12 bolt lockers are now available

[Ldub]

I've always said it is a LONG term project....but it WILL happen. I've started gathering info and have been watching the for sale stuff on various sites! The VX will be paid off within a year which will free up some fundage...I will be retiring in 18 months which will free up the time!

Congrats on being able to see retirement on the horizon...I think you already know I was just givin' you a little jab with my funny comment.
Also, I'm not sure what you have estimated for cost on the parts etc., but if it's anywhere near the 2k mark, I've seen a recent post elsewhere about a Rodeo for sale in Utah that's already been SAS'd with SOA f & r. D-44 from a Jeep.Asking price is $2500 bones. Don't know if it'd be worth it as a parts donor & then part out what's left, but it would be like an instant SAS tutorial to take an already functioning mod & transplant it to your VX. Also, would be nice to have the D-44 rear & convert it to VX use due to better availability of gearing etc. Maybe put your IFS & corporate 12 under the Rodeo & sell it?...just thinkin' out loud as it happens, my wild scheme most likely has some obvious flaws that I didn't think through.

But hey, if you did the bulk of the work yourself & know a welder that's sympathetic to the cause, you might come out on the deal.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

A bit off topic...I installed one of these in the rear of my 2WD Dodge Ram for daily driving street duty with occasional "yard-duty" and love it! The PowerTrax locker is very quiet for daily driving...testing it in the snow and am very happy so far. You hear no clicking after 50 miles of break-in. They list Isuzu applications but I don't know if it is compatible with our axle. Their conventional "lunch-box" locker that is noisy is called the LockRite.

http://www.powertrax.com/
http://www.powertrax.com/faq.html

[Ldub]

A bit off topic...I installed one of these in the rear of my 2WD Dodge Ram for daily driving street duty with occasional "yard-duty" and love it! The PowerTrax locker is very quiet for daily driving...testing it in the snow and am very happy so far. You hear no clicking after 50 miles of break-in. They list Isuzu applications but I don't know if it is compatible with our axle. Their conventional "lunch-box" locker that is noisy is called the LockRite.

http://www.powertrax.com/

That's good to hear, how long did the install take? Does it make the rear end get sideways easier?
I'm guessing as I haven't checked out he link, but their Isuzu application may only cover the models that came with Dana rear ends.
Thanks for the info.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

That's good to hear, how long did the install take? Does it make the rear end get sideways easier?
I'm guessing as I haven't checked out he link, but their Isuzu application may only cover the models that came with Dana rear ends.
Thanks for the info.

The instructions were very good...most of the work is putting all the locker pieces together in your hands...inserting tiny springs...lubing the specified surfaces with assembly grease...removing the Limited slip unit was easy...the only snag I hit was when doing the actual swap there didn't at first appear to be enough clearance to install it...made me think it wasn't the right part# but it finally slipped into place. Tight fit. like 2-3 hours of being overly cautious to install..probably could do it again in like under 2 hrs.

It reacts differently on different surfaces. The best I can describe it is if you give it the right amount of gas on a slippery surface (snow) it reminds me of a NHRA dragster "shaking the tires" in that they oscillate rapidly as if "hunting" for traction and it rapidly subsides as you begin moving forward. If you "hot-dog" (i.e. too much gas) you will go sideways like a crab but, it is pretty forgiving...I did this for like 50 yrds showing off...lol. The closest I'll probably come to "drifting".

If you stop at an intersection and make a right or left turn with normal throttle you won't even know it is there...but, if you are aggressive on the throttle when turning you will bark the inside rear tire as it is trying to drive both tires equally under heavy throttle. The instructions say to ease off the throttle when turning on slippery conditions as heavy throttle will cause the front to understeer (plow, push) but, I haven't experienced this yet.

Personally, I like your idea of using a "lunch box" setup for only the rear axle and using an "air locker" for the front. I woudn't use it in both axles.

[Ldub]

If you "hot-dog" (i.e. too much gas) you will go sideways like a crab but, it is pretty forgiving...I did this for like 50 yrds showing off...lol. The closest I'll probably come to "drifting".

I'm guessing with a longer wheelbase comes more forgiveness...I've found in the past, that the VX being rather short, can & WILL swap ends in the blink of an eye & go crunch into a tree...
Guess I'd better plan on toning down the skinny pedal during our slippery winters.
Thanks again for the info.

[Ldub]

I heard that some Isuzu's came with a winter mode switch that does some crazy thing like start in 3rd gear. Actually, try icy driving with a 6" lifted YJ on 35" BFG MT's with 4.56's, Detroit locker in the rear, and Auburn LSD in the front. The only good thing there was you could glide over half the things you would normally just slide into... curbs, fire hydrants, children, your boss, etc...

LOL...sounds like a line from Johnny Dangerously.

It shoots through schools, Johnny...

[Ldub]

Got my open carrier from the man in brown today...also, from a man named Brown.(Matt)
Just sittin' on my couch, dry fitting all the new innards into it, visions of nearly vertical ascents drifting through my brain...

Dunno if I'll be able to get it done in time for Moab, but having a "sort of" pre assembled locker in your lap has a certain motivational effect...