Questionwhat are lockers? I have an 87 Jeep Cherokee, I want to get lifted and have BIG tires on it. I have limited funds and not much experience for off-roading.(compared to what I read about, and knowledge for the parts, obviously.) My steering is also very loose. What size wheel and tire can I put on my 4x4 if I put a 3" lift? What can I do about my wandering steering? Is there anything else that I can do to get more out of a 3" suspension lift? Thanks for your help!
AnswerCrystal,
Let's start out with the steering. This problem can vary from worn out steering components, ranging from the tie rod ends to the steering box itself. For this, I would take the Jeep to a reputable front end shop, and have it checked out. You may want to hold off on an alignment, as this will need to be done if you install a lift kit.
Lockers are devices that lock up the axles to force both tires on that axle to turn at the same time, thereby giving you twice the traction of a normal differential. A stock differential will allow the tire with the least traction to spin without turning the other tire. There are several types of lockers. The first, and cheapest would be the lock-rite, or easy-locker. These are reasonably cheap, and easy to install, but are susceptible to breakage, and are one of the harshest to drive when on the pavement. A locker will tend to pull the vehicle slightly to one side or the other when accelerating, or decelerating on hard surfaces. This is something that you can learn to live with, but can be a little spooky at first. Most extreme 4-wheelers would rather put up with the driving characteristics of the locker than give up the additional traction they provide on the trail. The next would be the Detroit Locker. These are more expensive, but are much stronger than the lock-rite. They are, still on the harsh side to drive. The next type of locker would be the type that you can unlock, or lock. The most common of these would be the air-locker, electric-locker, or the cable locker. These are the most expensive of the lockers, but have the advantage of disengaging them when they are not needed. This means that they will handle the same as a standard differential when driven on hard surfaces. I run a Detroit locker in the rear of my Wrangler, and a Lock-rite in the front.
Personally, I prefer that you learn to 4-wheel with a stock vehicle first. The reason for this, is that there are some important skills that can be acquired by driving a stock vehicle. One of the more important skills, is learning wheel placement, and traction control on different surfaces. Once you can do most of the trails with the stock rig, then you can decide how many modifications you want to do based on how extreme the trails are that you want to go on.
If you want to do something like the Rubicon, then you would need a minimum of 31" tires, and at least one locker. 33" tires would be preferable. The main problem with the Cherokee, as far as large tires go is that they don't have large enough fender wells. If you plan on going with 33" tires you should consider cutting the fender wells, and putting on a new set of after market fender flares. I would suggest that you consider installing a lift that would work with 33's instead of 31's, usually a 5” to 6” lift. One reason is that the 33's are more common on the extreme trails, and you need to remember that for every inch of diameter on the tire, you only gain 1/2" of lift, as that is the radius gain of the new tires. Most of the drivers that I know that have went with a smaller lift, eventually upgrade to one that will accomodate the 33's anyway, and it's much cheaper in the long run to lift the Jeep once instead of twice. A site you may want to check out, is http://www.jeeptech.com/tire/ They give some basic suggestion as to what size lift, and what modifications are needed for a specific size tire.
As far as which lift to purchase, that is a matter of personal preference. Remember, you get what you pay for. The cheaper lifts, usually are not as well designed, or not as complete as a more expensive lift. This doesn't mean that you need to go out and buy the most expensive lift that you can find. You can find a middle of the road lift that will work just fine. Purchase a few 0ff-Road magazines, such as JP, 4-Wheel Drive & Sport Utility, and 4-Wheeler to name a few. Go through them, and check out the ad's for lift kits, tires, etc. This will give you an idea of costs. You can call most of the advertisers, and talk to their tech departments to see what will work for you. A couple of the parts distributors to call might be Quadratec, or 4-Wheel Drive Hardware. They sell a wide variety of lifts, and have a fairly knowledgeable tech department. They, also have catalogues that are specifically for the Cherokees.
One of the problems you will find with a lift, is vibration from the drive lines. The cure for the rear, is a slip yoke eliminator kit, which will allow you to install a longer drive line with a better drive line angle. The angle on the front and rear drive lines is critical to eliminate vibration. If you have a six cylinder engine, then gearing should not be a major problem,especially if you stick with 31" or smaller tires. If you have a 4 cyl, then you should consider installing 4.56:1, or 4.88:1 gears in the differentials.
Another thing you can do, is to see if there is a local 4x4 club in your area, and contact them. Usually you will find someone in one of these clubs that has done exactly what you want to do. This way, you can see first hand what your Jeep will look like, and most Jeep owners will be more than glad to take you out in their Jeep, and let you see how they perform with the modifications. Many clubs such as ours have certified off-road instructors that can take you out on the trails, and teach you the basics, or more advanced techniques if you are ready.
The main thing, whatever you do, make sure that it's what you want, and that you enjoy it. I know that this answer is fairly long, but it's hard to discuss this subject without going into some detail. I hope that I answered your questions for you.
Carl
4-Wheel Drive Hardware
44488 State Route 14
PO Box 57
Columbiana, OH 44408
1-800-333-5533
http://4wd.com
Quadratec, Inc
1028 Saunders Lane
West Chester, PA 19380
1-800-745-5337
http://www.quadratec
