how can i tell if my new tj has a front locker?

[Nate93YJ]

i'm thinking my new tj may have a front locker never dealt with a lunch box or anything like that before but when i turn my front tires hop like its in 4h or something but without the back ones hopping, any suggestions??? or ways to tell without pulling the cover

[4LWranglerTJ]

I honestly would just pull the cover. While your at it you could inspect everything and give it an oil change if needed to be on the safe side.

[justin399]

Does it make a ratcheting sound when you have it in 4wd and turn sharply? If it's got a locker both wheels will spin when you lose traction.

[Nate93YJ]

well i can't seem to find anywhere to flex it out enough close to the house to see if it's spining, and i pulled the plug and the fluid is clean and not dirty at all so i hate to change it... its just when i turn i get the front tires chirping and the steering wheel kinda pulls??? if that makes sense so was just wondering

[Knuckelhead]

Are you sure your in 2 wheel drive?...

[jeepman5112]

Get someone to stand outside your truck, put it 4x4 and spin the wheels in sand ,mud what ever and if both wheels spin, there you go.

[BigWinTJ]

Get someone to stand outside your truck, put it 4x4 and spin the wheels in sand ,mud what ever and if both wheels spin, there you go.

Limited slip...?

[OhioYJ]

Are you sure your in 2 wheel drive?...

Ditto... your average Jeeper doesn't install lockers. Odds that you bought a Jeep with a locker aren't very high. I'd make sure you are actually in 2WD, sounds like you are stuck in 4WD. Not to mention in 2WD a lunch box locker or any automatic locker should be pretty much invisible other than the noise.

[jeepman5112]

With the front axle locked wouldn't that take away the limited slip?

[Nate93YJ]

yes i know its in 2wd, when your in 4wd your rear tires hop to... but comparing to the old yj is all i have, i almost think its got some kinda traction device because the other week i drove in a deep ass ditch front R tire and L rear were off the ground rocking back and forth and it pulled right on through, guy i bought it from did nothing to it but put bushwackers on it, but he did alot of playing in fields and his farm i dont' know...but i can turn a full turn at slow speed and the front tires will leave rubber on the road...gonna try getting somewhere to flex it out good,

[Bada-Bing.]

If you spent as much time opening up the front diff as you spent trying to figure it out you would know for sure by now.

[justin399]

Did the tires in the air spin?

[MechanicalMayham]

If he jacked up the front end and put the TC in neutral, wouldn't he be able to rotate the tire on one side and watch the other. If it spins opposite its LS and together its locked, or am I just drunk again?

[bkrjeeper]

If he jacked up the front end and put the TC in neutral, wouldn't he be able to rotate the tire on one side and watch the other. If it spins opposite its LS and together its locked, or am I just drunk again?

MM, I do believe you are right. As far a being drunk... well that's a perspective thing.:thumbsup:

[wrangler X]

Like said jack up the front and spin the wheels. With a front locker in 2wheel drive it acts normal. If your leaving marks when you turn Im beting your jeeep is stuck in 4wd and I would fix it asap.

[Nate93YJ]

pretty possitive its not stuck in 4wd i can pull it back in 4H and tell a big difference, i thought the same to start maybe, but i was just thinking if this problem is from the 2.5" kit i just put on which i'm at about 3" now and when it settles out to 2.5 i'm gonna put a spacer in but anyway back to my point, could the be the steering binding from not running a drop pitman arm w/ the lift??? just a shot, and NO it isn't stuck in 4wd,

[Bada-Bing.]

Serious man... open the darn cover and find out

[Nate93YJ]

i ask my buddy if his tj did the same thing, he said his always has since new its just the way a tj steers... used to my yj so... guess its a tj thing...

[bkrjeeper]

If that's the case then you are probably turning too sharp. That noise you hear is the U-joints binding, letting loose, binding, letting loose etc. Really hard on the U-joints not to mention the axles. I'll make a 2 or 3 point turn to avoid doing that to my U-joints. Just my :twocents:

[Bada-Bing.]

No, a stock TJ does not scuff the ground when you turn sharp.

Are you sure the tire is not coming in contact with the lower control arm?

[4LWranglerTJ]

I have a four inch lifted tj with open diffs and it DOES NOT lift tires off the ground, leave rubber, or any of what your talking about. Open it up and check it out. It is worth the little bit of money for fluid to check so you dont screw up any driveline parts. We can only guess what is wrong but you can check it out for sure just by cracking it open. sorry for busting your balls but just do it!

[Cromwell]

The one thing you have failed to mention is what is the backspacing of the rims you have? My TJ had 3" of lift and 31" Cooper STT on 8" rims but I did not realize that I had the wrong backspacing so when I made tight turns it would seem to be hopping when in fact the tires were rubbing on the lower control arms. I would check you lower control arms to see if your tires are rubbing.

[Bada-Bing.]

You can adjust the steering stops by unbolting them and adding a washer behind them. The bolt in the lower left and you can see the different color washer.

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