What kind of lockers should I get?

Some will say otherwise, and really to each their own. It's not a great idea to run locker up front on the d30. The rear, it depends on if you want to run an air compressor for air lockers or if you want electrical. That too is personal preference. You will have just as many say air as you will that say electrical locker. If you go with air the big favorite is ARB. If you go with an e-locker get one that is a 4 pinion so it's a much more solid engage, Eaton is the choice there. If it's your daily really these are your top choices. If it's a trail rig then there are a few more options but it takes away the streatability of it.

FJNOMO said:

Some will say otherwise, and really to each their own. It's not a great idea to run locker up front on the d30. The rear, it depends on if you want to run an air compressor for air lockers or if you want electrical. That too is personal preference. You will have just as many say air as you will that say electrical locker. If you go with air the big favorite is ARB. If you go with an e-locker get one that is a 4 pinion so it's a much more solid engage, Eaton is the choice there. If it's your daily really these are your top choices. If it's a trail rig then there are a few more options but it takes away the streatability of it.

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Why isn’t it a good idea to put lockers up front? And is it difficult to install if I were to do it myself?

I like the stock lockers (on a d44 axle... not sure if the 30's have the switch mounting hole). They are the only ones which use a proving light and switch to let you know engagement/disengagement has actually taken place. With the others you just have to wait until you 'feel' it.

Lookup "Filthy motorsports lockers" on YouTube, they have a great video comparing ARB, Eaton, OX, and Yukon. It may help you figure out what will work best for you.

Bob Sanders said:

I like the stock lockers (on a d44 axle... not sure if the 30's have the switch mounting hole). They are the only ones which use a proving light and switch to let you know engagement/disengagement has actually taken place. With the others you just have to wait until you 'feel' it.

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There's no way to put a D44 locker in a D30.

I'll add, if you put a locker in a D30, be sure you unlock before using reverse out on the trail...

derf said:

Kyoshimoto09 said:

Why isn’t it a good idea to put lockers up front? And is it difficult to install if I were to do it myself?

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The front Dana 30 is a comparatively weak axle. The case housing has a tendency to flex when stressed and that causes the gears to fail.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with a front locker in that axle, provided you follow a few simple guidelines.

1. Don't go over 35" tall tires. Bigger tires => more stress on the front axle => parts start to break faster.
2. Install a front axle truss that welds to the differential housing. I have the ARTEC front axle armor kit on mine. The truss in the kit reinforces the housing to reduce case flex, prolonging the life of the gears inside.
3. Install a heavy duty differential cover. In reality, they're all pretty much the same. Not only will they not peel back when you scrape over a rock (causing a leak), they actually help to reinforce the big open hole in the differential case (again, reducing case flex, helping to protect the gears inside).
4. Go with either a limited slip or a selectable locker. The limited slip doesn't bind, eliminating that kind of stress. The selectable locker is only engaged when you want it. When you drive around most of the time, it's an open differential which has the least stress on the axle. A lunch box or full case automatic locker will always be stressing the axle and that will significantly shorten the lifespan of the parts.
5. Go easy on the skinny pedal. Nothing breaks parts faster than a heavy foot on the accelerator pedal.

I've had an Eaton E-Locker in my front Dana 30 with 35" tires for going on 5 years now. I do some pretty intense crawling. But my axle is holding up just fine because I follow those guidelines.

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Thank you! This helps a lot. I do have truss and gussets welded. I’m working on getting better diff covers. But I think may just go with the rear lockers.

Kyoshimoto09 said:

Thank you! This helps a lot. I do have truss and gussets welded. I’m working on getting better diff covers. But I think may just go with the rear lockers.

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If you are still looking for traction devices in both axles, a TrueTrac in front with an E-lock rear is a common and quality option.

derf said:

The front Dana 30 is a comparatively weak axle. The case housing has a tendency to flex when stressed and that causes the gears to fail.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with a front locker in that axle, provided you follow a few simple guidelines.

1. Don't go over 35" tall tires. Bigger tires => more stress on the front axle => parts start to break faster.
2. Install a front axle truss that welds to the differential housing. I have the ARTEC front axle armor kit on mine. The truss in the kit reinforces the housing to reduce case flex, prolonging the life of the gears inside.
3. Install a heavy duty differential cover. In reality, they're all pretty much the same. Not only will they not peel back when you scrape over a rock (causing a leak), they actually help to reinforce the big open hole in the differential case (again, reducing case flex, helping to protect the gears inside).
4. Go with either a limited slip or a selectable locker. The limited slip doesn't bind, eliminating that kind of stress. The selectable locker is only engaged when you want it. When you drive around most of the time, it's an open differential which has the least stress on the axle. A lunch box or full case automatic locker will always be stressing the axle and that will significantly shorten the lifespan of the parts.
5. Go easy on the skinny pedal. Nothing breaks parts faster than a heavy foot on the accelerator pedal.

I've had an Eaton E-Locker in my front Dana 30 with 35" tires for going on 5 years now. I do some pretty intense crawling. But my axle is holding up just fine because I follow those guidelines.

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I would not limit this common sense advice to just the Dana 30. As the Rubicon Dana 44 is just a marginal upgrade and shares most of the weaknesses of the Dana 30, one would be wise to treat it with care as well.

One problem with a front locker is that you can't steer without slipping a tire.

Iron Bender said:

I would not limit this common sense advice to just the Dana 30. As the Rubicon Dana 44 is just a marginal upgrade and shares most of the weaknesses of the Dana 30, one would be wise to treat it with care as well.

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Sure. The only difference between the D30 and Rubicon D44 is the center section, the gear set, the differential carrier, and the inner axle shafts.

But the those parts let you run 37's (when you do all of the reinforcement that you do to the D30) as comfortably as you can run 35's on a D30.

I had a lunchbox in the front D30 for several years. It worked fine on 33's but the axle self destructed on 35's and way too much skinny pedal.

So, depending on who you use your Jeep, I would either do nothing or put in a true track or a powertrax no slip in the front and I'm partial to the ARB in the rear. I like the air locker, it's simple, well built and dependable as long as you have air. The elocker works too but I felt the ARB was just better. It also gives me OBA and the CKMA12 will air up 35's to 28 PSI in less than 2 minutes each.

Don't overlook the OX locker. It can be activated with either a manual cable, electric solenoid or with an air solenoid and has an emergency tool to engage the locker if the systems fail. It also doesn't require drilling your dif as it comes with a dif cover that holds the activator.

Do a search on lockers, tons of info. First you have to ask yourself what kind of off roading you are going to do. Is your Wrangler a daily driver? Do you live with snow in the winter or are you in the south or western states. More likely than not a pair of TruTracs would be sufficient. A TruTrac won't put to much stress on your Dana 30. I've run them for over 4 years and love them. Research the heck out of it before you buy anything.

ARB air lockers. Do the rear and put in a ARB twin air compressor and manifold. Bonus, you can now air up after off-roading and air up your buddies too.

Leave the D30 alone until it blows up. Then you can do a pro rock D44 up front with ARB locker.