locked front diff

[derk]

It is. Just not necessarily here in NZ or on this website.

Go do some reading about spools, and how a full spool is an extremely strong, highly simplified welded diff, and how bucketloads of guys run them in their dedicated rock crawler or mudding trucks...mainly for simplicity.

You cant get any more brutally simple than a full spool and fixed front drive flanges. Millions of less moving parts than an ARB locker/hubs whatever setup.

And perhaps the most important thing it will force you to SLOW DOWN, everyone seems to think that thrashing around offroad at 100km/hr is what its all about.

Why not weld up an IFS Toyota? Excessive differentiation is one of the things that kills those Toyo 7.5 IFS diffs. 100% agree with Deranged in his assertions here

sounds like the bee's knee's by all means go weld ya front diff up mate

[nzlux]

Another option is a LOKKA (lokka.com) about $260 US ($315 NZ) including shipping.

I have them in my beam axle hilux (front and rear) when you do not need to be in 4wd you can definitely feel it in the front (simple answer stay in 2wd until there is less traction on the ground) but once it is wet an slippery the lockers make you go more places than before.

[lax2wlg]

sounds like the bee's knee's by all means go weld ya front diff up mate

Of course there are compromises. If you're into high speed off road racing or bombing through the deserts and beaches in 4wd, downright dangerous IMO.

But for general offroading, I reckon if the original poster welded up his IFS diff for $10, and took it easy on tyre size/driving style, he could get the truck to do some stupid jawdropping sh*t that would outperform vehicles ten times its value.

2c

[rotordogg]

I had a welded diff in my lada (Trailer queen), when I made a steel casing front diff I thought I'd try the welded diff in the front and go play in a familiar bit of land, the traction was awesome, a lot better than welded in the back, got up hills easier than expected! but simple turns became 3 point turns etc, it was still driveable but just had to take a bit of care with corners...

Having large offset rims proberly didn't help my steering! and being full time 4wd, I couldn't disengage the front...

In my D class trials truck the front lockers in most the day, only turned off for really tight turns when using both side brakes.

[u13turbo]

Have you priced up a replacement hi pinion diff to replace it if you decide it isn't what you want? It is hard to unweld them.
I have an auto locker in the front of my LJ78 and the loss of steering when the locker is under load is quite bad.
Personally I would think twice about welding it.

Its pretty obvious if I don't like it, its tough shit. I can't see a great deal of issue using one hub locked whilst the other is unlocked for general 4wding.
I know it will be very difficult steering with it locked and personally I would never get an auto locker. If I had the money I would get an electric or air operated one so I know where I'm at with it.

[Smurf]

Have you priced up a replacement hi pinion diff to replace it if you decide it isn't what you want? It is hard to unweld them.
I have an auto locker in the front of my LJ78 and the loss of steering when the locker is under load is quite bad.
Personally I would think twice about welding it.

Its pretty obvious if I don't like it, its tough shit. I can't see a great deal of issue using one hub locked whilst the other is unlocked for general 4wding.
I know it will be very difficult steering with it locked and personally I would never get an auto locker. If I had the money I would get an electric or air operated one so I know where I'm at with it.

I have just put an electric locker in the rear for the same reasons. Mine came with the auto locker in the front so I have stuck with it. It isn't as hard to drive as a locked diff as it unlocks if you turn without load on the front drive train.
I have stripped the splines off a front axle with my auto locker, so I imagine that with a locked diff only driving one axle (with the other hub unlocked) that there will be times of huge load going through that axle. More potential for breaking things but if you try to drive accordingly you may be ok.