Factory Rubicon lockers
- Thread starter robx251
- Start date
KingCopperhead
New member
I have a Rubicon locker in the front of my 14 Willys (swapped in a Rubicon 44 axle)
I run 35's with 4.88 gears on a 6spd. So far I've had it on roughly six or seven outings, going over some decent sized East coast rocks and have had no issues. I don't do a lot of hopping and spinning though.
If I was out west and wheeling more often I'd probably look towards something beefier but for now I've had decent luck. Your mileage may vary of course.
I run 35's with 4.88 gears on a 6spd. So far I've had it on roughly six or seven outings, going over some decent sized East coast rocks and have had no issues. I don't do a lot of hopping and spinning though.
If I was out west and wheeling more often I'd probably look towards something beefier but for now I've had decent luck. Your mileage may vary of course.
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
The Rubi lockers are known for breaking. They just can't handle the stress of 35's and especially 37's and 40's.
If you already have them installed then run them till they break, if you don't then I wouldn't waste my money on installing one. Put the money towards an arb or the like instead
WJCO
Meme King
Are there any other decent ones that are electric? I'm doing my axle soon, so far everything is pointing to ARB, but I didn't want to deal with the manifold and air line if I didn't have to. I was curious about any good electric ones.
I already have the compressor so I may just stop being lazy and do the ARB in the end.
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
IMO since you spent the money on the twin you mine as well just get the arb. Way easier to run air hoses than deal with wiring up an e locker
WJCO
Meme King
Does the locker come with the air line or do I buy it separately? I'm doing a front locker but my compressor is in the rear of the Jeep so I need a long line.
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
Locker comes with the air line, switch, and the solenoid that connects into the air tank
WJCO
Meme King
Thanks for the info.
GraniteCrystal
New member
So do I understand correctly that anytime you want lockers on (admittedly not that much) you have to deal with the noise of a compressor running? Not a huge deal for the benefit; just like the silence of e-lockers.
swampdog
New member
I turn my compressor on at the trail head and leave it on the entire day. Then, anytime I want the locker, I just hit that button. That being said, the locker only takes the littlest puff of air and it may kick on for about 2 seconds 2 or 3 times during the entire day.
swampdog
New member
That's correct. I ran mine from under the hood to the rear with plenty of line to spare. I want to say it was 20-25 feet of blue air line.
WJCO
Meme King
Yep. Once the locker is actuated, compressor shuts off.
So do you cut the line and add the fitting or to you tie the slack up somewhere?
Sorry, op, I know you asked about e lockers, hopefully this info is helping you too. I've been wondering the same thing myself.
caminton
New member
I know I'm not OP, but this info is helping others. Love it when guys like you three (swampdog and cozdude) are still learning things from each other, and we all get to share in the knowledge. Jeep on.
swampdog
New member
Cut the line but left enough slack where it drops from the body to the diff to account for droop. Kept the extra that was cut in case the line tears / breaks I can splice in a repair and keep moving.
WJCO
Meme King
That day yours stuck was the first I had seem them fail like that. Then I researched and found some others. At least you got several years out of it.
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
Since the compressor is 100% duty cycle it only cycles on when needed. Once it builds pressure in the tank it turns off. When you turn your locker on it turns on again just to build pressure.
mudmobeeler
Caught the Bug
So just thinking out loud here and throwing some ideas around. I'm a long ways out from 37s most likely but just thinking.
In planning for 37s and most likely 37s for a long time and quite possibly the end game of the jeep, I'm thinking about finding a Sport 44 and purchasing a Pr44 for the front. Going with the ARBs for those axles. I believe they are bigger and slightly stronger than the ARBs for the rubi axles. Is that correct? Also that would give the same length axle shaft for the rear and I believe you could also get a higher spline count of axle shaft for the front and rear axles, correct? So that would make them somewhat stronger as well. I know it would cost more money to do it at once because you would have to replace the lockers at the time of the swap instead of just swapping the factory locker into the pr44 and leaving the rear axle alone other than gear swap for the 37s. Obviously if you stayed with the rubicon lockers you also wouldn't HAVE to upgrade axle shafts until you NEEDED to where you would have to if you went to a different spline locker. But you could offset some of the cost by selling the rubicon axles complete with gears and lockers.
Dumb idea and not worth the cost? Like I said, just thinking out loud here and I'm a ways out for 37s.
In planning for 37s and most likely 37s for a long time and quite possibly the end game of the jeep, I'm thinking about finding a Sport 44 and purchasing a Pr44 for the front. Going with the ARBs for those axles. I believe they are bigger and slightly stronger than the ARBs for the rubi axles. Is that correct? Also that would give the same length axle shaft for the rear and I believe you could also get a higher spline count of axle shaft for the front and rear axles, correct? So that would make them somewhat stronger as well. I know it would cost more money to do it at once because you would have to replace the lockers at the time of the swap instead of just swapping the factory locker into the pr44 and leaving the rear axle alone other than gear swap for the 37s. Obviously if you stayed with the rubicon lockers you also wouldn't HAVE to upgrade axle shafts until you NEEDED to where you would have to if you went to a different spline locker. But you could offset some of the cost by selling the rubicon axles complete with gears and lockers.
Dumb idea and not worth the cost? Like I said, just thinking out loud here and I'm a ways out for 37s.
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