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Upgrading axles: Why is upgrading the rear more important than the front?

harleypap57

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Are the OEM electronic lockers and dash switch compatible only with Mopar OEM axles, or with aftermarket axles as well? Could I use say a Dynatrac axle and retain factory locker and switch?
If you go with Dynatrac, Dana or so forth, as long as it has an E-Locker use can use the aux switches
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Are the OEM electronic lockers and dash switch compatible only with Mopar OEM axles, or with aftermarket axles as well? Could I use say a Dynatrac axle and retain factory locker and switch?
No, I don’t think anyone has been able to pull that off yet.

You can upgrade the axles one at a time. I ordered a RockJock 60 for the rear of the wife’s 2014 JKUR, installed it and pulled the front driveshaft since the new rear had 4.88 gears and the stock front had 4.10’s. This was temporary till the Dynatrac Pro Rock front came in. No issues.

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If you go with Dynatrac, Dana or so forth, as long as it has an E-Locker use can use the aux switches
I’m a little confused. An aftermarket e-locker can be controlled using one of the OEM AUX switches, but not the OEM locker switch in a Rubicon?
 

vavaroutsos

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Are the OEM electronic lockers and dash switch compatible only with Mopar OEM axles, or with aftermarket axles as well? Could I use say a Dynatrac axle and retain factory locker and switch?
You can get Eaton E-lockers for many after market axles. They will certainly work with the factory switches. The only thing I'm not sure about is if they have a feedback switch. Either way, it can be faked with a relay or something.
 

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You can get Eaton E-lockers for many after market axles. They will certainly work with the factory switches. The only thing I'm not sure about is if they have a feedback switch. Either way, it can be faked with a relay or something.
My PR44 Eaton locker is controlled by the factory aux switches (sport). Other than the aux switch light, there’s no indicator to let you know it’s locked, but it’s pretty obvious by feel.
 

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My PR44 Eaton locker is controlled by the factory aux switches (sport). Other than the aux switch light, there’s no indicator to let you know it’s locked, but it’s pretty obvious by feel.
I’ve already got a locker switch on my Rubicon that I’d like to continue to use and also still have the dash indicator and message work. A single OEM switch that engages rear, front+rear, and a button that disengages both.

upload_2019-11-26_19-36-53.jpeg
 

islandtees

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I’ve already got a locker switch on my Rubicon that I’d like to continue to use and also still have the dash indicator and message work. A single OEM switch that engages rear, front+rear, and a button that disengages both.

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You can't use the OEM with any aftermarket axle except the Dana 44. I have Dynatrac 60's and 2 wires go in the axle. The Oem axles have 4 wires. I installed a custom set of switches for the axles. Its in the computer and no one has found a work around.
 

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You can't use the OEM with any aftermarket axle except the Dana 44. I have Dynatrac 60's and 2 wires go in the axle. The Oem axles have 4 wires. I installed a custom set of switches for the axles. Its in the computer and no one has found a work around.
You can. The other wires are just feedback that the locker is locked. It can easily be faked with a relay. You can even do it with ARB air lockers using the OEM switch output to control the air solenoid and a relay for "locked" feedback. Of course the LED won't tell you if the locker failed to lock anymore, but you won't get computer errors.
 

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You can. The other wires are just feedback that the locker is locked. It can easily be faked with a relay. You can even do it with ARB air lockers using the OEM switch output to control the air solenoid and a relay for "locked" feedback. Of course the LED won't tell you if the locker failed to lock anymore, but you won't get computer errors.
Yes you can trick it, you can't use the OEM switch he is asking about in the pic.
 

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Why is strengthening the rear more important than the front?
The rear axle needs to be repetitively stronger than the front due to weight transfer. It's the same reason as why brakes are typically larger/stronger on the front of a vehicle.

When braking hard, the weight transfer is towards the front of the vehicle. If the brakes on the front and rear were the same, the lack of weight on the rear would cause the rear brakes to lock up. Manufactures remedy this with smaller/weaker brakes on the rear (or brake bias valves). The axles are the exact opposite scenario. When accelerating hard, the weight transfers to the rear axle. If the Jeep had enough power, the front tires would lose traction first, and all the torque would be transferred to the ground through the rear axle.
 

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harleypap57

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I’m a little confused. An aftermarket e-locker can be controlled using one of the OEM AUX switches, but not the OEM locker switch in a Rubicon?
I'm confused, if you already have a Rubicon why do you want to upgrade your axles unless you're going to do some serious wheeling and go with 60/60 or 60/80 set-up? Just add a set of Chrome Molly axle shafts like the one from RCV and save a bunch of money. The Aux switch does the same thing as the OEM locker switch, it's just the Sport (S) and Sahara did not have a locker switch.
 

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I'm confused, if you already have a Rubicon why do you want to upgrade your axles unless you're going to do some serious wheeling and go with 60/60 or 60/80 set-up? Just add a set of Chrome Molly axle shafts like the one from RCV and save a bunch of money. The Aux switch does the same thing as the OEM locker switch, it's just the Sport (S) and Sahara did not have a locker switch.
This is a subject that everyone has a preferred method or belief in. Many see the shafts as a fuse in the system and would like that to fail before grenading more expensive parts like the diff. I see both camps if you’re going to wheel aggressively on big tires, the safest best is to upgrade axles. However, nobody controls the skinny pedal besides the driver so some folks can wheel on rubi axles and 40s, and others will smoke a diff on 35s. I know bouncing is extremely hard on parts and for the front, turning it sharp and hammering it is a sure recipe for a bad day.

If we swap axles I’ll wire them to the aux switches.

Brett
 

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I went thru this same dilemma. I would spend the money to upgrade to 60s front and rear but kept coming back to weight. Tons weigh a ton. I love my 3.6 auto, it's a peppy fun motor and really dont want to spend even more money on an engine swap. Then add having to dick with different lockers and dash switches that no longer work.

Instead I went
4.88s
RCV's
Truss in front, shop F'd up and the rear didnt get done but later it will be.
Yukon upgraded rear shafts.

I've read and watched lots of guys wheeling really hard on 44's with 37's 38's, some even 40s and they hold up surprisingly well. The vids I have seen make me cringe but they are doing it. I wont nearly wheel as hard so I think I'm built up as much or way over what I need.

Still 1tons are SWEET! I just want to keep my jeep as fun as I can. I really am watching weight and so far I have a net gain of 150lbs of armor. That includes metal bumpers front and rear, winch, rockers.
 

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New to upgrading axles. Why is strengthening the rear more important than the front? Is it ok to upgrade them separately as long as the ratios are the same?
In normal driving the rear gets more wear so oil should be changed more frequently (I do rear at 15k and then every 40k or so, and front will get the first change at 65k - with the 2nd rear - and then every 80k after that - every 2nd rear)

As for replacing to something stronger I would agree both are equally important, and as some mention on some Jeeps the front is a lesser rating so even more of an urgency.

I have a buddy putting 1 ton's in his JL right now to replace the D30's that came in it. Watching his hairline slowly recede as he works through the details to get it done.
 
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Why don’t Dana, Dynatrac, etc. make full D44 rear axle assemblies? They all have them for the front, but only 60 or 80 series for the rear.
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