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Would it make sense to add lockers/LSD to both axles of a JL Sport?

west tex

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I'm seriously considering a JL which will be a daily driver that will also get some off-road and even off trail use in desert/mtn type areas, like Moab.

I was thinking of something like an ARB or Eaton E-lock in the rear and a Torq Lock in the front to give it (almost) Rubicon off road capability. Is that set up worth it or is the Rubi still a better option? Thanks!
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You will be fine without lockers, BLD can take on most of the stuff that people use lockers for on rubi. Only thing you will need is quick disconnect for the front sway bar to make your life easier and more capable offroading.
Better/taller tires an suspension play largest role in how capable R is.
 
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west tex

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Well, price is a consideration. And while the heavier Rubicon running gear is great, I just don't see it as being something I'd really need. But having done quite a bit of wheeling with a mid 80s Toyota 4WD truck with open differentials, I've encountered situations where a locker/LSD would have really made a difference.
 

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With many miles of off-roading in 2 Rubicons, I'd recommend first a simple manual sway bar disconnect. That's the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to dramatically better traction, and it makes a dramatic difference. I did that on my YJ which had a pretty weak limited slip on the rear and the difference was night and day. In my JKUR or JLUR, it makes a big difference just to disconnect the sway bar compared to when it is connected. Huge difference.

But in the end the lockers depend on your needs. For me, yes, they make sense. I'd probably look at ARB before the trouble and expense of full-on Rubi axles, unless you found a good deal on them.
 

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west tex

west tex

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You will be fine without lockers, BLD can take on most of the stuff that people use lockers for on rubi. Only thing you will need is quick disconnect for the front sway bar to make your life easier and more capable offroading.
Better/taller tires an suspension play rargest role in how capable R is.
I've never encountered the sway bar disconnects. Once they're installed, how much wrenching/crawling underneath is involved in disconnecting/reconnecting? Any particular brands that are superior? Thanks.
 

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I've never encountered the sway bar disconnects. Once they're installed, how much wrenching/crawling underneath is involved in disconnecting/reconnecting? Any particular brands that are superior? Thanks.
I don't think much. I'd look at options and then talk to vendors. The folks at Northridge can be very helpful and knowledgeable with something like this. Someone else may chime in on them. In my old YJ, I did have bend down and reach into the front wheel wells, undo two pins (simple) and then push (hard) the sway bar up to pull an insert out. Putting it back was a little harder. I think the ones out now are much better and easier. But man, it was worth it.

I'd also look at the Rock Jocks Antirock. It is a sway bar but much thinner and more flexible. It will cause more body roll on-road than the stock sway bar, but not terrible, from what I've heard and read. Off-road, it allows full articulation without disconnecting anything. So its an install and forget item. Some even put one on the rear, although I personally think that is overkill. But it depends on how much body roll you are willing to put up with. You might start a thread just on the subject of the Antirock to identify members who have them. They can better describe the compromise. When my front swaybar disco failed (wore out) on my JK, I briefly considered the Antirock before finding a very cheap deal on an essentially new JK sway bar and disco. It would be worth looking at. The #1 trail guide in Moab who plotted the Hell's Revenge trail, Dan Mick, also rents Jeeps. He puts Antirocks on all of them. The Antirock is more money than simple discos, but no crawing around, no buttons to push, etc. They might even make them with varying stiffness. Not sure. Btw, Rock Jock is a subsidiary of Currie Enterprises, the original name on the Antirock, so some out there may know them by that name. They don't look too hard to install, either.


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Jeep Wrangler JL Would it make sense to add lockers/LSD to both axles of a JL Sport? 1611681922783


Again, I'd talk to owners who have them and get the full idea of how they work on-road and off. I have not used them, but everyone I've known in Jeep clubs who have them swear by them.
 

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It depends on the Jeep if adding aftermarket lockers are worthwhile. If the Jeep is a fairly stripped down model I’d say yes. If your getting a Sahara or other loaded model you may as well get the Rubicon.

The cost of adding lockers will add up fast and you may as well regear for an extra few hundred. Not sure what that would cost in your area but up here in Canada it would be close to $3,500-$4,000 in U.S. dollars.

Another thing to consider is are lockers over-rated? Back in the day of leaf sprung, minimal flex suspensions, they were worth their weight on gold since lifting tires were common place. With the JL, they flex so bloody much (compared to leaf sprung Jeeps) you almost always have a tire on the ground that provides traction.
Like others said, sway-bar quick disconnects make a huge improvement by themselves.
 

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I've never encountered the sway bar disconnects. Once they're installed, how much wrenching/crawling underneath is involved in disconnecting/reconnecting? Any particular brands that are superior? Thanks.
They typically disconnect without tools in under 30 seconds and reconnect equally as fast.
 

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Does it make sense to add lockers to a Sport model?
That really depends on how you are going to build it and the trails you plan to run.

You didn't list your build plans, so I'm just shooting from the hip.

First off, yes, lockers make a huge difference. They allow you to get through tougher trails with less effort. Having all 4 tires driving is huge.

In general, if you are going to stay 35" or smaller, yes, the front D30 make sense to put some money into.

If you are looking at 37"s or bigger, then no, the D30 front is too small, at minimum it needs a D44 axle, a D60 if you're looking to go into the 40" range.

Selectable lockers like the ARB Air Lockers are a great tool for anyones off-road driving toolbox. They allow you to lock in when extra traction is needed and unlock when it's not. Having them front and rear and wired so you can operate them independently also gives you some added benefits. Like climbing up super tight switchbacks. Pull the nose up, crank the wheel all the way into the turn, then lock the front in and leave the rear open. The locked front will pull you right up and around the switchback like magic.
 

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west tex

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I'm not looking to lift or go over 33" tires. Other than the lockers/LSD and maybe additional skid plates, it'll remain stock. Heck, my thinking is that a pure stock Wrangler Sport is pretty darn capable off road. I'm just looking to up its game somewhat. Having driven a lot of off road miles with open diffs, the thought of having power to all four wheels is very appealing.
 

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Take it one step at a time. I personally am in the same boat as you (the OP). No lift plans. Likely won't go more than 33".

But like others have said, perhaps start off with a Sway Bar Disconnect solution and see how much that takes care of all your needs. The way I see it, need for lockers is directly proportional to the probability of a wheel going up in the air. And sway bar disconnects minimize this probability.

In addition to quick disconnects and the antirock bar mentioned above, there appears to be another interesting new solution in the market - Apex Performance Parts AutoLYNX.
https://www.apexdesignsusa.com/products/autolynx-sway-bar-disconnect

I have just ordered a set for myself. So I am yet to try these out. I am hoping they work for me. They look super easy to operate. You actually have a fully connected swaybar when needed and you can "disconnect" by turning a knob. Other should chime in if they have more experience with this product.
 

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You can disconnect your sway bar links in about 5 minutes with existing set up -just 2 nuts to undo. They have sway bar links with pins that you can pull to make it even more easy, nothing that cost more then $90.

As far as keeping power to all wheels and not able to drive without lockers with one wheel up in the air - all wranglers have BLD to manage that and it works well, just not as gracefully as lockers. You will get some slippage before power transferred to the wheels with traction, and if stationary with wheel up in the air, you need to apply brake slightly to get BLD to work.

BLD showcasing (lockers not engaged)


33 tires and Rubicon suspension take off ($100) will get you going good
 
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DanW

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I'm not looking to lift or go over 33" tires. Other than the lockers/LSD and maybe additional skid plates, it'll remain stock. Heck, my thinking is that a pure stock Wrangler Sport is pretty darn capable off road. I'm just looking to up its game somewhat. Having driven a lot of off road miles with open diffs, the thought of having power to all four wheels is very appealing.
You'd up the game with the sway bar disco quite a bit. Lockers will make it a total beast. But you are right, it is fantastic bone stock, too!

I've wheeled my JKUR for 9 of its 13 years on 33's and it is pure mountain goat. It's gotten me out of places and over things that frankly shocked me. Many times even without the lockers. It had 32's originally, and it was still a beast, although it really tested out the skid plates. But that's what they are for!

I don't often get into places where I need lockers. More often, they are for insurance purposes, but when I do, they save the day. Even with just the rear it is in beast mode. With front and rear locked, its the Hulk.
 

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You can disconnect your sway warnin 5 minutes with existing set up -just 2 nuts to undo. They have seay bar links with pins that you can pull to make it even more easy, nothing that cost more then $90.

As far as keeping power to all wheels and not able to drive without lockers with one wheel up in the air - all wranglers have BLD to manage that and it works well, just not as gracefully as lockers. You will get some slippage before power transferred to wheels with traction, and if stationary with wheel up in the air, you need to apply brake slightly to get BLD to work.

BLD showcasing (lockers not engaged)


33 tires and Rubicon suspension take off ($100) will get you going good
That's actually very impressive. I can't count the times I've seen 4x4 pickups and Toyotas get stopped cold in that kind of situation. Scary when their wheels are MUCH further off the ground than that. It really highlights the huge advantage solid axles have over IFS. (Read: Bronco.)
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