I am about to give the Trail Tough front locker a try... I think........ lol...


Who here runs one, or welded in the front?

What has been your experience?

I really want to try this setup in mine but I'm afraid of the front housing and shafts not being able to take the stress.  I've been holding off looking for a GV housing but they are like gold up here. :'(

Exactly..


I don't want the calmini stuff, so an Anvil is out of the question, and I can't find the steel gv stuff either.

I would REALLY like to do what Hagen and Co.  have done, and use a rear diff/axle cut down and made into an IFS front... with Toy axles... BUT... that is a bit above my equipment, and experience level at the present. (kits would be nice Mike!!!!)

I can order the drop out section for a few hundred, then do a widening, and use Stan's adapters for Toy axles... but that still leaves me with an alum. housing..

ah poo.....   the remedys are expensive and time consuming..

That is why I am thinking about going ahead and just trying the locker.. I am sure I will break something.. but I just wanted to hear a few people say they do it with no real problems... as I am prettyeasy with the skinny pedal, I know how to NOT break a rig. I have only broken one CV and one diff mount ear...  The diff mount is not a problem, as it is now braced, and I don't think it will break again.. but as far as just shattering my housing, I am not sure...

Yep, knowing the weakpoints and driving accordingly will make a difference. I run an ARB in my front and had no problems with it in the alloy housing until I put the Calmini lift in. The problem was the 1/2" holes in their brackets being to big for the 12mm  bolts and allowing movement to occur. I have seen a couple of solutions including welding up the area on the RHS of the housing making it solid where the bolts go in. Making a strap for the rear crossmember so that the tail is held down on both sides will help too. Also came across this brace someone made up.

hate to say it guys, but if you want to make the front stronger it takes lots of time at the wrecking yard and a bit-o-money for the parts
it's a crap shoot with a front locker and the alloy stuff
SAS all the way
my .02
jason

I've heard someone on here put a ford 9 inch diff front and rear on a track/kick. you'd have to fab the crap out of the one for the front and find some decent CV's for it but it would be sooo sick

Toyota IFS front like what's his name from the Philippines did?

Hey Quaddawg -- great to meet you at the Melt!

The Hagen front end (modified rear dif with custom inner axles) sure looked beefy enough to get the job done!  Plus, it performed well in the Rock Rage at the 06 Melt!

BTW, a lifted Grand Vitara (or Grand Viagra as it said on the rear glass) did exceptionally well in the same Rock Rage competition without a SAS.

Overall, lots more IFS folks there this year!



I was beat out by on the RTI for the Stiffie award by Tim Porter in a stock 3-door tintop who won the Limp award at the RTI event last year with a score of nine billion (IE his truck nearly drove off the top of the ramp).

Im running a front locker hagen style with no problems,works very well.I did upgrade to steel housing though to prevent breakage.

I am useing trail tough front 3 pin carier and lockrights and still have an alum front houseing.
it seems to be holding up ok so far.

I've got the TT front locaker in a alum housing too and no problems ...

I got mine done a little over a year ago, and have used it fairly hard.

I have a lock-rite and no problems (stock housing).  Once you learn how to drive with it the axle snapping stops.  Watch out for hopping and backing up stuff...especially with the wheels turned sharply.  As with anything, there are limitations but I absolutely love having a locker in the front.

I trashed many CV's with mine in a stock set up (sami carrier w/ lockrite in stock housing), but I drive mine HARD. Hence, why I saved up and bought an Anvil and beefed up the CV's. If you drive your truck reasonable and watch your driving, (dont mash the gas with the wheels turned hard either way, let off the gas when the front goes airborne, dont hammer tha gas in reverse, etc...) You should be able to make a stocker front end last a while. Just be ready, the more you realize what your truck can do with front and rear lockers, the more you will try and the harder you will hit obsticles. So sooner or later you may have to upgrade the front end.

Zig

EXCELLENT!!  That is just what I wanted to hear.. and thanks to ACK, I have a spare carrier housing anyway.. lol..  I have spare CV's I have been carrying since I broke one at the Badlands earlier this year.  SO.. I am all spared up.... TIME TO LOCK HER UP..


AND MITCH!

Invite me to ORR!!!   I wanna wheel with ya buddy, kept missing you at the Melt...

Where is ORR???  I will come!!!

ORR is local to me in borden IN.its only open the 1st sunday of the month,the next one will be
08/06/06.I am also going to try to get some people to go to Haspen acres soon,maybe sometime next month.