If you’re looking for ways to upgrade your rig for off-road dominance, you’d be hard pressed to find a better option than your differentials. There are plenty of aftermarket parts and upgrades to get before upgrading either your front or rear differential, but if you’ve already outfitted your lifted Jeep with the basics then adding lockers is an excellent choice for your next step.
Whether you’re crawling over boulders or navigating muddy trails, having locking differentials will help deliver the traction that you need when one or more wheels begin losing grip. If you need to space your upgrades out for financial or other reasons, though, you might be wondering which you should upgrade first. We’re here to help you make that decision on your own by giving you the pros and cons of each option.
What Do Lockers Actually Do?
Before we dive into the specifics, though, we should probably give you the rundown on what locking differentials – or lockers – actually are. But to do that, we first need to explain a regular differential. Most modern vehicles have differentials, which are sets of gears that connect your transmission to the driving wheels. In vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler, which are built on a four-wheel drive system, you’ll have two differentials: one in the front, one in the rear.
What they do is allow each drive wheel to operate independently, thus enabling them to spin at different speeds. This is a huge boon when turning, but if one wheel is stuck or slipping it can actually be terrible to deal with. That’s where lockers come into play, as a locking differential is a special type capable of forcing both wheels on an axle to rotate at the same speed, regardless of how much traction a specific wheel has.
Upgrading to Rear Lockers
If your lifted Jeep currently only has regular differentials, there are definitely going to be some benefits to upgrading if you plan to take it off-roading. If you choose to only upgrade your rear differential to a locker, you’ll notice three major pros right away. The first is better weight distribution, as a lot of Jeep vehicles carry more curb weight on the rear axle — particularly when loading it up with gear. If your rear tires have better ground contact in most situations, then adding rear lockers first is a good idea.
Your Jeep most likely lets its front wheels handle all of the steering, which means that locking the rear differential first will avoid any sort of understeer that might happen by only engaging front lockers. Plus, rear lockers are great at improving straight-line traction. So if you know you’re going to tackle a lot of mud, sand or snow on straightaway trails, that’s another great reason to go with rear lockers first.
There will still be some drawbacks, though. Since your front tires handle the steering, if they’re the ones that lose traction you’re going to have to rely on momentum or wheel spin to get through whatever situation you’re stuck in. You also might not get enough out of rear lockers alone if tackling technical off-roading like rock crawling, as you might not have the pull to get your front end over big obstacles.
PRO TIP: You should consider upgrading to rear lockers before front lockers if you’re an overlander or an avid trail rider, or if you simply want a noticeable upgrade without compromising the feel of your steering.
Upgrading to Front Lockers
While upgrading the rear lockers first might feel like the most obvious decision, you could just as easily opt for front lockers first instead. Doing so will definitely ensure superior climbing ability, as having front lockers can help to pull your Jeep up and over big obstacles. They’ll also deliver better control when you find yourself in tight spots, such as crawling through rocks or ruts.
On the flip side, however, adding front lockers can make your steering feel heavy or unpredictable, especially while having your wheels locked. Furthermore, you’ll notice a severe lack of effectiveness on loose terrain like mud or sand, as front lockers alone struggle without having any rear traction to back them up.
PRO TIP: You should consider upgrading to front lockers before rear lockers if you’re a rock crawler or a technical trail enthusiast, or if you simply prioritize control over brute force.
We hope this information has helped you come to a decision! If you’d like further help deciding which to do first or would like to inquire about which lockers to choose, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right here at LiftedJeeps.com. We look forward to hearing from you!