I wanna know if there is a better option. I called Reider Racing Enterprises and the guy had no clue about the torsen front l/s. He told me to contact Torsen = 'yeah right'. I've been checking out Auburn's lately but unsure if their unit will fit the ifs application. I like the fact that it's a l/s with a push button lock. I'm sure there are other options too. Let's hear em. I've read just about every thread here and on ORR about the front l/s units and they all say about the same thing....no torsen's aren't in production, you can get this one and that one, i just bought this one, i just installed this one and will post the results.......and on and on.

I'm pretty interested in Bob's testimonial of his Aussie locker.

http://www.auburngear.com/aftermarket/

 

Auburn Gear out of Auburn, IN

20 min from me.

i bet that is just what u wanted to know. lol

 

the Jeep rear D35 carrier is different then the front D35's we have in our trucks. The jeep carrier wont work in our diffs. So if the auburn is for the jeep rear then I HIGHLY doubt it will fit in the front end.

 

its got to be for the D35/28 hybrid

 

I think th D35 TTB excepts a jeep carrier but the SLA d35 does not.

 

that is correct. only thing the SLA D35 has in common with the jeep D35 is gears

 

An aussie locker should work well enough for you. That's what is going in the front of my Sami.

 

When not in 4x4 (pavement city driving) will it be noticeable at all? Will it engage while not in 4x4? Does it only engage while in 4x4 since there is no power to the front axle? When locked in 4x4 (off pavement) will it be hard to steer? I've considered the aussie locker but I want to hear from more people.

 

You likely won't have any trouble on pavement. You may hear it clicking/engaging but it's designed for this type of application. I can't say for sure yet though because I don't have one in my daily driver.

 

on this site
LINK it says that it's a 35/27spline? does it matter if it's 27 or 28?

 

this is the one you will need.
http://aussielocker.com/item.php/TM3...6/106014/.html

As for the steering in 4wd as long as you are in a low traction situation you will hardly notice it but in hard dirt or rocks you may get some pushing when trying to turn.

 

Thanks Chad. Zabeard posted above that we have the D35/28 and the site says that we have a D35/27 so I wasn't sure. Here in Arizona most of my wheeling is in rocks and rough roads with rocks, ruts and hills. As long as it won't break or cause anything to wear out quickly I'm happy. It's 4wheeling and it isn't going to be smooth so I'm not worried about a little feedback through the steerign wheel.

 

If you do experience any hard steering or pushing all you have to do is let of the gas a little and then ease back into the gas again.

as for the 35/27 the first number it what axle it is and the second is the spline count for the axle shafts.

 

The Ranger SLA D35 Torsen is not in production yet but it sounds like it will be in the near future.

When comparing it to an Aussie locker, you have to keep in mind that current Torsens go for about $600 while the Aussie is about $230. Also, the Aussie installs into the existing carrier while the Torsen replaces it. So, if I'm not mistaken, the Torsen will also need a ring and pinion setup that is not required with the Aussie.

The Aussie locker works fine in 2-wheel drive. That's because it cannot engage unless torque is applied from the pinion and this never happens in 2WD. In fact, the locker is completely transparent in 2WD except for the characteristic locker click while turning, most noticeably at low speeds.

In 4WD, it locks under power. This can cause significant torque steer when the engagement happens in good traction situations. If the tires have even slightly mismatched diameters, it will continue to pull hard in the direction of the smaller tire. This is very noticeable on snowy, paved roads but is less so in loose traction, off-road situations. In either situation, the improvement in traction and acceleration is very apparent.

A locker requires restraint because it can torque either half shaft as much as double compared to the torque transmitted through a half shaft used with a limited slip or open diff. So, it would be good not to run too hard, especially in low range where torque is already more than doubled.

Here's how I see them:

Torsen advantages:
Smooth transition between off throttle and on throttle in 4WD;
Less danger to CV's;
Quiet operation.

Aussie advantages:
Easier install;
Potentially more capable off-road;
Much less expensive.

 

rwenzing, How long have you had it in and if you were to start over would you put an aussie locker in?

 

The D35/D28 "hybrid" was used on some TTB Rangers. It was a combination of a Dana 35 sized housing with the smaller/weaker Dana 28 internals (6 5/8" ring gear and small carrier). That's what the "28" means.

98+ SLA 4x4's like yours have a unique narrow D35 housing and carrier that uses a full sized D35 R&P (7.5") and drives 27 splined outputs. That's what the "27" means.

 

It's been in there since September 2006. If cost were no object, I would prefer a Torsen but the Aussie seems to be a good product and it's hard to ignore the price difference.

 

that Torsen will be sweet for you SLA guys.....i bet it will be pricey though.....

like said before, the Jeep Dana 35 rear gears will work in the front of the SLA Dana 35, but not the carriers themselves.......now if you had a Dana 35 TTB, then the carriers out of a Jeep Dana 35 would work......

Travis if i were you, i would just get a full locker for the rear and leave the front open........from my experiences, the rear locked is more useful than the front......

EDIT: i forgot you got a Level II with the Torsen in the rear.....

 

I am not a fan of any type of LS in the front axle. They are very unpredictable when off road and also you are more prone to brake a axle shaft with one. At least with a locker you know what it is going to do.

 

once you have wheeled locked front and rear.. you will never run open again

 

So true Scott. I missed having a locker in the front axle my last off road trip.

 

thats pretty much gonna be what makes the badlands trip suck for me if i even get to take my truck

 

Ive wanted the aussie for a while, but i will probably wait until i regear to get one, my cv's are at a terrible angle from the SL and 35's so i will probly be snapping them left and right... oh well..

 

Well, the aussie has been ordered. The torsen would've been nice but at least I can afford to get the gears and the l/s this week. lol

 

With my truck at stock height and moderate wheeling how hard will it be to break a CV? I don't want to run into more problems by trying to upgrade. I take it pretty easy on my truck especially in 4low (tough obstacles but I don't use much speed/momentum). About how much should I expect to pay to get it installed? thanks, all the answers are appreciated!