Posted by Charlie on January 10, 2000 at 03:17:25:
In Reply to: 1948 diff rebuild posted by JD on January 09, 2000 at 13:43:36:
The only locker available is the Lockright #1210, about $260. It's an auto locker, you won't hardly notice it on the rear. The front is a different story. If you do a lot of offroad work, either trails or in farm fields, a front locker could be useful. But locking hubs are required and power steering nearly so. In my M37 I have F&R lockers. Also power steering and 9.00R16 XZLs, 4.89s, a 5 spd and a diesel. Driving on icy streets today in 4WD at 45-50 mph, it pulls to the right with throttle, then lurches to the left when I lift my foot, unless I give it a little bit of right steering. It is predictable but clearly not for a vehicle to be driven by more than one person. If you don't push your vehicle to the traction limits, don't plan on power steering and hubs, just do the rear locker. You'll get about 70% of the possible traction increase with just the rear locker. Do you have someone knowledgeable lined up to do the diffs? It is quite an art, plus dis-assembling the diff carrier can be a hassle. Be sure to have new side gears available (they come in a differential kit that has a bunch of stuff you don't need like spider gears and thrust washers) because they mesh with the locker driver.
Once the locker is installed, if the work is done correctly, you shouldn't have to mess with it for the life of the differential, i.e. the bearings. The biggest threat to Dodge diffs is foreign material i.e. metal from broken axle shafts.
Charlie