Max Tow and Lockers

[ShadowsPapa]

Well, based on my first off roading experience, I did not need lockers. I didn't even need 4L going up coal truck roads on a mountainside. When DO you need lockers?

When one wheel is off the ground....?..... slippery rocks, extremely uneven ground?

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[Uparms]

Is adding lockers difficult or expensive?

Yes and yes. Unless you have rear end experience, plenty of tools, time and space, then it's just expensive. But soooo worth it.

We have to wait for more options and they better get here soon. Many are needing to re-gear and would want to add lockers at the same time.

Hold out a little longer for more options.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Yes and yes. Unless you have rear end experience, plenty of tools, time and space, then it's just expensive. But soooo worth it.

We have to wait for more options and they better get here soon. Many are needing to re-gear and would want to add lockers at the same time.

Hold out a little longer for more options.

Since I want to keep my towing capacity I wouldn't mess with re-gearing (and larger tires). I don't know if $3000 for lockers would be worth it. I seemed to do just fine and if I'm not in any terrain where one wheel is off the ground for too long I wouldnt need it, right? Adding $3000 for lockers to the price of my JT would put it in Rubicon territory, which I didn't get because of payload being less.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Since I want to keep my towing capacity I wouldn't mess with re-gearing (and larger tires). I don't know if $3000 for lockers would be worth it. I seemed to do just fine and if I'm not in any terrain where one wheel is off the ground for too long I wouldnt need it, right? Adding $3000 for lockers to the price of my JT would put it in Rubicon territory, which I didn't get because of payload being less.

No hurry, don't rush it. The electronics, traction control, stability control, all that, make these good for all but the most severe of conditions. Extremes.
I suspect in your neck of the woods you won't really "need" the lockers. I'd wait and see, sneak up on it. Any weight you add also takes away from towing and payload because the thing has to work to move that weight, sprung or not, it's inertia - and inertia applies to objects at REST, not just in motion, so if it's it rest and you want it to go - the more mass, the harder it is to make it go.
Larger tires - looks and big piles of BIG rocks. Otherwise - may not be good for you. Go large and want to TOW, then you'll have to re-gear.
I'd take it a step at a time.

 

[PyrPatriot]

No hurry, don't rush it. The electronics, traction control, stability control, all that, make these good for all but the most severe of conditions. Extremes.
I suspect in your neck of the woods you won't really "need" the lockers. I'd wait and see, sneak up on it. Any weight you add also takes away from towing and payload because the thing has to work to move that weight, sprung or not, it's inertia - and inertia applies to objects at REST, not just in motion, so if it's it rest and you want it to go - the more mass, the harder it is to make it go.
Larger tires - looks and big piles of BIG rocks. Otherwise - may not be good for you. Go large and want to TOW, then you'll have to re-gear.
I'd take it a step at a time.

I will definitely not be getting any bigger tires nor lifting. My in-laws property has lines going down the trees that my JT barely clears as is. I like having a Jeep that is the same height as a side-by-side

 

[khokhonutt]

Like ShadowsPapa says, I've always encouraged folks to get out and wheel their Jeeps stock first. Get to know your vehicle and be impressed by how well they do stock. If that's fine for you, that's cool. Otherwise, as you wheel you figure out what you need for you and add on as necessary. It's easy to get caught up with keeping up with the Jones's, but I've seen plenty of (usually older guys) out wheel bigger built rigs in closer to stock Jeeps. They have just as much fun and half the debt. With the Gladiator you have the added use case of towing. If towing is your priority you're smart to consider how every mod will affect that functionality.

 

[Texops]

good advise buy a winch also

 

[PyrPatriot]

good advise buy a winch also

For me that is more important than the lockers.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Oops - I need to clean my glasses - you said WINCH, not WENCH..........

Ok, so I've seen the recommended "formulas" and numbers tossed around like 9,000, 10,000, 12,000 and even others I'm sure.
For general use, not extremes like some of ya'all do, pulling them up over the side of a cliff, running out 10,000 feet of cable and pulling them straight up and out of quicksand and over a giant redwood or something - what about just ordinary folks like PryPatriot or I might use (for me, pulling myself out of a muddy field, maybe out of an Iowa ditch, off the side of I80 after sliding off the ice or something..............)
We have some wild ditches here - it ain't flat ground, some is almost straight down.

There's a couple of spots on our own road where if we went off due to ice or something, we'd sure not be upright and it would take Hanifen's big diesel wrecker to get the vehicle back out after calling the coroner......... not concerned about those areas.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Oops - I need to clean my glasses - you said WINCH, not WENCH..........

Ok, so I've seen the recommended "formulas" and numbers tossed around like 9,000, 10,000, 12,000 and even others I'm sure.
For general use, not extremes like some of ya'all do, pulling them up over the side of a cliff, running out 10,000 feet of cable and pulling them straight up and out of quicksand and over a giant redwood or something - what about just ordinary folks like PryPatriot or I might use (for me, pulling myself out of a muddy field, maybe out of an Iowa ditch, off the side of I80 after sliding off the ice or something..............)
We have some wild ditches here - it ain't flat ground, some is almost straight down.

There's a couple of spots on our own road where if we went off due to ice or something, we'd sure not be upright and it would take Hanifen's big diesel wrecker to get the vehicle back out after calling the coroner......... not concerned about those areas.

I suspect your terrain that would cause you to need a winch for yourself is a little sparse on trees to attach to? You may also want something like this

https://www.quadratec.com/products/12049_2008_07.htm

Or for soft terrain
https://www.quadratec.com/products/92144_4204.htm

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I suspect your terrain that would cause you to need a winch for yourself is a little sparse on trees to attach to? You may also want something like this

https://www.quadratec.com/products/12049_2008_07.htm

Or for soft terrain
https://www.quadratec.com/products/92144_4204.htm

Thanks - need to check into
It depends - Iowa is one of those states where you may go a couple miles and not see a tree, then go miles and see nothing but.
The guy that came up from Texas via I35 - he and his dad got out and the first things they commented on was the trees - everywhere, trees, even in the city - TREES.
But - there are areas without, too.

Looks like those dig in farther the harder the pull........

 

[Texops]

I have a smittybuilt pull pal & a good snatchblock because most of my offroading is beach .

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have a smittybuilt pull pal & a good snatchblock because most of my offroading is beach .

After a few years working in a shop that did 24/7/365 towing with 2 wreckers I grew to appreciate the snatch block. Science class taught me the principal, work showed it in action. Wow, with chocks on the wheels, brake lock engaged, wasn't too often we had to call the guy with the big diesel rig made to pull semi tractors out of trouble.
Beach, let's see - oh, yeah, I think I saw a few of those in Korea - a bit bigger than the beach at Saylorville or Redrock.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

So looks like quite a bit to have locking diffs installed

https://www.quadratec.com/p/arb/air-locker-locking-differential-wrangler-jl-gladiator-jt

Reputable shops around here are about $3700 for two ARBs with compressor and gearing change

 

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