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Rubicon lockers - worth it for snow?

jtp

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I owned a 2000 TJ with lockers and lived in the snow country. Heed to the warning of using lockers in the snow. They are great to get unstuck, especially if all four are chained. Anything above5-10 MPH is living dangerously. ‘‘This is the main reason I ordered a JLUR with traction control, works much better on snow and ice. Just think of it as driving a bulldozer at high speeds, you are in for a wild ride.

You can order Traction control? I didn't see that option on the Rubicon or Sport S
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badtux

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I owned a 2000 TJ with lockers and lived in the snow country. Heed to the warning of using lockers in the snow.
I had an automatic locker in the front end of my TJ. I treated it as a 2wd vehicle in the snow, because it was basically unsteerable in the snow if you put it into 4hi and that auto-locker kicked in. The traction control in my JK works *much* better in the snow, I plop it into 4hi and let the wheel and xfer case sensors tell the computer how to figure things out with an occasional "grrrl" from the ABS pump under the hood as it pumps individual wheel brakes as necessary to keep it going the way it's supposed to go.

Note that traction control / stability control is built in to all JK and JL Jeeps. It's required by law now.
 

i64X

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You can order Traction control? I didn't see that option on the Rubicon or Sport S
It’s standard on all JLs.
 

Kenc

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Agreed. I think the selec-trac on the Sahara might work better for you.
 
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RTW Colorado

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OK, OK, I get it now. Thank you everyone for your input! The crab walk description makes sense and would be extremely dangerous on my hill - one side of it is a cliff and if I headed that way it would be a guaranteed rollover. Thanks kindly for your advice. AND the good news is a Sahara (with Select Trac) might be cheaper than a Rubicon :)
 

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Midwestguy

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Weighing in way late, but hope to help others. Its spot on advice about lockers being uncontrollable in fast speeds on snow/ice. Ive been in MN for decades and drive ALOT. FWIW, The Sahara DT is better for winter driving. AWD in general is far superior to 4WD for snow/ice.



OK, OK, I get it now. Thank you everyone for your input! The crab walk description makes sense and would be extremely dangerous on my hill - one side of it is a cliff and if I headed that way it would be a guaranteed rollover. Thanks kindly for your advice. AND the good news is a Sahara (with Select Trac) might be cheaper than a Rubicon :)
 

VNT

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I dont recall the thread but thought someone had a defeat software where one could engage just the rear locker for use in 4Hi in snow? Or maybe it was done with an extras switch and wiring?? dont see where that wouldnt work in packed snow but then again maybe just use 4 hi and good tires with the BLD software.
 

VNT

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Thanks

Found the thread

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/lockers-whenever-i-want-them.18939/

Suprised the JEEP folks dont do some parts bin engineering, take a Sahara with the Selctrac, a LSD in the rear and an option for the Front locker in the D44 or what ever they call it now, and wire it off a switch, so you get the best of all worlds, cost=nothing for them since it is already engineered.
 

VNT

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I understand that, but for a daily driver in snow country that would be a nice set up. If you went off road and need the extra traction up front, hit the switch.

I have a WJ with NV242HD for the 4.7, some day would like to find some variloc axles front and rear. A lot of guys on the WJ forums over the years hunt down a NV242HD for their quadra drives and take out the NV247, andput the 242HD in.
 

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daveprice7

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Weighing in way late, but hope to help others. Its spot on advice about lockers being uncontrollable in fast speeds on snow/ice. Ive been in MN for decades and drive ALOT. FWIW, The Sahara DT is better for winter driving. AWD in general is far superior to 4WD for snow/ice.
Isn't the "4H Auto" in the Sahara really just shifting between 2H and 4H when it detects slipping? That seems like more of a convenience feature than an actual full-time AWD. Also, is AWD really far superior to 4WD for snow/ice? I did a quick search and couldn't find hard facts to back that up. Maybe under varying conditions it is easier to drive without having to shift in or out of 4WD, but when the road is covered in snow/ice, and assuming modern traction controls are enabled, is there really much difference?
 

Loki Kai

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In snow if you need to HIT IT and want to keep you momentum 4H with traction control should work fine.....if you want to HIT IT and want the ability to DIG some to LOOK for traction while maintaining your MO go 4H with traction control turned OFF...HAMMER DOWN! I live in WV and have a 1/4 mile STEEP driveway with a few turns in it. I refuse to NOT get up it to the point of actually putting on CHAINS if ICY to get to the top. Been able to make it in every 4x4 I've owned, Toyota Tacoma, Jeep TJ's, Cherokee Trail hawk, Grand Cherokee's and Ram 2500 Diesel's. The poorest performing has been the Cherokee Trail hawk. I have done the backwards slide more than a few times miscalculating traction conditions ie. ICE. I may have a few videos of the TJ somewhere.
 

Loki Kai

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A few videos of NO LOCKERS vs LOCKERS in my old TJ.

Funny part is my wife's Nervous "little Girl" voice and my "I don't know why it ain't going?"....probably because there was ICE under the snow!



This one is a much more steep section that leads up to a modular we had just put in for my parents. I had engaged the lockers for it...notice how it stops when it lost traction and started the side to side dance until it found traction. BTW steering was useless until there was adequate bite. SNOW=NO LOCKERS!

 

Loki Kai

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A few videos of NO LOCKERS vs LOCKERS in my old TJ.

Funny part is my wife's Nervous "little Girl" voice and my "I don't know why it ain't going?"....probably because there was ICE under the snow!



This one is a much more steep section that leads up to a modular we had just put in for my parents. I had engaged the lockers for it...notice how it stops when it lost traction and started the side to side dance until it found traction. BTW steering was useless until there was adequate bite. SNOW=NO LOCKERS!

Notice at the bottom of the hill in the second video I had to let off because the lockers were pulling it straight and I had to get out of it so it would turn and lost momentum.
 

Kraty1

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Only needed 4h once last winter in Chicagoland, 2wd with traction control was fine for the most part and I don’t have the auto 4wd on my Sahara. Coming from front wheel drive vehicles I was pleasantly surprised at how this thing handles snow, ice and sleet!
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