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omnitonic

omnitonic

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So the guy I'm getting to do my gears was greatly relieved that I don't already have lockers, and he was very invested in the idea of talking me out of adding lockers. His advice was to run the limited slip until it dies, and then he will sell me a new limited slip that he will warranty for life.

I mean, shrug, I'm okay with this. I don't actually have any problem with my current setup in terms of getting stuck, and I paid good money for an upgraded axle that I might as well use. I'll just kick that can down the road for now.

This guy does not know anything about the new JL axles, and I could get a more competent guy to work on my Jeep, but if I take it to a place that far away, I won't be able to get a ride home. By the time I rent a car both ways... Shrug. This guy guarantees his work for life, so if he screws it up, I'll just make him get into it again and again until he learns how JL axles work. I'm confident that he will figure it out eventually. He's not a moron, he just works on older stuff most of the time. Not too many guys willing to flush their factory warranty down the toilet.
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So the guy I'm getting to do my gears was greatly relieved that I don't already have lockers, and he was very invested in the idea of talking me out of adding lockers. His advice was to run the limited slip until it dies, and then he will sell me a new limited slip that he will warranty for life.

I mean, shrug, I'm okay with this. I don't actually have any problem with my current setup in terms of getting stuck, and I paid good money for an upgraded axle that I might as well use. I'll just kick that can down the road for now.

This guy does not know anything about the new JL axles, and I could get a more competent guy to work on my Jeep, but if I take it to a place that far away, I won't be able to get a ride home. By the time I rent a car both ways... Shrug. This guy guarantees his work for life, so if he screws it up, I'll just make him get into it again and again until he learns how JL axles work. I'm confident that he will figure it out eventually. He's not a moron, he just works on older stuff most of the time. Not too many guys willing to flush their factory warranty down the toilet.
Just chill man. The LSD is good enough. They work very well with smaller tires. Id just get a front locker of I was you and wait for the LSD to die. i mean. Thats what I did lol.

People telling you the LSD is just crap are either

1) old stubborn dudes.
2) Rubicon owners who get butthurt about the idea of anything other than a Rubicon being capable.
3) guys with overbuilt Jeeps who are actually doing really hard stuff where lockers are absolutely necessary as well as a big lift, tires, built axles, etc...

but there are plenty of us out on challenging trails with open diffs and rear LSDs.
 
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omnitonic

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Just chill man. The LSD is good enough. They work very well with smaller tires. Id just get a front locker of I was you and wait for the LSD to die. i mean. Thats what I did lol.
Yeah, at this point it's all pretty academic anyway. I don't want to do the work myself, because I have very limited free time. I already picked a shop, and paid for parts. I waited eight weeks to get the damn parts, due to all the supply chain nonsense going on in the world.

I finally have an appointment to drop off the Jeep, and I'm not doing lockers. Just the gears. I drop it off Monday. Hopefully next weekend I can go wheeling on 4.56 gears, which should be substantially better.
 

entropy

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Yeah, at this point it's all pretty academic anyway. I don't want to do the work myself, because I have very limited free time. I already picked a shop, and paid for parts. I waited eight weeks to get the damn parts, due to all the supply chain nonsense going on in the world.

I finally have an appointment to drop off the Jeep, and I'm not doing lockers. Just the gears. I drop it off Monday. Hopefully next weekend I can go wheeling on 4.56 gears, which should be substantially better.
nice. Low end torque is great. Until you lose traction though lol. Then it does nothing. Do you think your current gears are a limiting factor?

This guy is gonna open your diff and everything to do gears. Buy a torq locker and tell him to out it there for free. It will take him like 5 mins to do it.

The thing about gears, from an academic perspective. You cant get energy out of nowhere, your engine provides what it provides. Lower gearing allows your engine to provide more torque to the wheels at lower revs which helps a lot in crawling situations. But with skill you can make up for it, and rev your engine a bit harder if you dont have lower gearing.

Lacking a locker theres a point you just cant make up for it.

Every single time ive been stuck has been lack of traction, not torque.

So of course your gears will help dont get me wrong. but I tend to be a lockers first kind of guy. Then gear if you feel like you really have to. Lots of guys offroading with stock gears.
 
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nice. Low end torque is great. Until you lose traction though lol. Then it does nothing. Do you think your current gears are a limiting factor?
I have a 6-speed with 3.45 gears and 35" tires. I know my current gears are a limiting factor. This combination is comically bad everywhere.

So of course your gears will help dont get me wrong. but I tend to be a lockers first kind of guy. Then gear if you feel like you really have to. Lots of guys offroading with stock gears.
I may regret not having lockers one day, but that's how I decided to go. I already paid the money, waited on the parts, and finally scheduled an appointment.

I'm keeping the front open diff, keeping the factory rear LSD, and gearing down to 4.56, which is a ratio I selected after exhaustive consideration. It will perform better both on- and off-road. I may manage to get into a situation where I am screwed without lockers, and I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it.
 

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I have a 6-speed with 3.45 gears and 35" tires. I know my current gears are a limiting factor. This combination is comically bad everywhere.

I may regret not having lockers one day, but that's how I decided to go. I already paid the money, waited on the parts, and finally scheduled an appointment.

I'm keeping the front open diff, keeping the factory rear LSD, and gearing down to 4.56, which is a ratio I selected after exhaustive consideration. It will perform better both on- and off-road. I may manage to get into a situation where I am screwed without lockers, and I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it.
Your thinking is sound. Adding a locker to that Dana 30 with 35” tires is just asking for trouble. I think you’ll be pretty happy with that gearing as long as you don’t go any bigger on the tires. I would have gone 4.88 but I live in the NW where nothing is flat.
 

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Your thinking is sound. Adding a locker to that Dana 30 with 35” tires is just asking for trouble. I think you’ll be pretty happy with that gearing as long as you don’t go any bigger on the tires. I would have gone 4.88 but I live in the NW where nothing is flat.
Yeah I agree. But getting the d30 locked on 35s is not asking for trouble. There are people beating them on 37s. Someone beat the shit out of a JL d30 on 40s. Broke the ring gear, bur you gotta see what the dude was doing, insane. He had no business on the obstacle, everyone ended up winchin. He beat the shit out of it and damaged the ring gear.

The JL d30s are fine. I am getting tired of hearing this old tale on the d30s. Theyre great little axles for 99% of people. i understand you and others need built axles, huge tires, very low crawl ratios. i get it.

Ive been beating mine a bit more than id like, lifting tires a lot, coming down hard, the stuff that breaks shafts. But i am only on 33 M/Ts tho. I installed a front locker recently cause Itll make the wheeling a little less violent. My spider gears were pristine, same with ring and pinion, axle shafts like new. Know the limitations, wheel with care, and inspect parts often.
 
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I have a 6-speed with 3.45 gears and 35" tires. I know my current gears are a limiting factor. This combination is comically bad everywhere.

I may regret not having lockers one day, but that's how I decided to go. I already paid the money, waited on the parts, and finally scheduled an appointment.

I'm keeping the front open diff, keeping the factory rear LSD, and gearing down to 4.56, which is a ratio I selected after exhaustive consideration. It will perform better both on- and off-road. I may manage to get into a situation where I am screwed without lockers, and I'll cross that bridge if and when I come to it.
Yeah we all have different needs and different jeeps. I think your plan makes a lot of sense.
 

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Yeah I agree. But getting the d30 locked on 35s is not asking for trouble. There are people beating them on 37s. Someone beat the shit out of a JL d30 on 40s. Broke the ring gear, bur you gotta see what the dude was doing, insane. He had no business on the obstacle, everyone ended up winchin. He beat the shit out of it and damaged the ring gear.

The JL d30s are fine. I am getting tired of hearing this old tale on the d30s. Theyre great little axles for 99% of people. i understand you and others need built axles, huge tires, very low crawl ratios. i get it.

Ive been beating mine a bit more than id like, lifting tires a lot, coming down hard, the stuff that breaks shafts. But i am only on 33 M/Ts tho. I installed a front locker recently cause Itll make the wheeling a little less violent. My spider gears were pristine, same with ring and pinion, axle shafts like new. Know the limitations, wheel with care, and inspect parts often.
You act like we don’t have decades of experience running Dana 30s and know exactly what they are capable of. That’s great that it’s working for you, but it’s only a matter of time before something gives. Yes people beat on them, but when you add lockers and 35”+ tires to the mix you are indeed asking for trouble. Never mind that the FAD area of ALL these housings is a giant weak link. Telling someone they’ll be fine running a locker in a d30 with 35” tires just shows your lack of experience. I’ve seen snapped shafts with locked d30s running only 31” tires. It’s really only a matter of time. You think that your locker will allow you to be more careful, but what it will really do is give you the confidence to try harder trails. Seen it 100s of times.
 

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You act like we don’t have decades of experience running Dana 30s and know exactly what they are capable of. That’s great that it’s working for you, but it’s only a matter of time before something gives. Yes people beat on them, but when you add lockers and 35”+ tires to the mix you are indeed asking for trouble. Never mind that the FAD area of ALL these housings is a giant weak link. Telling someone they’ll be fine running a locker in a d30 with 35” tires just shows your lack of experience. I’ve seen snapped shafts with locked d30s running only 31” tires. It’s really only a matter of time. You think that your locker will allow you to be more careful, but what it will really do is give you the confidence to try harder trails. Seen it 100s of times.
You have decades running an axle that has been out for 4 years?. Do you realized the dana 30s in the JLs are stronger than the d44 on older jeeps?.

You think we all lacked experienced. Yet we are out doing trails and we are fine. Thats the reality. It is a fact.

You can lock a d30 on 35s. i am sure if you do something on a JL d30 that breaks something on a d30 it would also break something in a d40.

Fatigue is another story. Will fatigue cause components to fail early on a locked d30? Maybe. But thats the nature of wheeling. Shit breaks if you push it.

Things change. Things improve. Components are stronger and more reliable.

Id take my chances. And I will continue to tell people theyll be fine locking their d30s and there is always a risk. Many people running JL d30s, locked, and doing difficult trails.

And idc what you think. ill continue to enjoy my Jeep and push its limits. So far it is fine. i was doing hard trails with small 33s and open diffs already. Stuff a lot of people have been telling me cant be done. I like a challenge and dont need to be running giant tires to pretend I am a bigger guy.

I hate that people with sports, or d30 axles holding themselves from ejoying their jeeps out of fear that there vehicle isnt capable and up to the task. And I like to encourage them to get out there and just try. Usually they find for themselves everyone else is full of crap.
 

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You have decades running an axle that has been out for 4 years?. Do you realized the dana 30s in the JLs are stronger than the d44 on older jeeps?.

You think we all lacked experienced. Yet we are out doing trails and we are fine. Thats the reality. It is a fact.

You can lock a d30 on 35s. i am sure if you do something on a JL d30 that breaks something on a d30 it would also break something in a d40.

Fatigue is another story. Will fatigue cause components to fail early on a locked d30? Maybe. But thats the nature of wheeling. Shit breaks if you push it.

Things change. Things improve. Components are stronger and more reliable.

Id take my chances. And I will continue to tell people theyll be fine locking their d30s and there is always a risk. Many people running JL d30s, locked, and doing difficult trails.

And idc what you think. ill continue to enjoy my Jeep and push its limits. So far it is fine. i was doing hard trails with small 33s and open diffs already. Stuff a lot of people have been telling me cant be done. I like a challenge and dont need to be running giant tires to pretend I am a bigger guy.

I hate that people with sports, or d30 axles holding themselves from ejoying their jeeps out of fear that there vehicle isnt capable and up to the task. And I like to encourage them to get out there and just try. Usually they find for themselves everyone else is full of crap.
You keep thinking this is some kind of Rubicon vs Sport dick-measuring contest, it’s not. I’ve run 3 different rigs with Dana 30s and broken plenty of parts. I never said they weren’t a very capable axle, I said locking them with 35s is asking for trouble. Yes these are a little stronger than the axles of old, but they are still d30s and still bound by the laws of physics. You do you man, I’m just trying to temper some bad advice with 30+ years of wheeling experience.
 

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You have decades running an axle that has been out for 4 years?. Do you realized the dana 30s in the JLs are stronger than the d44 on older jeeps?.

You think we all lacked experienced. Yet we are out doing trails and we are fine. Thats the reality. It is a fact.

You can lock a d30 on 35s. i am sure if you do something on a JL d30 that breaks something on a d30 it would also break something in a d40.

Fatigue is another story. Will fatigue cause components to fail early on a locked d30? Maybe. But thats the nature of wheeling. Shit breaks if you push it.

Things change. Things improve. Components are stronger and more reliable.

Id take my chances. And I will continue to tell people theyll be fine locking their d30s and there is always a risk. Many people running JL d30s, locked, and doing difficult trails.

And idc what you think. ill continue to enjoy my Jeep and push its limits. So far it is fine. i was doing hard trails with small 33s and open diffs already. Stuff a lot of people have been telling me cant be done. I like a challenge and dont need to be running giant tires to pretend I am a bigger guy.

I hate that people with sports, or d30 axles holding themselves from ejoying their jeeps out of fear that there vehicle isnt capable and up to the task. And I like to encourage them to get out there and just try. Usually they find for themselves everyone else is full of crap.
If it's working it's working. I'm glad that you enjoy what you have and have confidence in your rig. Knowing what you can and can not do with your rig is an essential wheeling skill to have. There are people claiming to have years of "parts breaking experience" are not necessarily the people you want to take advice from.

Have fun wheeling and enjoy the sense of accomplishment are far better feelings than arguing with people you never met behind your computer screen.

My way or the highway is not Jeep it's all about.
 

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You have decades running an axle that has been out for 4 years?. Do you realized the dana 30s in the JLs are stronger than the d44 on older jeeps?.
To correct some bad info....
If you do a bit of checking you'll find that the DANA part numbers for JL and JK 30 4.56 gears are the same part number. The 3.45 gears are unique to the JL but the other ratios are the same.
Even the old school LP 44 used up front has a stronger ring gear than a HP 30. I had one for years with 37's and a V-8 and never broke anything up front. I had 4340 shafts and CTM u-joints and it held up. I'm not easy on my rigs. The 44 (front and rear) in a JL will also have 32 spine shafts compared to the 27 spline units in the D30 front.

As a rule, manual transmissions are harder on parts than an auto. The manual has no give in the system and the auto has built-in slippage. In areas when it is all technical rock crawling you'll see more gear failure with the manual as dropping off ledges with a well geared rig will provide a much harder impact on contact.

Knowing your rig and your driving style can help immensely to making parts live.
 
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To correct some bad info....
If you do a bit of checking you'll find that the DANA part numbers for JL and JK 30 4.56 gears are the same part number. The 3.45 gears are unique to the JL but the other ratios are the same.
I didn't take you at your word, and I did a bit of checking. I'm really surprised they use the same gears, but indeed they do. For 4.56 and 4.88 anyway. I stopped checking there.

That's an interesting tidbit.
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