So without a L/S or a locker, you basically have 3 wheel drive with the all-too-easy-to-spin RH rear wheel....right?

 

if your front is open then you have a true 2wd

 

Technically in 4wd you are in 2wd. Power is sent to all the tires until two (while in 4wd) loses traction even with an l/s.

 

yes, you are 2wd, one front and one rear *does the open diff dance for tyler*

 

Ah...two wheel drive....even more dire than I suspected. Yep, I have open front and rear. And just when AGW has been debunked and the cooling cycle is beggining....great!
It'll probly snow a bunch this year, and I'll have my trusty 2 wheel drive 4x4.

 

You should feel fortunate. Try having an actual 2wd!

 

its not as dire as you may think. you still have double the traction you would if you had a 2wd because they are technicly only 1wd unless they have a locker lol. you wont have any issues getting around in the snow with open diffs and 4wd, ive managed for 11 years to get around just fine with open diffs and 4wd in michigan winters.

 

Get a front and rear locker or limited slip! I bought a locker for the front and l/s for the rear so Justin can't make fun of me anymore for the open diff dance!

 

I had a '92 with 2 wheel drive (aka 1 wheel drive...LOL) before this one. It wasn't too bad with 600 lbs. of rock in the back!

I'm not going to do any major mech mods to the truck...too much work. I'll bolt on some clear corners and get a sub. That'll hold me for a while.

 

Is this also true of the 09 FX4.

 

I am now 3 wheel i guess, i got L/S in the rear now....

 

All Rangers are factory open front diff. Your FX4 should a limited slip which is better than open but a limited slip will still one tire fire.

 

you have 3wd till you lift a tire then your back to 2 with the limited slips. I wouldn't recommend running a locker in the front unless its selectable if you drive in the snow a lot. because if you lose traction in one direction you have lost it in all directions which is why its easier to drift a corner with a locker or a ls in the rear diff which in turn means you spin in a circle more easily. I've survived many North Idaho winters with open diff 4x4's gonna have an ls this year so should be interesting to see how the truck will handle

 

Apparently the best option is to have a dash switch to lock both front and rear diffs until you get out of trouble (the ditch...lol).

If you had to put a locker on just one, which would be best the front or rear diff? If you did the rear diff only (my choice) would burnouts be spectacular or what!!!!!

 

IMO I would rather have a rear locker than a front if I could only have 1. I would only put a locker in the front if it was selectable but thats just my opinion.

 

limited slip FTMFL

 

Locked front owns locked rear. FYI.

 

l/s is junk, i still consider that 2wd. I have a spooled front/posi rear and a lot of the time that rear axle is whats hangin me up cause the stuffed tire with all the traction isn't doin a damn thing

or a front spool

If i did it again i would lock the rear first just cause of weight transfer. i can't count the number of times i've been on hill climbs and the fronts are just spinning cause there's no weight to give them traction.

 

So which would you take....a locked IFS or SAS with L/S?

 

when did i ever say i was gonna do IFS again? haha

and when was L/S SAS in my quote?

if i did the sas again i would spool the rear before i spooled the front. spools are cheaper than l/s or lockers. and they work better.

 

No I know you didnt say any of that. I'm gettin off topic here. I'm going from a locked front to a L/S, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

 

ohhhhhhh

well im feelin you should sell that l/s and lock that *****!

 

im know im going to thread jack but whats the diff between a spool and locker

 

yeah the whole 4x4 really being 2wd... ive noticed that both of my front tires spin, i have witnesses when i was wheeling last going up a hill climb both fronts spun just as much as the other did... so idk but yeah no one is truely 4x4 unless locked front and rear.

 

A spool is always locked. A locker can unlock.