I was thinking replacing the xl-7 axle with one from the GV and useing a sidekick 3rd.  This I know you can do and give option for grears and lockers.  But what I don't like about this the GV's axles are weaker than the XL. So, this is what I was woundering(sp?)  about if you could go with the set up above and reuse the xl-7 axle shifts and side grears (spider grear is what I think they are called).  This would give you a much stronger axle and you could get R&P.  However this would limt you to a lockright locker unless you could find other app's that have 28 splined axles with the same R&P.
Anythoughts anyone???
George

Well, here are my thoughts for locker/gear options for the 01-03 XL7.

Front: use the XL7 diff housing (cast steel prefered), load with mod'd Sami carrier, Trackick gears, EZ locker, 26 spline stock shafts, cast steel axle housing or the Anvil. Not sure the Anvil will fit though. Since I haven't had a problem with the aluminum diff housing, I don't see that as a problem as in the Trackick.
*This has already been done by Zukipilot in his article.

Rear: Keep stock axle housing. Keep the stock diff housing if the Trackick gears would fit and work. If so, configure the same as the front. For the axles, either brooch the axle splines of the locker to fit the axles or taper down the axles and respline to fit the locker case. I don't think the taper would be a problem as long as the axles are properly heat treated.

There was a guy out of CO about a year ago. Broke a Sidekick rear axle, IIRC. Had a replacement set from Spidertrax custom made. I recall Yankee Tim involved and suggestions he made. Info is located in a Sidekick/Tracker yahoo group. I can't recall which one.

By swapping in a GV/Vit rear axle, I don't see a problem with that either.

For the front you're right not the money with the sam 4 pin set-up and locker. How ever in the rear the xl-7 has about an 8 to 8 ¹/₂ R&P vs the 7¹/₂ GV/sidekick rear.  You have a rear 3^rd go dig it out and get some number off it. You find out that its too big to use kicker stuff in  
As for what Tim did with his rear was he used a gv axle with a sidekick 3rd with 5.12's and an ARB.  How ever I watched him snap an axle with this set-up  :-/  This is why I was thinking about doing the same set-up with xl-7 axles as they do not taper down at the splines.

On a side note I was looking at E-lockers and there app's They make one for an 8 to 8 1/2 R&P with 28 splines hummmmmm. Will have to see if I can find the web page again and post it for you.
Geogre

Send me the locker for test fit purposes, LOL. I'll check it out.

As for the axle size comparison, I was suggesting something along the lines on what Tri-County did for the Jeep D30/D44. Tri-County runs a Wrangler in the rock championship. It's a 4cyl, running the stock axle setup. However, axles have been beefed and geared.
They are using a D30 ARB in the front D30. The casing is set to use D44 axles and splines. For the rear D44, same thing in ARB for a D44 with D60 axles and splines. I'll have to check some mags and their web site for further specific details.

Sounds like a lot of work to me.  

If we could find 5-10 folks that would buy one we could get pretty much anyone to make a locker for us. There was this same discussion on the yahoo group for XL-7. ARB said if they could list enough folks then they would make one. I am sure it would be the same for any of the others . . .

And BK, I have been wondering the same thing about fitting one, perhaps there is one out there that fits the companies just haven't had any reason to see if they already make one.

I also wonder if you buy one solid through the center and get it drilled and splined??? You know catch it mid-way through production. Or what if you find one with a larger diameter and get an insert made of sorts?

The Ford 8.8" used 28 spline, and the GM 10 bolt (8.5 and some 8.20) used 28 spline.

Something to think about, we really need to get some measurements on that ring gear, bolt pattern, and so forth . . . I wonder if Suzuki would let go of any info???

I was just talking to strickly hawk a day or two ago and they said that ARB has some thing in the works which is great news but none of this address the grearing.  I want to go up to 33's and I'm at 31 now and the power loss is quite a bit.  I would need to get 5.8 R&P's to go that big.  So at this time my only option to is to do the GV/kicker rear .  Just  this set-up in used parts is going to run me about $700 to $800 with 5.8's.  
George

So George,

With 245/75s how is the power? I am wondering how bad it is going to be with the 32s I am planning right now? I may just get it ready for the 32s then go with 31 til somebody comes up with something for gearing. I would think if we could find an application that works with lockers we would be able to find some gears that work as well.

Which let me ask this, cause I am a little vague on the whole gearing thing. 5.12s that we have now are very deep gears, I mean you hear of folks 4.** going up to the 5s when they are running 35s or greater. Where is our loss happening in gearing? The tranny? And if that's the case why couldn't we just retrofit it with a manual setup? There is a wrecked manual real close to me right now, if I thought that would solve it I would go pull it apart . . . I mean d|removethispart|@#$ I am almost to the point of just getting rid of this truck and getting something that folks make something for. I mean it just kinda sucks that someone making "custom" diffs would sell all day long to Heep owners for $800 a Ford 8.8 or 9 and then want 3000 for me . . . that's just wrong!

Maybe you me and Jag should go into business together . . . although I guess we are the only ones around trying to do what we are doing to though. So, I guess we'd be broke with cool trucks. Oh yeah, I'm already broke. But then I'd have the cool truck . . .  

Well with the 245's it's not that bad I still can do 70+ on the Hwy and pass people but I wouldn't pick any fights at a light .

You know if you are willing to pay that $800 you more than likely could do the set-up that I'm saying with a lockRight in the rear.  May be a little more if you had harden axles made.
George

There is a guy in Ithaca NY willing to sell the entire rear from GV (rotor to rotor + third) for $275. He is parting out the whole truck.

Here is his email addy if anyone is interested.

Kerry Wittig
16ltoy|removethispart|@msn.com

I guess I will have to call Kerry.
George

I've just done 2 axle over the last few weeks





It wouldn't of happened if I wasn't locked in the rear, as I would not have gotten to the point of all the cars weight on one tyre.  I did one just before xmas fixed it then managed to get the car in the same situation as the first time and another snap!  the second time I had to drive home 180Kms on it, it was a bit noisy but I got home

So now I've been thinking about XL7 axles and running trackion control in the rear.

Jeff

Dose the splined end taper down if not xl-7 axles will be the same.  From the pics they don't look like they do.   Sounds like you need to get hardened axles.
George

Just another thought how many splines are on those axles???
George

Yep, It snapped where the tapper starts.  I'll get a pic up of the complete axle.