welded rear? (FAQ)

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hudyhue

hudyhue

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ok i searched and read... but just want to know those that have welded rears,like them/dis-like 'em...and do you do alot of driving to an from the trails you wheel ,or trailor your rig?...thanks in advance


james
 
I'VE welded mine, but have'nt got it in yet.

i was told if its done right it will last.
 
Mine is welded. It's my DD and we just had a boat load of snow here.

Not gonna argue their durability..mine have held but know they won't forever.

IMO, they aren't worth it and gonna be changing mine to a selectable very soon. Have ran welded rears for a few years now on my DD and they ruin your tires. Your tires will bark alot on short radius turns.

Driving in snow takes alot of attention but totally manageable as I've had no issue with control, but I feather the gas and never in a turn. Ice..forget it. High speeds..forget it. My daily commute is less than 5 miles for work.

Plus..it's always locked. Mechanical lockers freak me out being a bit unpredictable so for me..ARB. On or off..finally figured out, the cost of the tires vs. the selectable locker isn't worth the welded rear.

M2C
 
I have ARB lockers and love them. My brother-in-law has welded rear on his :eek: (CJ5). Regardless he loves them. But he has said that "sometimes" when making a tight turn (street or dirt) he hears a loud bang like someone hit his rear with a sledgehammer. He says it happens ever once in awhile because it binds up ( whatever that means!) For me.... I'll stick with the airlockers:D
 
see thats what i was thinking arb's,my buddy just gave me his welded rear axel( because i have ball n claw) and he up graded to like 60's or something....


thanks for the in put i knew they would wear tires faster ...

James
 
my former trail rig, darth, had a welded rear. it was driven to and from the trail for 3 or 4 years. never had any issues.

done properly, a welded rear is a great way to get a cheap locker. hard to beat for the price, that's for sure.
 
yea i'm not dobting the hold up issue ,i got it from weak link over on pirate...
 
Poser said:
Are you serious or being a DA again?





Done properly, these can work great and last a long time, even in a vehicle that pounds pavement from time to time.
Click to expand...
DA no,twice ive had this done in the past.and both times it failed.why not just spend the 250 bucks and be sure?but anyway it may work out for some
 
I've had mine welded up for a few years now wth no problems to report. I used to drive it daily, but not as much anymore. Yes, the tires chirp sometimes, and the rear wear a bit faster than the fronts, but I'm not in this game for tire longevity.

With a lockright in the front, the rear end pushes in low traction situations and the front end has a tougher time ratcheting around corners. I've only had this happen in deep snow, but it was enough that I wouldn't run a welded/spooled rear end if I wheeled deep snow very often - or I'd get a selectable up front.

Frankly, I've tried to break it with no success. I'm always looking for an excuse to upgrade something, but it's held up just fine. When I get any noise from the rear end (like the clunk that sandrat62 mentioned in his BIL's CJ), I know it's time to tighten up the u-bolts again. I probably do it every 8 months or so. There is a lot more stress on them with a welded diff on the pavement.

As far as high-speed goes, I'd rather have a welded diff than an autolocker ANY day. When I still had drum brakes, the welded rear actually helped my high-speed braking tremendously when it came to staying in my lane. Plus, there's no random ratcheting at 60mph to give you a heart attack.

For my budget at the time, it's been great. In the future I'll upgrade.
 
yes jason is the best...


dont do much snow...
and yes works for my budget.. thanks guys!
 
I've got a welded rear in one of my mini trucks (ARB up front). Been welded for about 3-4 years now. My youngest daughter used it for a daily driver for a year or so. It hits the trail routinely. In this rig, I've got nothing bad to say about it. Drives great and no significant tire wear showing.

Currently running a welded rear in the wife's FJ62. Don't like it under the heavier rig. Pushes around corners very noticably. Great on the trail, not so great on pavement. I'll be putting lockers in this rig before summer.


Mark...
 
i've had my truck welded for 5 year's now and no problem's with it, skips once and while other than that if you do it right no problems if you do it wrong well figure it out..

kevin
 
Alright, so which method did you guys use? Woody's first method of welding the gears to the carrier or second method of welding spiders to sides.

Have any of you done this with it still installed?

My biggest concern would be with it failing on a trail far away from home and having to find and replace the whole 3rd on the trail just to get it home. Anyone have that happen?
 
Spiders to sides. Much stronger that way.. No reason at all it should not last a very long time.

I prefer the way a spool feels on the street than a locker.. Much more predictable.
 
Mace said:
Spiders to sides. Much stronger that way.. No reason at all it should not last a very long time.

I prefer the way a spool feels on the street than a locker.. Much more predictable.
Click to expand...

x2. because you know its always going to be lock then it poping.

I have mine welded drive it onces in a while wheen its not broken :rolleyes: and trail. one of the best offroad mods I done.
 
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