lockrite question

[2wdmuddin]

i was thinking about putting a lockrite in my 7.5 but i have a few questions that i hope yall can help me with. are there any problems with running an automatic locker? is the lokcrite a good choice for mild mudding, but decent trails? also should i do a gear change before i get a locker?

 

[4x4junkie]

For real hard use you'd want a Detroit Locker, but for what you mention I suspect a LockRight would be fine.

Already having the axle apart for the locker would make a gear swap a little easier, yes. If you're upsizing your tires at all, I would definitely recommend swapping gears too.

 

[strvger]

^^ x2. what gears do you have now? decide on tire size and dd vs. trail needs then re-gear if needed. good luck!

 

[2wdmuddin]

ive got 3.45s i think, i was gonna go with 3.73 and 30s or 31s since the truck is my daily driver i dont wanna go to big on the tires.

 

[blueoval54]

i would probably change your gears when ur puttin a locker in if you plan on doing it anyways... i have 3.54 gears now and i am runnin 31's its not too bad but i am puttin 3.73's in now

 

[dangerranger83]

I would do an 8.8 31 spline swap so that any money put into an axle would be put into something better.

 

[dla]

i was thinking about putting a lockrite in my 7.5 but i have a few questions that i hope yall can help me with. are there any problems with running an automatic locker? is the lokcrite a good choice for mild mudding, but decent trails? also should i do a gear change before i get a locker?

I think a locker is a bad choice for a 2wd daily driver. You will have to endure the clicks, clunks, clangs, tire squeal and get very little in return. The only time you're gonna love that locker is when you're crossing a ditch that lifts a wheel.

In my opinion, the cheapest improvement for a DD is the Ford Trac-loc limited slip IF you want to keep your existing rear end and have the know-how to do the install. The next best would be a junkyard complete rear swap for the Torsen limited slip found in the FX-series. And finally, an upgrade to an 8.8 Explorer axle which gives you a lot of options (I personally like the Detroit Truetrac LS).

 

[Sighman]

I got a complete 7.5 axle with 4.10's and the locker from Pick and Pull for $80. Took all of 15 mins to pull and 45 mins to put into my Ranger. I'm on a very tight budget so it was a good deal for me. I end up with my old axle in case I need any extra parts like shafts or such. If I did have the money I would go look for a 9 inch rear and get it narrowed but I'm not building an off roader.

My Jeep runs a D44 with a full Detroit with 4.88's and 37's and is very squirrely when driving on the road in dry weather let alone if it gets wet! The front is D44 also but is a LockRight. It makes a lot of noise on the street, not sure what kind of noise it would make in the rear but I'm not sure I would trust it. I used to run the TrueTrac in front but didn't like it. It was a pain to get it to lock up when I wanted it too, had to do a lot of feathering of the brakes.....

 

[blueoval54]

i agree with danger im doin an 8.8 and dana 30 in the summer but i destroyed my d28 haha and got a free complete front and rear with 3.73's so ill throw those in in the meantime... but if your gonna spend money on gears and a locker id say pick up an 8.8 for cheap put the money into that and sell off ur 7.5 to get some of the cost back

 

[2wdmuddin]

I think a locker is a bad choice for a 2wd daily driver. You will have to endure the clicks, clunks, clangs, tire squeal and get very little in return. The only time you're gonna love that locker is when you're crossing a ditch that lifts a wheel.

In my opinion, the cheapest improvement for a DD is the Ford Trac-loc limited slip IF you want to keep your existing rear end and have the know-how to do the install. The next best would be a junkyard complete rear swap for the Torsen limited slip found in the FX-series. And finally, an upgrade to an 8.8 Explorer axle which gives you a lot of options (I personally like the Detroit Truetrac LS).

thats what i was affraid of, i was talkin to a buddy of mine and hes got arbs in his toyota, but thats way to high in price. what all does the trac loc come in? how hard is an fx rear end to find and is a torsen in the fx2 or just the fx4

 

[dla]

thats what i was affraid of, i was talkin to a buddy of mine and hes got arbs in his toyota, but thats way to high in price. what all does the trac loc come in? how hard is an fx rear end to find and is a torsen in the fx2 or just the fx4

As far as I know, Ford's limited slip has been offered in the 7.5" rear since the beginning of time. You might be able to find a complete rear end in a yard in good shape for your vehicle.

I don't know if the rear end out of an FX will mate with your driveline (your profile says 1994), as I think you've got the old style yoke. So you'd need your driveline modded for a flange. You'll need to poke around in the tech library to find out if there are any other surprises when putting an FX rear into a 94 Ranger.

This site has a pretty good tech library - I highly recommend spending some time there.

 

[79F1504X400]

My vote would be against the Lock Right. I had one in my F-150 which is my DD, and I hated it. Oh yes, it works great off-road, I'd put right on par with the Detroit but I didnt like the on pavement qualities. Loud, lots of clunking some banging and lots of backlash which they (the owners manual) said is normal. If it were your weekend toy/trail rig i'd say yeah, would work great... but if its your DD....No, go with something less aggressive like the True Trac. Just my .02

 

[feellnfroggy]

Me personally for the price of a lockright, you can get a good exploder 8.8 with 31 spline axles disc brakes and limited slip, for mild wheeling that should get you through. And youll also have more gear and locker choices.

 

[strvger]

don't forget to check the references in the Tech Library so you know which axle codes to look for in the jy. good luck!

 

[2wdmuddin]

yea when the taxes get back ill go lookin. it would be nice to find the fx rear though. whats all involved in changing my truck from a 28 spline to a 31 spline rear?