Welded rear end?

[jeep420]

Is there any cons of welding a read end on a YJ.  Just got back from waiporus and everyone I was camping and 4X4'ing with had there toyotas welded up as a real locker idea.  They all loved it welded and it seemed to work.  Any one tried this on a YJ.

[JaydarXJ]

good for a trail truck, not good for a daily driver.

[jeep420]

What would be the side effects of daily driving???

[JaydarXJ]

since you no longer have differential, in corners your inside wheel will spin at the same speed as the outside wheel which will wear your tires(and they chirp through every corner). plus there is alot more resistance on pavement to wheel spin so there is also alot of pressure on the gears and the welds.
I guess it depends on how much driving you do and driving style, some guys have gone for years with welded diffs with no problems and some break them right away

[jeep420]

Well I appreciate your input...  I am not sure if I should or not.  The yota's that have them welded actually say they didn't chirp on corners, but most of them just did it recently for the may long weekend!  Maybe I will try it!

[yjpaul]

i say spend $250 and get an auto locker, and not have to worry about the consequences.

[jeep420]

Good call.  Aren't they a little tricky to install?  That was my impression versus welding!  I was thinking when I do my spring over here soon I was gonna do something with the rear end out as long as it doesnt end up costing alot.

[cLAY]

I have a welded rear in my XJ, BUT its a full floating D60. Its great on the trail but chirps on the street. My rig is "almost" a trailer queen so it doesn't see much street use. I don't recomend it for something that sees regular street use nor on a weak axle like a D35, even if its for off road only. It needs to be beefy enough to handle the stress.

[jeep420]

The way waiporous is looking, I think I will be daily driving it more than I hope to...  Would it help if I went with 33's apposed to 35" tires for the stress factor on the street or dirt?  Either way I think I will wait to get it done properly by the sounds of it.

[cLAY]

The only "proper" way to lock a D35 is a drop in locker. I wouldn't trust it to stand up to 33s and being welded and spending any more than the cost of a drop in locker would be a waste of money.

[80CJ]

With all the info I've read on the proper way (preheating, cooling, what rod, how long, where to weld, blah blah) to weld a rear end it seems easier to drop in a lunch box locker. I've done 3 now and they aren't too difficult if you aren't regearing.

[RedApe]

I ran a Fozzy Locker in my 82 Toyota LWB for 6 years.  The truck was a daily driver, seeing 20K a year, on 33" Big O XT's, then Swampers.

Toy axles are a fair bit stronger/larger diameter than the 30/35 combo mind you.
Comparitivley, short wheel based vehicles (Samurai's, CJ/YJ/TJ etc) do not seem to like this setup on the street nearly as much as any of the Toyotas that ran the Fozzy.  The tire scrub is far more noticeable.

<hint: google Fozzy Locker for more details>

[jeep420]

Well I appreciate all the feed back.  Maybe I will stick it out for a bit and wait to get a real drop in locker...  Wait to see how the yotas hold up with theres welded!