Is it a good idea?

[scott3483]

So I have a 94 ranger with the 4.0. Stock D35/8.8 l/s combo with 3.73's I'm running 33x12.50r15 swampers at the moment. The truck is 90% play toy. Only need to drive it on the road to get to the wheeling spot. I have another truck to drive daily. I am going to be tearing the front end apart to fix a u-joint and a hole in my front diff third member in a week or two. My buddy is trying to convince me to weld up the gears while i'm in there.

Should I weld them? I would also end up opening up the rear and welding it too if i did the front. My next major axle upgrade will be to go full width dana 60's, hopefully next summer, so I don't really care about these axles that much.

Pro's and Con's to this?

 

[4x4junkie]

I wouldn't suggest it unless all you do is drive around in straight lines.

What I suggest is a cheap drop-in locker such as an Aussie. Though this will still increase your steering effort to some degree while you're in 4WD, it won't be so much as to be unmanageable.

 

[adsm08]

I don't care what anyone tells you about off-roading capability, coolness, traction, etc. If the vehicle has to be driven on pavement at all it is the height of stupidity to weld the spider gears on either diff. A locker or limited slip setup is just as good for off road and worlds better on road.

 

[shane96ranger]

My buddy is trying to convince me to weld up the gears while i'm in there.

He doesn't want your truck to move?

Sent from a Commodore 64 using a 300 baud modem

 

[farmer]

33? Hell yes do it. All of my trucks run locked rear ends, yes on the road too, and ive never had an issue. Even during the winter with 10" of snow on the road, or with .5" of now and slick as shit. The locked rearend makes it 1,000 times more predictable than the worn out trac-lock rear I used to have.. Do what you want, I'd just weld it.

 

[Bennybooster]

I would do it too

 

[Hahnsb2]

33? Hell yes do it. All of my trucks run locked rear ends, yes on the road too, and ive never had an issue. Even during the winter with 10" of snow on the road, or with .5" of now and slick as shit. The locked rearend makes it 1,000 times more predictable than the worn out trac-lock rear I used to have.. Do what you want, I'd just weld it.

He's wanting to weld the front, totally different animal.

 

[farmer]

Yeah I know, it was mostly in reference to

it is the height of stupidity to weld the spider gears on either diff

No experience in running a locked front, but everyone I know that has a locked front loves it, even in 4wd on the roads in winter..

 

[Jasper_S]

No experience in running a locked front, but everyone I know that has a locked front loves it, even in 4wd on the roads in winter..

Have you ever consider using automatic locker? This is known as the strongest and most preferred in vehicles that spend the majority of the time wheeling hardcore terrain. However, it is not recommended for the front vehicles equipped with full time hubs.

 

[brinker88]

Good luck trying to turn with a welded front axle. TRUST me. Been there, done that.

 

[American1990]

I would not weld the front, but I would weld the rear end. I have a welded 7.5 behind me ranger. The only time on road it does anything dangerous is.. if your doing something really stupid like making a hard turn at 40+ mph. It will also increase the wear on side tread on your rear tires, but not much. I would recommend doing it since you don't plan to have the axle for long and only drive as much as i do, if i drove my truck daily all over the place i would just stick to a L/S, but I only drive it short distances and to wheeling spots. And the difference you will notice is night and day, that True Three wheel drive helps.

 

[mkimber]

Richmond gear makes a powertrax no slip lunchbox locker for the 28 spline 8.8 Trac lok carrier in rangers now. I just installed mine last week and it's awesome. Can't wait for the first wheeling trip in November.

 

[RangerNielsen]

I don't care what anyone tells you about off-roading capability, coolness, traction, etc. If the vehicle has to be driven on pavement at all it is the height of stupidity to weld the spider gears on either diff. A locker or limited slip setup is just as good for off road and worlds better on road.

I have to agree here. my 88 is welded rear and it sucks on pavement. drifts super easy, can take tight turns, burns up the clutch, cant get going easily while trying to turn, always stalled it on just the slightest of an incline, unless i revved it to 2500 rpms. sucked in the snow... Thats a reason Im building it into a wheeler, and it will be trailered to the wheeling spots, hopefully behind my 94, but thats doubtful. And my friend had a second gen 4 banger, 2wd, welded diff "drift truck" spun out on a free way junction and slid the truck sideways up a wall thing...