do now. If I wanted to just hit some trails out West then the D30 would probably be ok. You're runing 35's. What if OP wants to run 37's eventually? There are so many questions the OP needs to answer that saying go for it isn't doing him justice.

OP - start now and PLAN your build out. Get a spread sheet out and start plugging components into it to see where you're at. Ask yourself what you want to do and go from there.
 
1stbaserobo said:
Look at a 30 compared to a 44... Same size tubes, same stock C's, less flange on the diff and 3 less axle splines.
Click to expand...

Look at the ring and pinion.

1stbaserobo said:
Where do most front axles break...the tube.
Click to expand...

Nope. Bullshit.

1stbaserobo said:
95% of the people who own a jeep do not treat it like an Ultra 4 buggy...most are daily drivers and get let out on the trail once in a while.
Click to expand...

Don't know about the 95%, but yes most see more road time.

1stbaserobo said:
So from someone who has the "stock" setup...go on and lock it up...have fun with your Jeep, drive it to your own personal limit, and quit listening to all of the unsupported claims that it's not a good idea to lock a D30...I didn't.
Click to expand...

Yeah, sound and logical advice sucks. Go spend a lot of money and break your shit. :thumb:
 
Its not advisable to lock a 30. However it can be done, and an ARB is probably the best way since it is select-able. So if you really got in a bind that would probably break it, you could unlock it and stand a better chance of not breaking it. People on this forum alone lock their 30s even with 5.13s and some wheel it, and then some WHEEL IT HARD. Eventually they all seem to swap out for something like a PR44. They break, or they bend, etc. So really think about your end game so to speak with your jeep. If you want 35s and your fairly easy on your jeep than the 30 might last a while. If your wanting 37s, I would put as little of money as possible into the 30 as it will be lost money whenever you upgrade.
 
OP - start now and PLAN your build out. Get a spread sheet out and start plugging components into it to see where you're at. Ask yourself what you want to do and go from there.[/QUOTE]

Best advice on here...plan your build. I have. I'll be the first to admit the D30 is inferior to a stock D44. With sleeves and gussets...not as inferior. Running stock 3.73 gears and knowing how to wheel, not even an issue. I plan on going with a D60 and am saving for it as well as a D70 rear. These Jeeps we own are ours and ours alone. They nickel and dime all of us...New this, upgrade that. I'm merely saying that in my build the way it currently sits for the cash vs. fun ratio locking my front was a no brainer. The $500 in parts to have a more capable rig was worth it to me. I'm lucky that I can and have done all of the work myself. Would I have paid someone to install the parts for me...probably not. But that's just me. To the OP...keep doing research, make the spreadsheet as Ddays suggested and have fun with it...Jeep is life and we all live our own.
 
If you're moving out here to the front range area, most of the trails will not require a locker at all. If anything, lock the rear and call it good. If I were in your shoes, that's what I would do.
 
WJCO said:
Look at the ring and pinion.



Nope. Bullshit.



Don't know about the 95%, but yes most see more road time.



Yeah, sound and logical advice sucks. Go spend a lot of money and break your shit. :thumb:
Click to expand...

You are eventually going to spend some $$ upgrading your rig...might as well do it progressively so you don't waste any $$ (you know down the road bigger treads are in store)...get an arb locker for the rear 1st...save & replace the 30 with a pr44, upgrade the axles (that's what is going to break 1st)...then put in an air locker in the front...save & upgrade suspension & lift...then upgrade steering components...then the 37's (or 40's)...then the drive lines... yes, it is worse than a drug addiction...but the end results are better....
 
I have an 08 Sahara Unlimited, I plan on getting a ProRock 44 to replace my D30, then use the kit from ARB to lock them up. Going to use the stock rear 44 housing, but going to upgrade internals and regear. Pretty much taking the route Brute is saying, except I'm going to do it in different steps.
 
Yes I understand that. Maybe I missed something 🤔 But the op's question was about lockers.
I would just throw a locker in the rear and not even think about the d30 up front.
I'm locked front and rear and honestly I hardly use my front locker. The rear gets me through 90% of what I want to get up and over and still be able to hit my marks because the front not locked in and I can actually turn.
 
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