Aussie LOCKER INSTALL in the Jeep TJ | Budget Crawler Ep. 21

Today our budget build Wrangler gets an Aussie lunchbox auto locker installed in the front Dana 30!
Installation guide:
www.4x4xplor.com/aussielocker...

[@TheBeardedJeeper]

I love my Aussie locker. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.

[@dironaa]

They sure seem hard to beat!

[@outdoorkid5095]

gotta have lockers! awesome vid 👍

[@dironaa]

Absolutely. Thanks!

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

Just got the same for my 99 TJ (4 cyl). Waiting for locker installation to happen. No snow here in Hawaii so I don’t think I’ll have a problem with 4wd and front locked. Replaced my rear 35 when it went out a few years back. and got LSD so it should be a decent performer. Can’t wait to see yours in action. Thx

[@dironaa]

Sounds like a good setup. Lucky you not having to deal with snow!

[@crjmoto]

Nice job! I was spinning at a rocky/silty obstacle a few weeks ago, hit the locker and rode through it like a paved road (FJ)

[@dironaa]

Have to hand it to Toyota for loading what seems to be the majority of FJs out there with diff lockers from the factory. Between the rear locker and A-Trac I have yet to face anything my FJ has been unable to get out of.

[@crjmoto]

@@dironaa True dat. You can't beat a Jeep though, I had an 03 Wrangler with 33's no locker, I used to run most (AZ then) trails in 2wd, it was such a good crawler

[@mcbaited5455]

@@crjmoto whoa that’s what i do rn... it’s a fucking auto too lmfaoooo so pumped to finally make it mine. lockers 1st bby!

[@Whiteandsonsgarage]

Awesome video mate, I should do this in my Jeep, might be cheaper because i live in Australia

[@rileydillon6587]

Cheap Jeeper it’s made in America. None of us Australians are getting a discount because of the name. :/ Honestly better off saving your money and going with an Eaton or arb

[@dennisthompson7707]

The best upgrade I've done on my TJ is a junkyard explorer 8.8 with an Artec trust kit. Mine got a little pricey with 4.56 gears and a Detroit locker but you could keep the price down if you found one with the right gears .

[@dironaa]

Considered an 8.8 but looks like I'll be going with a Dana 44 instead.

[@dennisthompson7707]

I think they all should have come with D44s, I just happened to find a 8.8 first. You will be happy with it.

[@MrStyrehun000]

I’m really hoping for an 8.8 swap in that T.J. if you got one with 4:10 gears LSD or not you should be off to a great start. Only small KZbinr I religiously watch. Keep it up!

[@dironaa]

Thanks for following along! Considered the 8.8 but ended up coming across a TJ Dana 44 instead. Rear TJ D44s can be had for around $400-$500 where I live (all the Jeeps rot out due to road salt and all that's left are the drivetrain components) and an 8.8 swap would likely be pushing $1k after all the brackets and conversion parts are added up. Not sure how soon it'll be going in though since it needs to be regeared first.

[@MrStyrehun000]

Dirona here in Washington a TJ Dana 44 never drops under 1500$ but if you can get it for $400 do it. I would!

[@danbemman2271]

Thanks again

[@danbemman2271]

Love your videos

[@dironaa]

Thanks for following along!

[@keithdraper3664]

I was about to say get rid of that Dana 35 but you said it good man 👏👏 love Jeep’s but they should of put the 8.25 in all of em in the xj and Tj etc since we only have 2 options 😂

[@dironaa]

Forget the 8.25, they all should have had Dana 44s LOL. I just picked up a Ford 8.8 to replace the 35 though.

[@danielantoniozd26]

Jeezus, you got lucky! The next level was a spun bearing surface=new carrier= complete rebuild necessary

[@dironaa]

Tell me about it! Found the problem just in time!

[@Eightball2516]

The Dana 35 will hold that locker just fine I have one in my zj

[@dironaa]

Dana 35 strength seems to be luck of the draw. I've broken two of them running 31" tires with an open differential. A buddy of mine ran 35" tires on his for years and never had a problem.

[@robertthrem3382]

And then you should say this is not the type that is adjusted with a crush sleeve in the pinion gear the more you talk at the tighter it gets❤

[@robertthrem3382]

Three years later I am bitching OK I don’t want to see your problems. I want to see you do everything reset the pinion😂

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

Do you have any light body rust you plan to repair? I have some TJ hood rust that looks pretty bad, but is probably an easy sand and paint repair. Never done that kind of work and would love to see it

[@dironaa]

I likely willl eventually on another Jeep I own, but don't have a large enough compressor to run a paint gun right now so I'm not sure how soon it's going to happen

[@kipirvin1970]

I'm going back a bit with this question but what did you have to do with the Durango pcm to work in the tj swap? Thanks

[@dironaa]

Nothing, just bolted it right where the TJ PCM was and plugged in the engine and body harnesses.

[@wayneC7]

Been watching your videos for the work I am giving my 2000 TJ Sarah. Is there any information why the Dana 30 is stronger than the 35? I want to also install lunchbox in the back and I just want to have that easy of mine for some light off-road getting to camp sites. Nothing stressful….thoughts?

[@dironaa]

I had a friend who ran 35” tires on a dana 35 and it survived fine. I had the carrier inside a dana 35 split in half while driving 10 mph down a paved road on 31” tires. The amount of abuse they can take before breaking seems to be hit or miss, but I’d reason that they seem weaker than a dana 30 because a rear axle will inevitably receive more stress and abuse than a front axle. If you were to install a dana 30 in the rear of your jeep I don’t know that it would hold up any better than the 35. That being said, internal component failure is less catastrophic on the 30 than the 35. If you break an axle shaft or a carrier in the 30 you can remove the broken components and keep driving. If that happens on the 35 the wheel will fall off (wheel is bolted to the axle shaft, shaft is held on with a c-clip inside the carrier). If you were to install a lunchbox locker for the use you described I wouldn’t expect any issues, but from my anecdotal example the d35 can be a little unpredictable.

[@your2nd]

Are you going to use the Barnes mounting kit to put the 8.8 in?

[@dironaa]

Ended up going with a more expensive Artec truss because Barnes was out of stock when I ordered a couple months ago. Already have it welded up to the axle and will say I'm very happy with the quality and fit.

[@wayneC7]

Wonder if I am heading into a storm since I was able to remove my center pin after tapping out the other pin, without removing the ring gear ⚙️

[@dironaa]

You might have a higher gear ratio than I do, which would make the ring gear thinner. This jeep has 4.10 gears.

[@Andrew-dg7qm]

How are the steering components on the TJ? Any play in the tire rod ends?

[@dironaa]

Not that I've noticed, but we'll be upgrading it all soon enough anyway!

[@Rick-4552]

How are the general grabbers for ride and road noise?

[@dironaa]

I've honestly never owned a nice set of tires to compare these to, and the Jeep itself is pretty loud, but these seem relatively quiet and handle decently.

[@alexeimagher9083]

How does it behave after 18 months? It is strange that it clicks so loud while you spin the wheel. I want to put the Aussie of Spartan into my front D30. But now I am little worried. It sounds so loud. Is there any changes in sound since the day of the installation?

[@dironaa]

I honestly stopped noticing it after a while but I don’t put a lot of road miles on this jeep so I’m not sure I can accurately answer that question

[@Paul-md8ms]

pronounced OZZIE !

[@Dyrdeksk8r]

ZJ steering upgrade?

[@dironaa]

Definitely happening at some point!

[@Dyrdeksk8r]

it’s great cause it’s cheap, easy, and a really solid strength upgrade

[@MrSpitfireMustang]

It's pronounced ozzie locker. And they should be made in Australia. 4WD territory of the gods.

[@dironaa]

Good to know!

[@Agent.K.]

You still have the FJ?

[@dironaa]

Yes, there is an FJ video in the works and should be along in the next month or so.

[@Doc6mm]

What makes the Dana 35 fail? I’m new to jeeps.

[@dironaa]

As a whole it's a weak axle. The carriers split in half, the axle shafts break, and I've seen spider gears have problems as well. But you mostly see these problems when runnig larger than stock tires.

[@Doc6mm]

Ouch! I recently picked up a low mileage tj, and put 31x10.5” tires and a spartan locker in the rear Dana 35. Would I be better off to go back to open diffs or just run it until it goes. I don’t do crazy off roading with it just easy trails and some steep hills mixed in with some hwy driving.

[@garretthoover2491]

Doc6mm You’ll be totally fine with that size, chromally shafts are only needed with 33” or larger

[@jackbower8671]

Even if shafts are put in, it's been tubed and trussed, the housing will crack and break.

[@robertthrem3382]

No, it’s not an instructional video you should show us so actually you’re putting that ring bearing up against opinion and you want so much backlash and it’s adjusted by putting bushing bearing washers in place for so much when you turn the ring back and forth until it hits the pinion gear

[@notahacker2107]

When’s the next awesome video out?

[@dironaa]

Just uploaded now!

[@notahacker2107]

Dirona sick!!!! Sorry I was busy these past few days haha

[@drewnorthway2522]

Don’t forget an oil pan skid plate...

[@dironaa]

Definitely. I'd like to shift the engine a little upwards to gain a little more clearance before building an oil pan skid though.

[@feellnfroggy]

So you really outdid yourself, IMO. If you replaced the bearings with the same as the originals, EOM style. Then you should have been able to replace your shims, as they were and install without all the setup bearings and assembly reassembly that comes with changing gears. If you changed gears or used a different brand bearing, then ignore all my thoughts.

[@dironaa]

Unfortunately I replaced it with a different brand bearing. Originals appeared to be timkin and the replacement was some Korea brand.

[@Stuntman2304]

First comment again lol

[@dironaa]

3 for 3 on the next video? Lol

[@Stuntman2304]

Dirona I’ll do my best! Haha