One of the best upgrades, you can do on a 4×4 is a diff locker. These are expensive and most of us can only afford one at a time. So which one should you choose?
- You should have one front wheel and one back wheel on the ground at any given time. The amount of traction would be greater on the locking axle that has more weight on it. So if you carry more weight on the rear of the vehicle then, more traction would be offered by a read locker.
- An uphill incline of a chicle can shift the weight to the rear axle, so a rear locker would be more beneficial. On downhill descents a vehicle with an open diff can experience a sliding effect as drive transfers from one axle to the other. A rear locker will counteract this motion giving more control and a safer, slowed descent.
- A vehicle will steer better with only the rear axle locked than it would with only the front axle locked. The advantages of the bonus traction most often far outweigh the disadvantages of understeer.
- If your vehicle has a Limited slip differential (LSD) in the rear, we recommended buying the front locker first. As you’ll have maxim traction at the front and retain traction in the rear.
- Rear diffs are usually bigger, A locker is going to double the maximum amount of traction offered from an open factor diff. It would make sense to install a locker in the biggest diff first as this should be the strongest axle.
- Your front wheels get over the crest of a hill before you do. A steeply inclined surface offers very little traction compared to a level surface. Having your front wheels over the crest of the hill onto the level ground does not always guarantee that you’ll get the back wheels over as well, but in this situation, a locker in the front may just pull your vehicle up and over the crest.
Ultimately, your driving style will have a huge effect on how these things work. The best option is to have a locker fitted in each axle. This would give you the most traction, you can get from your vehicle.
