Dana 30 Torq Locker - First Impression & Install Jeep JKU

[@bnewt1139]

You should do as many videos as you possibly can, very good approach to a project w/ very clear instructions and attention to detail, well done sir!

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you Brad! And thanks for checking out my video! I definitely plan to keep uploading my content and hopefully it continues to provide value to others! I appreciate the compliments!

[@jordanlane4761]

I use to have the older style lunchbox lockers. This isnupdated version and seems to be alot better

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there Jordan, thanks for checking out my video! Yes a number of the other brands lunchbox lockers are made over seas and use lesser quality materials than the Torq Master Industries. This locker was a great upgrade for my JKU!

[@messix7768]

now this is a awesome video, very clear and easy to follow. it should take some of the intimidation out of diving into a modification like this for a lot of novice home mechanics. and the next is the saga of the jk dana 30 will be replacing broken stock shafts with Yukon alloy shafts!!!! Lets hit Retier!!!! lol

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you Troy! That is definitely my hope with this video. And yeah axle shafts and driveshafts will be the new failure point! Yeah I agree we will need to get out to Reiter again soon!

[@geberhard]

Excellent video, thanks!

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you Geberhard!

[@22onwheels12]

solid video vic ... i appreciate the in depth detail

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey thanks a lot 22onWHEELS! I appreciate you checking out my video!

[@freedomin4low344]

that's awesome customer service. I had too much spacing on my LockRight and their support was basically useless. That was with an almost new carrier and new Dana thrust washers, too.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Yeah Torq Masters was and has been very responsive and helpful! That is really frustrating… definitely leads to caution for future purchases to ensure you will have good post purchase support! Thank you for checking out my video 4Low Garage!

[@freedomin4low344]

@@VictorVectorJKU I've got a Torq being delivered tomorrow, so I'm hopeful now that even if it's a little loose, Torqmasters may be able to help me out with some thicker washers.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

They definitely will! And just checked out your video, that would drive me crazy trying to work with a company that will blame the issue on the carrier. Torq Masters will explain correctly the reason for this and not blame it on the OEM of the axle and their ability to meet spec.

[@BennyTygohome]

I'm getting jl sport and like to do this for it's front axle. Great overview and instructions. Thank you

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you Benny! And yeah I have been pleased with the simplicity of this locker install and performance at such a low price point!

[@big.eyednezza0]

NICE!!!!!! GOOD JOB!!

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you!

[@jamesloughran7278]

Good video but I noticed you didn't mention marking the ring gear to make sure it is reinstalled in the original position. I believe that is important.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Good catch James! I did miss that when I took off the ring gear. I should have done that but I did not run into any issues fortunately and I put a solid number of miles on and offroad on the Jeep with that locker!

[@akkachai47]

nice video, learned a lots from your video, will work on my jeep soon, thanks

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you! Glad to hear it!

[@ironman23gt]

Sweet video! 👍 New subscriber here. Good quality and informative. Keep it up!

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey thanks a lot Gearz4x4!

[@bryanwallace3347]

Thank you… great video.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there Bryan, thanks for checking it out and the compliment!

[@georgejetson1923]

I was told to never grease the carrier bearings as it will keep the oil from penetrating/ lubeing the rollers.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

I can understand the concern, I was following the Jeep service manual for the JKU and followed the process of re-assembly. It is important to have grease on the bearings to prevent the initial rotations to be dry and cause premature wear. That is at least what I have seen and heard. I am of course not an expert and following the technical specifications outlined by the OEM.

[@MrAcuta73]

Torq Masters customer service is amazing. Had me setup for my oddball Ford Ranger front Diff with no issues, even after I purchased the wrong SKU. Edit: You were running 3.73 and 37" tires? Think I know why the gears sheared off. Not sure that locker will make things better or worse. o.O

[@VictorVectorJKU]

F***** Ford ranger! Lol that is great to hear that you had a good experience with their customer service as well! And yeah I am looking into my upgrade path for axles, hopefully soon and correct my gearing at that point! But so far no issues with the locker, axle shafts or u-joints!

[@CourageOO7]

Your approach and pace are excellent. Are you an engineer by trade? I'm sold on this locker for my front. I am thinking something selectable in the rear. Maybe the Ox. I just don't want to deal with any daily drivability annoyances. Thanks for the excellent resource and channel!!! Keep it up!!!

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you Courage007, and thanks for checking out my video! Yes, indeed I am, I have been a manufacturing engineer for 8 years now. I would definitely agree with your analysis by going with a selectable rear locker to maintain good on road manners! I am glad my video was able to be a good source of info! I also have my 10 month tear down review of this locker as well on my channel if you haven’t already seen how it held up! Again thanks for the compliments and I will keep working to provide valuable and informative content!

[@CourageOO7]

@@VictorVectorJKU Ha. Great minds... I work in manufacturing, too. Only we are a military defense contractor. Anyway, I really need to do a walk through of my JKU. I have a 2012 that is pretty well built and unique because I am running the high boost RIPP supercharger kit, but I was not satisfied with the stock tune. I also wanted better cooling for when I'm towing my Overland trailer setup...so I installed water/methanol injection and tuned her up myself using HP Tuners. 4.88's, 35's, 6 speed, SC + WMI. She runs like a scalded ape. I'm not active on any forums but would love to trade tips/mods/tricks, etc... If you're ever in Utah, you gotta take it for a spin. It'll make anyone rethink a 392.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Very nice! And dang definitely sounds like a wild beast! Love that you have a 6spd manual like me too! 🤙🏼 yeah definitely, I just saw your message on IG, I’ll message you back over there!

[@bnewt1139]

What color loctite did you use for the ring gear bolts, didn't hear you mention it during the reassembly. Thanks!

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there B Newt, I used red loctite on the ring gear bolts. Sorry I did not specify that during the video.

[@joecramer7818]

Did you have any issues with it wanting to bind up in tight turns? Mines been installed for a few months but it just wants to bind up occasionally while in tight turns. The center gap was within specs per instructions.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey Joe, thanks for checking out my video! I do not think I ever ran into binding issues when in tight turns. With you mention of being within spec, that does take away one thought of mine. My second thought might be if you have standard axle shafts with U-Joints in the knuckle ends. I have seen people bind their axles shafts with the steering stops set too far back and allow the U-Joints to bind. You could look and see if there is a shiny part in the ear of the u-joints and that would signify that being the issue. Otherwise, I would recommend reaching out to TorqMaster and see if they could help being the OEM of the product. They are super helpful and great to work with!

[@joecramer7818]

@@VictorVectorJKU When I performed the spin test, while spinning one wheel it will ratchet fine and then try to act like the locker is engaged and spin the other wheel too. If I spin one tire real slow, it will always lock up and spin both at the same time. I've been debating on pulling it out and going back to open diff but I love the locker when I'm offroading. On the road its fine just when I'm making a sharp turn then it starts binding and bucking the jeep 😕

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Ah ok, I did not understand your diagnosis before but now I get what is happening I think. So when you are taking a normal corner you will hear and maybe slightly notice the small ratcheting of the torq locker however when you take sharp corners you are getting a more dramatic unloading than the typical ratcheting after a slight bind. I did have that happen and I would know it’s going to happen on dry pavement typically only at slow speeds in parking lots. At times initially I would be concerned but I came to realize this is just normal function of the locker. I did my best to not put myself in scenarios of tight turns on pavement even tho they do happen. So if this is typical driving conditions for you and it is something you are uncomfortable with, then perhaps going back to an open front end might be right for you. I would still reach out to TorqMasters and get their input, they may have ideas to help reduce this.

[@joecramer7818]

@@VictorVectorJKU Sorry I didn't make it very clear to begin with lol. But yeah I'm going to reach out to Cora at Torqmasters and see what she thinks of the situation. I watched her video where they installed the front locker in their shop JL and drove it around in different scenarios and it never got bound up in the parking lot so I was just curious if maybe you had any encounters either. I appreciate your time with answering me back!

[@VictorVectorJKU]

@joecramer7818 all good, and actually after your second message I understood the first. I just didn’t quite put it together correctly initially when I read your first. And yeah they know the product really well and will help you figure it out! Best of luck and hopefully you guys find a solution!

[@davidkyser9033]

Great video! I have been thinking about lunch box lockers in my JKU also. Have you driven it on the street in snow and ice? I’m concerned that the lockers would cause it to not handle turns and curves well on snow packed and ice covered streets.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thanks David! So I drove with the he torque locker from October last year through the winter till mid year this year when I swapped axles. I don’t recall any cases of driving in the snow or ice having any real negatives but driving is a bit different. All in all I would say it handles better than an open front differential for snow and ice from what I remember.

[@davidkyser9033]

Thanks!

[@jesseplz]

How long did it take you? Thanks for the insight

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there Jesse, thanks for checking out my video! Honestly my time is a bit skewed since I was recording while swapping in the torq locker. Time would come down to the tools you have and experience. When I made my review video I think I was able to pull the carrier and torq locker and reinstall it all in a matter of 2-4 hours but my axle was not under the vehicle during that video.

[@ladderallthinking8790]

Hey Victor, I ran into you at Vancouver airport a few weeks back and we had a good chat waiting for our puddle-jumper. You've got great content here; makes me wish I was into Jeeps ;) I'm also kind of surprised we never mentioned the greatest combat sport ever practiced during that hour-long wait. I was 148-158 back before they re-aligned the classes. What weight class were you?

[@VictorVectorJKU]

It’s never to late to get into Jeeps! Lol but thanks a lot Caleb, I appreciate that! I wrestled from 103-130 from softmore to senior year!

[@georgejetson1923]

You didn't mark your ring gear?

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there George, thanks for watching my video! That is correct, I forgot to mark it and that should be done, however I did not run into any issues for the 10 months and I think 12-15k miles I drove it. That was combined on road and offroad driving.

[@magcv92]

It should be 3 bolts holding the wheel hub

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there Mario, I thought that is what I said, if not I apologize for the confusion!

[@edwardpalys9379]

Good content, I might attempt the same modification, after you give your impressions of driving on & off road. You mentioned running 37" tires with 3.73 gears. I also have 3.73 gears & an auto transmission. I would like to switch to 35" tires without re-gearing. Do you think it is reasonable for mostly on-road & some moderate off-roading?

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Thank you Edward! I also have a manual transmission which helps with the taller tires and not regearing. I would think 35’s on the auto would be ok with 3.73 but if you want to maintain factory performance upgrading to 4.10’s would be your move with the 3.6 Pentastar. You would mainly see running in a lower gear on grades but should be ok I think. As far as the performance of offroad with the Torq Locker is great and there is just minor clicking of the locker at very low speeds on pavement when taking tight turns such as in a parking lot. I hope to get a short term review up soon!

[@jamescole6846]

I have a 2013 JK 2D Auto with an AEV 3.5 lift and I have been running 18" Fuel rims with BFG TKO 35x12.5 for years now. Every one keeps saying you need to re-gear but I drive like a speed demon and the Jeep is plenty fast the way it is. A 4 door with more weight may make a difference but if your running 3.73's I doubt it. I will say the 35's are hard on the dana 30 and all the front suspension components. I'm on my second set of ball joints, I had to replace my unit bearings at 70k and I ended up having to replace the track bar, drag link and steering rod as well due to worn bushings. but like I said I drive fast and corner hard. I don't do serious off road but I have been on my fair share of the trails but I don't do rock crawling mainly for what happened in this video. The dana 30 is just not strong enough to take a beating with 35's or 37's. I went with the whole Steersmarts Yeti XD kit for the track bar, drag link and steering rod and I highly recommend it. They are all 1 ton parts and the track bar alone made the stock one look like a coat hanger. This also made a huge difference in steering tightness and control. steersmarts.com/collections/jk-jku-products After the AEV lift was installed the Jeep drove better than it did stock did but with an occasional want to death wobble when I hit really rough streets especially on a curve. It never went full DW but it was there. The AEV kit comes with drop brackets for the control arms as well as other geometry correction brackets but my castor was still at 3.4 degrees. I bought and installed some core 4x4 tier3 adjustable control arms and adjusted my castor back to 4.9 degrees and it made a night and day difference in the handling. I did the whole kit. 8 arms front and back but to adjust your castor you really only need the front upper or lowers but replacing all of them with the super heavy duty ones also made the ride feel a lot tighter and firm. Those core 4x4 control arms are about 3-4 times the weight and size of the stock ones. www.core4x4.com/model/jeep-wrangler-jk-jku/?filter_tier=tier-3&query_type_tier=or If you do move to the 35's braking will also be somewhat an issue. I found I really had to stand on the brakes in pinch. so I also installed the dynotrac big brake kit and that made a HUGE difference. I can lock all 4 tires with little effort now. My last few items before I go to a dana44 is this locker kit. Which is why I was here :) and Falcon shocks. I was running Bielstien 5160's but those are all crapping out after only 3 years. The seal in one is completely gone and 2 others are leaking. The Falcons are EXPENSIVE but they are also adjustable on the fly for hard medium and soft so we will see. They will be in hopefully today.

[@jonathanjohnson7131]

Great video but one question! 600 MI would be a lot of miles with four-wheel drive logged in right?¿?

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there Jonathan, thanks for checking out my video and I’m glad you found it informative! As for their break in period of 600 miles that is just driving the vehicle in any condition 2wd or 4wd. Of course with the factory Dana 30 in a JK the axle shafts and ring and pinion are always turning with the front tires due to not having any form of disconnect like hubs. So with that the front differential will get a break in even in 2wd! Good question!

[@king-kore-studio]

1st, pull out our shaft.. Lmao... great video..

[@VictorVectorJKU]

I mean it had to be done 😅 thanks for checking out the video King-Kore Studio!

[@madman432000]

will this locker in the front cause any weird steering effects when not in 4x4? And when in 4x4 will both tires still pull regardless if turning corner or running straight?

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there Phil, I have not noticed anything of real concern. There is of course the clicking and periodic popping sounds from the locker ratcheting in 2WD but again nothing of concern. As for 4WD correct both tires will be turning at the same rate while cornering or driving straight while power is delivered to the front axle. Now if you shift into neutral or have a manual and clutch in the vehicle will coast and the power will not be supplied to the front axle and allow the ratcheting occur. I hope this helps!

[@madman432000]

@@VictorVectorJKU thank you. I was watching a video where they compared open diffs to rear locker, front locker, and both lockers. He suggested a locker in front with a LS in rear.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Yeah that is sound advice if you will go with a non selectable locker package and plan to drive on the street. A limited slip in the rear will improve traction significantly over an open differential but still handle very well on corners on road. Then when you shift into 4WD you will have the benefit of that locker up front. I have also noticed many people suggest a front locker over a rear locker first due to climbing over an obstacle and being able to pull you’re rear over it as well. And that is also my package currently. Factory limited slip in the rear and Torq Locker up front!

[@strtgld1325]

I have called this place 4 different times! No one ever calls you back

[@VictorVectorJKU]

That is very interesting, I did not have any issues getting ahold of Torq Masters. It may be worth while trying to contact them by email if calling has not worked

[@josuemartinezmtz]

I just did the same set up as you I have 37 milestar pataganias mts but haven’t hit the trails yet How’s the torq locker handling so far ?

[@VictorVectorJKU]

It has been doing really well and I have definitely seen a big improvement in my Jeep’s capabilities! I don’t have any complaints.

[@ghernandez6457]

Will this work with 3.21 gears? Northridge 4x4 says so but I am not too sure..

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Yes it will! The Torq locker is not dependent on gear ratio since it replaces the spider gears which only function to transfer power to either tire.

[@ghernandez6457]

@@VictorVectorJKU So I could reuse it if I regear to 4.88s!?? Wow seems like a no brainer for me. Thanks.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

That is correct as long as you can use the same carrier when you regear!

[@ghernandez6457]

@@VictorVectorJKU Little update, I run into the same problem as you with the provided washers. The gap measured 0.195 so I contacted Torq and they are gonna send me some additional washers to close the gap. They said I am OK with my current tolerance though. Question: Did you find it hard to steer in 4hi especially in reverse? I left my jk on 4hi after replacing my driveshaft and then I pulled out of the driveway it was really hard to steer in any direction.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Yes, when you are on pavement, especially dry, steering will be much more difficult and the wheel will want to track back to center more quickly. This is typical with any style of locker in the front end. You will only want to have your vehicle in 4WD when on loose surfaces such as dirt, mud and snow. I am glad that you reached out to Torq Masters and they are shipping the correct shims to you!

[@eddiecooper6916]

What year is your jeep and will it work for 2017 jk front axle dana 30 27 spline

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Hey there Eddie, thanks for checking out my video! My Jeep is a 2015 JKU Willys Edition, I want to say that the D30’s should be the same between the 17 and 15 JKU’s but I am not 100% positive. If you go to torq masters website they do have a drop down section for vehicles. Also I would recommend calling them if you have further questions on compatibility with your Jeep, they are super helpful!

[@eddiecooper6916]

Thanks by any chance you have the number

[@VictorVectorJKU]

Yeah, you bet. This is the number I found on their website! 585-723-1489

[@eddiecooper6916]

Thanks happy jeepin

[@VictorVectorJKU]

@@eddiecooper6916 you are welcome! Happy Jeepin to you too!

[@TSi99999]

Lol says no hearings or shims, then had to wait on new shims.

[@VictorVectorJKU]

I’m not sure if I quite understand. I think if I said no need to change bearings or shims I would have meant the carrier to the housing but the spider gears inside the carrier will need to be replaced to make sure the tolerance is correct. I apologize for any confusion!