Has anyone had any experience with converting their open dana differentials to semi-locking

[legacykingx]

Good day to all,

Has anyone had any experience with converting their open dana differentials, to semi-locking, using the Lock-Right differential kit which are available in the market? Is it worth the hassle of converting the differential? Any pros and cons you have experienced until now?

Thanks in advance.

[Adam]

Unless you are going off roading a lot, why? did the front on my cj2a,,same thing pretty much. You need to pull axle shafts, and on the front its involved,, you can get away with taking one side out and installing it. I think it was the front that i did only 1 side on,, need to pull the center pin from the diff. housing, a ring gear may of been in the way of one of them. 20 years ago. The rear was a 45 and did that too. on the mb it is the same as the front.

Its a little harder to steer under load, they click when turning. Makes the jeep a great off road vehicle, just limited in ground clearance. running tsl's 34 or 36's

Adam

[dpcd67]

Right, why on earth would you want to do that? If you want a serious off road jeep, these aren't them. Also, WW2 jeeps have the toy T84 transmission in them; not suited for serious off roading. Plus you are modifying a vehicle that is becoming hard to find and expensive collector's items.

[parker007]

you have 2 choices, either the cheap kit that go in carrier, or new expensive carrier that work much better. keep in mind the factory axles snap like butter when all torque applied to 1 axle. the first time you have spinning wheel and it get traction it snap due to double the torque it designed for.

[Seff]

I off road my Hotchkiss in muddy conditions, and find that the open diffs become the limiting factor, which in turn means I haven't broken axles or my T84 yet.

[JAB]

Good day to all,

Has anyone had any experience with converting their open dana differentials, to semi-locking, using the Lock-Right differential kit which are available in the market? Is it worth the hassle of converting the differential? Any pros and cons you have experienced until now?

Thanks in advance.

I have a lot of experience doing exactly that in my CJ, and piles of broken axle shafts to prove it. For all of the previously stated reasons I agree with everybody who posted here. I'm sure somebody will chime in with a different experience, but they just haven't broken it yet. With the stock NDT's and motor you have a better chance of surviving longer, and of course the leaded foot is a factor, but there are those who will disagree.

[Adam]

I have broken a front and rear gpw axle shaft with all stock. both broke at once,

my 2a has 36 tsl's and nothing has broken yet. front anyway, factory axle, i think i have spicer shafts in there, but they could be bendix's rear has a 45 from a later cj5.

also that clutch z bar or cross shaft was modified to keep leverage working with the operator, not the reverse leverage as found on stock jeeps. ever watch mash? every time you let the clutch out from a stop that jeep lurches. easy to brake shafts. Ya know, with the torque applied to both shafts is that not less strain than just on a single shaft?

Adam

[JAB]

The torque is always applied to both shafts, but the one with the least resistance (traction) will slip while the one with traction will just sit there. With the locking mechanism an axle that may be immovable (or can get enough traction) might be in a situation where the low gearing, larger motor, and possibly a shock load will all be absorbed by the one with traction that will break.

I also have 36” TSL’s on my CJ but “solved” (well, sort of) the broken axle shaft problem by narrowing a model 60 for my rear and a 44 for the front. I still break the front so for now I’m trading my 4-wheeling and subsequent repairs time to finish my two GPWs.

[legacykingx]

Thanks to everyone and i have really learn and found my answer from your experiences .

[Marty, SoCal]

If you can find a Dana Powr-Lok diff, it gives you traction approaching the lockers but much more forgiving as it will slip some. It's a clutch type posi. Smooth on the street. You set the clutch pack differently for the front and rear axles. Rebuild parts are available, too.

https://hermtheoverdriveguy.com/d232527 ... oss-shafts

I have one in the rear axle on my GPW.

[JAB]

Thanks for posting that link with the imbeded link to the service bulletin Marty! I have one of those model 25 conversion with model 27 parts on the shelf somewhere around here. I'm one of those guys who was never satisfied with the limitations (described in the service bulletin) of limited slip traction enhancing devices so I went one notch below a spool and installed ARB lockers in my jeep.....and broke a lot of parts over the years due to the combination of a bigger motor, lower gears, taller tires, and sometimes....a lead foot. I kept it in case I would ever want to go back to something like that. I never knew that somebody was manufacturing some of the repair parts. That might be a good compromise solution for the OP.

[Marty, SoCal]

I run a powerlock in my CJ-8 rear custom Dana 60, and a Lockright locker in the front Dana 44. Manual Yukon Hardcore front unlocking hubs for street driving. RCV CV joints (Rzeppa type) keep the front locker smooth on the trail.

[JAB]

I run a powerlock in my CJ-8 rear custom Dana 60, and a Lockright locker in the front Dana 44. Manual Yukon Hardcore front unlocking hubs for street driving. RCV CV joints (Rzeppa type) keep the front locker smooth on the trail.

It looks like the RCV's run in boots in an open knuckle front end? I like that idea. https://www.rcvperformance.com/ My stock Scout (long side narrowed) Model 44 u-joints are my weak links, way too weak for the rest of my set-up. Thanks for the tip, was not familiar with them as I've been out of the "loop" for a few years now, but want to get back on the trail soon.

[Marty, SoCal]

I got tired of breaking the cardan joints. It's in a '77 Wagoneer narrowed Dana 44, with the CJ outer knuckles and Warn internal spline CJ conversion hubs. Running 30 spline outers. JK 44 big pinion gears in the center section. I can't afford a breakdown deep on a trail where I go. I've towed my teardrop through Elephant Hill and Lockhard Basin trails with the CJ-8 in Utah before.

[JAB]

I get it! Back to the OP.....