4 wheel drive in snow

hey everyone. maybe someone can explain this for me... I know a little about 4wheel drive, and i thought jeep cherokees had locking differentials. Well recently i was in the snow and I got stuck a few times because of ice. One tire had a little traction on some pavement but it didnt help. I thought it would. It was my understanding that all 4 wheels were locked so they all moved at the same speed, so if one wheel had traction, i would be ok. But i had 3 wheels spinning and one stopped, and another time I had 2 wheels on the corners spinning and the other corners stopped. I didnt know that was possible with a jeep, maybe in an all wheel drive car, but not my jeep! Do i need it checked, or is that normal? thanks!

no, this is normal!

the only way both wheels on the same axle spin at the same time is if you have a locker. i have a rear locker but not a front, so if one of the rear tires slip the other ingages then both back spin. if u had a front its the same. but if u dont the one with less traction spins

when driving in the snow,find the non compacted snow or gravle. do not follow every one, because they are most likly are following some one ,and so on, and all those tiers going the same route makes the snow turn to ice. get my drift. just a little hint

Thanks for the imput. Good advice about driving on the ice, but my problem was at a parking lot. I cam in one night with a few inches of snow on the ground and could not move! I left it there all night because I was tired and worked my way out with a shovel and my floormats in the morning!

My problem was I thought I HAD lockers! ha ha... I thought it came with the car. Because in the manual, it says that when 4wheel drive in engaged, it locks the axels together so they spin at the same rate. I have a 98 cherokee classic with command track. So do I need to get lockers? how is that done? Thanks!

You don't really need lockers, but if you want improved traction, they make a couple differant types and of course at differant price ranges. You could go with a LOCKRITE locker, simple to install. With the 98 XJ you Only want to put a locker in the rear, due to the front axle always turning. This will improve your traction, but becareful, you'll have to learn how to drive your Jeep, the locker will change a couple handling characteristics.

some of the Cherokees did come with a limited slip/locker called the trac-loc.

really? so how can I find out if mine did? I guess it didnt cause i had this problem huh? Is there a website where i can plug in my VIN or something? thanks!

really? so how can I find out if mine did? I guess it didnt cause i had this problem huh? Is there a website where i can plug in my VIN or something? thanks!


Go to Jeep.com and request build sheet with your VIN #

You don't really need lockers, but if you want improved traction, they make a couple differant types and of course at differant price ranges. You could go with a LOCKRITE locker, simple to install. With the 98 XJ you Only want to put a locker in the rear, due to the front axle always turning. This will improve your traction, but becareful, you'll have to learn how to drive your Jeep, the locker will change a couple handling characteristics.


So GT, I've got a couple questions...

I know having two wheels spinning iin the back is way better than one, but how would a person decide it was worth it...?

You said simple to install, as in open the punkin, and follow the instructions simple?

How do they function (do you engage or are they always engaged) and what did you mean about handling characteristics...?

I'm not trying to be dumb, I've been thinking about this a bit. When I was a kid, my folks had a Dodge Ramcharger with the quadra-track and it was awsome! Having four wheels flinging mud at the same time was really cool for this former teenager!

A lockright is a good choice for mild wheeling, and for a jeep that sees mostly light duty off road use. They are designed to run with tires roughly of the 33" diameter and smaller. They are usually found at a decent price, i.e. about $250 or so, give or take a few bucks depending on who/where you get it from. The "ease of installation" is a relative term. Its easy to install compared to say, a detroit or ARB, however, unless you consider yourself a competent home mechanic, with a good selection of tools and some basic knowledge of gears/diffentials, it would be wise to seek the help of a reputable shop.
There are mainly 4 types of differential choices. First is a "limited slip" which does exactly that. It is a mechanism installed in the differential housing which, under torque, will engage through a series of clutches and teeth (complicated explanation without seeing it firsthand) and lock both rear axles together... to an extent. It wont COMPLETELY lock them, and allows for a limited amount of wheel speed differentiation, or "slip". Its a good choice for those who need a little extra traction, while still intend to use their rig mainly on the street. It's ability to let the wheel with more traction to slip is good for tire wear, handling predictability, and drivetrain fatigue.
Secondly, there are "Automatic lockers". These are like the above mentioned "limited slip" however, once engaged (under engine torque, springs inside it will compress, allowing teeth to engage which lock the axles together) they remain COMPLETELY locked together, until torque is no longer being aplied. I.E. letting off of the throttle. These offer more traction, but put more stress on drivetrain parts, by not allowing the tration-rich wheel to slip out of sync with the other wheel since they stay locked together. These lockers will also cause premature tire wear. Scenario: You are making a tight right hand turn at a stoplight, and apply throttle to accelerate through the turn. Your outside rear wheel naturally wants to turn faster than the inside wheel, since it has to travel further to get all the way around the radius of the corner. With the locker engaging, it does not allow the inside wheel to slip, and consequently forces the inside wheel to "peel out" throughout the duration of the corner, since it is going the same speed as the outer wheel. We all know peeling out burns the rubber off of your tires. These automatic lockers are costlier than the above mentioned, due to their enhanced capability.
Thirdly, you have "Selectable Lockers". These are very similar to Automatic Lockers in that they perform the same operations. However, they do not engage automatically. They are engaged manually by the driver of the vehicle through either a lever/cable mechanism, compressed air from an on board air source, or through electricity/solenoids. These are normally the most desireable locker due to their ability to be engaged when the driver needs the traction, then disengaged when the driver wants and "open" differential for normal street use. When not engaged, they virtually dont exist. When engaged, they fully lock up for maximum traction. Their downsides are mainly price, and secondly, some believe they are less reliable, due to their need of an outside source to work, i.e. air lines, or cables, or solenoids. The mentality is that the more things you have that can fail, like extra moving parts, the less the locker's reliability. These are the most expensive choice, but with good reason.
Fourth, and lastly, there are Spools. A spool is a solid chunk of steel that bolts into the differential housing, and permanently locks both axles together as one. It has no moving parts, and never unlocks. This is a common choice for hardcore offroaders, due to its simplicity, affordability, and traction advantage. This is not a good choice for a road going vehicle though, due to the fact that it WILL NOT allow the axle's wheels to differentiate speeds at all. No matter what, both wheels move at the same speed, so constant attention to tire pressure is mandatory, your road handling will suffer, as the vehicle will not want to turn, and you will encounter more broken parts, due to the stress placed on the other components of the drivetrain. A spool does not allow any release of energy, like a limited slip, or locker will, and will definitley wear through tires at a rapid pace. Unsurpassed traction off the road, but bottom of the line performance on the road. Best suited for trail only rigs.

Sorry for such the long shpeel everybody, but maybe i helped educate at least one person who wasnt yet aware. Cheers!

Artic4lo,
Thanks for the info, I have been for sometime considering the whole locker idea. Ithink it was Lockrite that claimed to have more "mild" locker out. That didn't require readjusting the backlash and all that. I also have an 88XJ with I think the Dana 44 rear (Laredo) I am considering making my D/D and mud toy. I drive 100miles a day (roundtrip) for work, limited budget, what would you recommend. 88 has 216K auto 4.0ltr.

I have been running an EZLocker for 4 years and still works like new. I get things at cost and a friend at 4whlparts put it in for $50. between the Baja Claws and the locker, I haven't needed a pull since then.

gtmud, you say you have a hundred mile per day trip to/from work? Thats a pretty good amount of pavement time. I would suggest a lockrite for price, seeing as how you say you are on a budget. The EZlocker that mx2nv mentioned is also a quality limited slip. As far as which rig to make a dd, and which to make your toy, I would, just in my opinion, take the most reliable rig and use it to get to work, and run the errands. Remember, as much fun as wheeling is, getting to work on time, and having a dependable road vehicle are more important. If you break the trail rig, at least youve got your primary ride still.

Arctic - Man! Thanks for the info!! That's exactly what I was after!

Can you point out a good place to pick up the lock-rite? I believe I have the D35, is there anything else a person will need to pick up?

I just went to Rocky Road, they have two options, with and w/o abs. $236/$230. Am I correct in assuming if you don't have ABS your rear end won't have the riggin for it...?

Arctic - Man! Thanks for the info!! That's exactly what I was after!

Can you point out a good place to pick up the lock-rite? I believe I have the D35, is there anything else a person will need to pick up?

I just went to Rocky Road, they have two options, with and w/o abs. $236/$230. Am I correct in assuming if you don't have ABS your rear end won't have the riggin for it...?
weld the front diff its cheap and i never had any problems with it.

weld the front diff its cheap and i never had any problems with it.
:eek: :eek: :eek: :loser:
Wow.
Do you ever drive your jeep on the pavement?

Go to Jeep.com and request build sheet with your VIN #

Could you give some details on doing this? Can't see how to do it

Thanks

Could you give some details on doing this? Can't see how to do it

Thanks
i drive mine every singel day and it drives perfect you cant tell the differance betwen mine lifted one and my stock one. just weld your gears together. its not a trailer queen daily driven. 10inch lift 36 irocks jks quick disconnects lincon locked and ready to rock :chair: