lincoln locker or not

[CruisinFJ60]

Im putting this here as i think ill get more information from those who have actually done it and not so much info from the guys who have front and rear ARB's just in case they have to drive down that gravel road one day in their life...
i know it isnt really hard core so if it needs to be moved then so be it.

ok here is my situation, Im wanting to lock the rear of my 40 which is pretty much my daily driver cause i love driving it.

part of me says just weld it up and be happy, the other part says i may grow to be annoyed by it. I do wheel it some but dont really beat on it like i do my 60.

I live in Texas i might maybe see snow or sleet 1 or 2 days out of the entire year so i dont want to hear junk about it being squirley on snow and ice.

here are my options.

1.) weld it up
2.) take the front aussie from my 60 and throw it in the back of the 40
3.) buy another locker and put it in the 40 and leave the 60 as it is.

now if i pull the front aussie from the 60 should i just weld up the front diff of the 60 and leave the detroit in the back, or should i toss the detroit up front and the welded third to the back? my thinking says the welded one to the rear just in case of catastrophic failure it is easier to get to and address.

Im confident in my ability to weld it up without it coming apart and i would cover all the areas i wanted crap away from with wet rags. I have 2 welders a 220V sears arc welder that is pretty old but still works and i have a 220v hobart handler 187 mig welder that is capable of welding 5/8".

so what say yall? and if you say burn it together which welder would be better ya think? also what kinda tire wear should i expect (if i just weld the rear)? anything noticeable? some said i would see wear from having the rear locker in my 60 tho i never saw any difference.

 

[mookie]

i personally would weld it up and see how it goes, you probably have a bunch of extra spider gears etc if it sucks that you can put back in there....it'll chirp your tires some going around curves, so what?.....i wouldn't weld the front up in your 60 for anything though you won't be able to turn worth a crap offroad that way.....i think that one mistake that people make when welding up their spider gears is getting them too hot and making the metal weaker and brittle, i would assume that you should do it the same way as with trussing up an axle housing, take your time, do a little then let it cool slowly

 

[shelfboy1]

welded locker for the street ? better stock up on thirds.

 

[cruiser88]

Why is that?

welded locker for the street ? better stock up on thirds.

 

[cruiser88]

Tires are going to wear, its going to pull in the corners,kick and buck like my spools do(if its in the rear).

Get another locker if you do alot of street driving

If you have one in the front you realllllly will not like it cause without some type of steer assist and again you will hate it.
My spool is ok now with a little extra help but the terrian I wheel in is damp and wet so it really doesnt affect me much and I am light. Furthermore if I was in Moab on really dry rocks I would be in trouble

 

[cruiser88]

I was looking for Woodys old link on how do do this......but its gone

 

[woody]

if you weld it up correctly, it will last a long long time....see my write up how to do it CORRECTLY...I just had mine out for a diff leak and the welds are all perfect, and ring-pinion looks great too.

Welded Carrier Section

pre-load everything...I didn't cover anything either...it does take a few days to do tho, since everything should air cool. Mine was done with a Miller 185 Mig.
-------------

If you drive like I drive, you don't 'baby' around corners....you use the power...and using the power with a locker LOCKS that locker around corners. Lunchboxes are designed to lock under load, and a corner is enough to create that 'load'

Yes, your tires will wear more...air them up a bit high to alleviate some of the 'scrub' on the other lugs.

You won't get 'locker-lane-change'...when the lunchbox decides to unlock as you are going 70 and 'kicks' you to the left nearly a full lane...I've had it, it's not fun.

DO NOT put a welded diff in a 60 unless you like changing axles in the rear or having POOR offroad steering (and blown birfs/axles) in the front. Truck is too heavy for something that has zero chance of giving....the ARB works since a smart driver knows when to take it off and remove the stress during 'normal' wheeling.

Happy welding

 

[woody]

I was looking for Woodys old link on how do do this......but its gone

u suk at the interweb...see link above

 

[cruiser88]

I was just being fat and lazy I suppose

u suk at the interweb...see link above

 

[bustanutley]

On which ever truck you wheel, put the detriot on the front and weld the rear. Put the aussi in the front of the other one.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Not every guy with ARB's is a web wheeler. Just an FYI.

I've never had a Lincoln locked diff but I've ridden in a few trucks that did. I gotta say I agree with woody they are a lot better on the street than an auto locker, that un-load thing scares the crap out of me every time it happens in my 60. After driving the 60 with Detroits F&R for six months I gotta say I'm not a huge fan of auto lockers period. Both of my other Land Cruisers have selectable lockers F&R and it makes technical and street driving much, much easier.


Why you feel the need to lock the 40 if your 60 is the truck you wheel most?

 

[CruisinFJ60]

by them wearing more would it be significant and noticeable?
like i say on my 60 i never noticed any increased wear and i drove with power through most turns and in parking lots ect chirping the tires all along the way.

and on the 60 you do not recommend it to be welded at all no matter if the front or the rear... even if the 60 is pretty much a trail only truck?

On which ever truck you wheel, put the detriot on the front and weld the rear. Put the aussi in the front of the other one.

thats kinda what i thought i would hear too, detroit in front of 60 weld the rear and aussie to back of 40.

i would never lock the front before the rear as it would not yeild the same benefit while climbing.

Not every guy with ARB's is a web wheeler. Just an FYI.

I've never had a Lincoln locked diff but I've ridden in a few trucks that did. I gotta say I agree with woody they are a lot better on the street than an auto locker, that un-load thing scares the crap out of me every time it happens in my 60. After driving the 60 with Detroits F&R for six months I gotta say I'm not a huge fan of auto lockers period. Both of my other Land Cruisers have selectable lockers F&R and it makes technical and street driving much, much easier.


Why you feel the need to lock the 40 if your 60 is the truck you wheel most?

haha i know but as we all know MANY of them are.

your detroits act funny on the streets? are they the little lunchbox style or the full replacements? the rear one in my 60 is a full replacement and compared to the aussie it is amazing. i hardly noticed it when i drove it on the street. the aussie always would unload, but it was never an issue. however the aussie up front i dont hardly notice now (ya know when im in 4wd with hubs locked)

and the reason to lock the 40 when 60 is dedicated wheeler is cause the 40 gets wheeled enough that a rear locker would help alot, it may eventually get a front locker too but i know that will put me in places i prolly dont want it due to potential damage... hopefully i can resist...

 

[CruisinFJ60]

Tires are going to wear, its going to pull in the corners,kick and buck like my spools do(if its in the rear).

Get another locker if you do alot of street driving

If you have one in the front you realllllly will not like it cause without some type of steer assist and again you will hate it.
My spool is ok now with a little extra help but the terrian I wheel in is damp and wet so it really doesnt affect me much and I am light. Furthermore if I was in Moab on really dry rocks I would be in trouble

the front of the 60 is already locked with an aussie and its not really all that bad to steer, however i do know it will be worse when i slap the real meats on there which is why i have a ram assist sitting on my tool box in the garage.

the local wheeling here is usually damp or soft (gilmer and stuff near me) tho it will see some rocks and junk (katemcy / mason)

 

[woody]

by them wearing more would it be significant and noticeable?
like i say on my 60 i never noticed any increased wear and i drove with power through most turns and in parking lots ect chirping the tires all along the way.

and on the 60 you do not recommend it to be welded at all no matter if the front or the rear... even if the 60 is pretty much a trail only truck?

'locker-lane-change' results mostly from a short wheelbase and a lighter truck...the 60 doesn't fit either of those...

no clue on 'significant or noticeable'...500 brands/models of tires and no two will wear the same...even on the same truck

My 40 is 99% trail...and I wear them out WAY more wheeling that I ever could on the street....

 

[rusty_tlc]

haha i know but as we all know MANY of them are.

your detroits act funny on the streets? are they the little lunchbox style or the full replacements? the rear one in my 60 is a full replacement and compared to the aussie it is amazing. i hardly noticed it when i drove it on the street. the aussie always would unload, but it was never an issue. however the aussie up front i dont hardly notice now (ya know when im in 4wd with hubs locked)

It's a full replacement. If I haven't driven it in a while the BANG! when it unloads nearly makes me crap.

'locker-lane-change' results mostly from a short wheelbase and a lighter truck...the 60 doesn't fit either of those...

no clue on 'significant or noticeable'...500 brands/models of tires and no two will wear the same...even on the same truck

My 40 is 99% trail...and I wear them out WAY more wheeling that I ever could on the street....

I notice the rear end tends to kind of push sideways when I up shift the 60. I assumed it had something to do with the Detroit locking under power. It doesn't do it if I let the RPM's drop between gears, only when I power shift. If you can call it power shifting with a 2F

 

[bustanutley]

i would never lock the front before the rear as it would not yeild the same benefit while climbing.

I dare you try, locked front kicks way more ass. Lunchbox locker in the back with a manual sucks on the street, I would rather have the rear spooled. Autos make them much more unnoticeable.

 

[72rockcruiser]

Weld it up.

I have run welded diffs in many many (many) vehicles.

Even (drift) (RWD) cars. Its FUN!!

Tire wear will be an issue, thats about it.

I had a 380 horse crate 350 in my 72 years ago with welded diff, 38sx's and used to do burouts on the street. No issues.

 

[Tapage]

by them wearing more would it be significant and noticeable? .

IMOP it is... and it's the most important point to me not recomend weld the rear in a DD

 

[CruisinFJ60]

'locker-lane-change' results mostly from a short wheelbase and a lighter truck...the 60 doesn't fit either of those...

no clue on 'significant or noticeable'...500 brands/models of tires and no two will wear the same...even on the same truck

My 40 is 99% trail...and I wear them out WAY more wheeling that I ever could on the street....

so weld the rear on the 40 and even tho it is mostly street and weld nothing on the 60 even tho it is 99.999% trail due to the weight (i plan on 37"+ tires on the 60 soon as money allows)

and i have seen you in your 40... id say i drive my 60 pretty similar (poor trucks) and my 40 is driven spirited around town and off road (as long as body panels are not in danger)

oh meant to ask you, i read the thread you linked and the first time you welded the spiders to the carrier but had a failure. the second time i saw you had the axles in the carrier (to pre load it to some degree i presume?) and you welded only the gears together. i guess welding the gears only is what worked for you? and i know you said it would take a couple of days i presume you welded a couple of corners till it all air cooled then a little more, let cool, then a little more till you had the gears good and welded? and the reason for not welding gears to carrier was cause it spit apart on you correct?

I dare you try, locked front kicks way more ass. Lunchbox locker in the back with a manual sucks on the street, I would rather have the rear spooled. Autos make them much more unnoticeable.

i wont get in a big debate here but ill simply tell you what i have seen and experienced.

when climbing a hill the weight transfers to the rear of the vehicle putting more weight on the rear tires where the locker is or spool or welded rear whatever and making the front end lighter thus having a little less grip as the front is somewhat "picking up" from the torque and weight transfer characteristics especially when on an upward hill when moving forward.

I drove my 60 with no lockers an became very familiar with local trails, then i added a rear locker and was amazed at how much easier it was traversing large washouts, then i added the front locker and it became point and shoot, if the tires could touch it it would go (mud being excluded as she sinks like a rock in a pond).

ive also wheeled with people running only a front locker while i had only my rear locker and it was much easier for me to go places then them espically on a longish steep slick hill climb.

i do think the front locker makes a night and day difference but not as much as i feel the rear does, the front locker really shines in my eyes when climbing a steep ledge and trying to get one tire up on it.

another good example it a FWD car in first gear if i drop the clutch it will spin the tires all day long as the weight transfers to the rear of the vehicle even tho the engine is up front. if i throw the car in reverse and drop the clutch at the same RPM say 4k (which i have done to test this theory) it will only sin the tires for a short period if at all then it grips and goes. that is why all your top fuel cars, tractor pull vehicles, ect are RWD. also all the 4x4 vehicles that im aware of that have come with a limited slip (a real one not the kind like dodge claims is limited slip by utilizing the abs system on their 09+ half ton trucks and cars) have all been rear limited slip, if it had a frotn limited slip it had front and rear limited slip.

longer than i wanted it to be but, there it is.

 

[71-CRUISER]

I just installed a 12 bolt mini spool in the back of my 40 and like it WAY more than the Aussie that was in it. I ran welded for years but decided that I wanted something that was reversible. I not sure if you can use the 12 bolt mini in a c-clip axle but in my rear FF it works great with only a few very minor mods.

In an off-road only vehicle I will ONLY run a rear spool and a front ratcheting locker (Aussie, Detroit etc.) and in a truck that sees dual duty a selectable locker in the rear is nice but they have their issues as well. I will never run a drop in in the rear again, just to much slop for me.