Auburn Gear Max Lock vs PowerTrax Lock Right

[Andre.0723]

I'm wanting to put a lunchbox locker in my Dana 30 up front, and I'm trying to figure out if I should go with the Auburn Gear Max Lock or the PowerTrax Lock Right. I've read many people on this forum run PowerTrax products but I'm wondering if there's any advantage the PowerTrax has over the Auburn Gear. The Max Lock is not much cheaper than the Lock Right but I'd rather spend the extra money if the Lock Right is the better option. I wouldn't be using the locker in any severe weather because we don't get snow down in south Louisiana and I'm running 33" tires and I don't plan on going bigger any time soon.

 

[Daryl]

Don’t know about the Auburn unit. I ran the powertrax, front & rear in my flat fender for 18 years. Never had a problem.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Consider the No-Slip from Powertrax too. It is a lunchbox locker as well but is silent through turns whereas the other lunchbox lockers ratchet/click through turns on pavement when you're in 2wd. I had one in my previous TJ and really liked it.

 

[Andre.0723]

Even if I put a normal lunchbox locker up front, it’ll click and ratchet through turns in 2wd?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Even if I put a normal lunchbox locker up front, it’ll click and ratchet through turns in 2wd?

Yes, though it's just an audible thing nothing else.

 

[Steel City 06]

Unlike the older YJ or more modern 4WD vehicles, the front differential is always engaged at the hubs. 2WD simply disconnects the driveline at the transfer case so the front driveshaft can spin at a different speed.

There are locking hub kits for the TJ that will let you disengage the front axle, but for most people they will not be worth the cost or effort to install.

So any auto locker could make noise. Since the driveshaft is disconnected at the TC it shouldn’t make any significant difference in drivability.

 

[JMT]

Another vote for considering the PowerTrax No Slip

 

[S.McArthur]

Powertrax No-Slip; I rarely, if ever, hear it ratchet in 2wd.

 

[whitrzac]

I will not buy another powertrax product after having 3 defective ones in a row.

The pressed in pins were too big causing the locker to crack

 

[Andre.0723]

Are there any other lockers I should be considering? I'm leaning towards the No-Slip but I would also like to hear some pros and cons of other lockers. The Jeep is my DD so I would be hearing the ratchet of a locker everyday but I don't think it would bother me at all. Nothing else on the Jeep is rattle-free so what's another noise?

 

[Steel City 06]

Are you willing to consider the cost of a selectable locking carrier? If you’re considering regearing that is a great time to swap out carriers

 

[Andre.0723]

I am regearing soon but I'm not willing to spend a bunch of money on a selectable locker. It's way out of my budget and I don't do enough wheeling to need and air locker or e-locker. I do need to change out my carriers so would it be better to go with a limited slip in the rear and a lunchbox up front or put a Detroit trutrac or something like that in the front?

 

[Steel City 06]

A Truetrac would do well in the front, and be more robust than a lunchbox locker in a stock carrier. It will still make a small amount noise on turns. Some also run them in the rear, but they will make significantly more noise as well as some clunking in the rear on the road.

A clutch or gear driven limited slip carrier is a good option for the rear. The Eaton Posi Traction is made by the same company as the Detroit Truetrac and has a good reputation, and would be smoother on the road, as well as providing better traction off road.

If you can wait until you regear, it may be best to do it all at once. The labor to replace a carrier involves setting up gears, so changing the carriers at the same time as a regear will save you on the order of $1k in labor versus regearing and adding carriers separately.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

A Truetrac would do well in the front, and be more robust than a lunchbox locker in a stock carrier.

A Truetrac is not a locker, it is nothing more than a limited slip differential. Front lunchbox lockers hold up fine, it's when lunchbox lockers are installed into the rear where there's more stress seen that they're not fine.

I ran front and rear Truetracs 20 years ago and they were so unhelpful on the trails I liked to run that I replaced both with lockers. And yes, I used the commonly recommended application of brakes nearly continually through the years I had the Truetracs to try to help them "hook up" better but the results of that were disappointing. I replaced them with Powertrax No-Slip lunchbox locker up front and a Detroit Locker in the rear. To call the offroad improvements dramatic with the lockers is an understatement.

 

[John Scoggins]

Consider the No-Slip from Powertrax too.

Another Vote for the Powertrax no slip. FWIW we have them my son's 88' Full Size Bronce and they have survived 50k miles of teenage boy driving trails, mud, the dunes and such.

 

[auttiman]

I’ve had ARB air lockers in my Scrambler since ‘94 and I love them. The biggest benefit, IMHO, is you don’t stress the axles when they aren’t engaged. That and steering is so much better in open diff mode.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

The biggest benefit, IMHO, is you don’t stress the axles when they aren’t engaged.

Keep in mind that in some situations locking the locker unstresses the axles by spreading the load to both sides. Locking it also prevents one side from spinning in low traction situations to prevent a shaft from breaking when that low-traction side tire suddenly hooks up with good traction. I pretty well keep my lockers locked most of the time on most offroad trails.

 

[Andre.0723]

Has anyone had any experience with Torq Lockers? They have a very simple design which seems like there wouldn’t be as many parts to go wrong. And I’ve watched a few videos on it and it’s a very quiet unit. Just wondering if this is any good.

 

[auttiman]

Keep in mind that in some situations locking the locker unstresses the axles by spreading the load to both sides. Locking it also prevents one side from spinning in low traction situations to prevent a shaft from breaking when that low-traction side tire suddenly hooks up with good traction. I pretty well keep my lockers locked most of the time on most offroad trails.

Respectfully disagree.
I have seen many wheel joints break when tire(s) are in the air and diff locked locked when suddenly one tire grabs and the other back-lashes. When having to “throttle Hawg it”, I choose to lock the rear only then shower down on it.
If/when you are in situations that don’t require lockers, why stress the axles?

 

[DuncLJ]

Are there any other lockers I should be considering? I'm leaning towards the No-Slip but I would also like to hear some pros and cons of other lockers. The Jeep is my DD so I would be hearing the ratchet of a locker everyday but I don't think it would bother me at all. Nothing else on the Jeep is rattle-free so what's another noise?

Consider the Aussie Locker. It is less expensive than most of the others, and is proven to work very well. I have run one in my front Dana 30 for over 4 years and it handles everything I can throw at it. It clicks a little very softly. I don't even notice it anymore. If by chance I hear it click, it just reminds me that it's still working.