LMTV Stock Axles and Lockers

[Stratosurfer]

All,
In my research leading up to a purchase of an LMTV I have been reviewing the axles as set up OEM and I can’t find if they are open axles or limited slip. In looking at so many adding Detroit Lockers to the rears but doing nothing to the fronts I’m guessing these trucks have open differentials?
Is there any possibility of a locker (air locker or e-locker) of any sort for the front axle?
Thanks
S

 

[Third From Texas]

No air or e-lockers available.

 

[Ronmar]

Yep open diffs…

 

[Stratosurfer]

… I was thinking this was the case. I guess the rear locker should help. With the weight and ground clearance just pulling one of the front wheels in a loss of traction situation must be enough to get through. An air or E Locker would obviously be desirable on the front diff.
Thanks for the replies.
S

 

[coachgeo]

… I was thinking this was the case. I guess the rear locker should help. With the weight and ground clearance just pulling one of the front wheels in a loss of traction situation must be enough to get through. An air or E Locker would obviously be desirable on the front diff.
Thanks for the replies.
S

If your building with axles.... and you want a selectable locker.. and some more gear ratio options.... Look up Axletec 4000. They have air locker as OEM front and rear. Pretty sure there are more ratio options than the 3 for LMTV. Bryce Wasielak on facebook is your guy for that info. He also is your guy for the Detroit locker for the FMTV's as well.

Bryce Wasielak

Bryce Wasielak is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Bryce Wasielak and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected.

www.facebook.com

 

[Third From Texas]

If your building with axles.... and you want a selectable locker.. and some more gear ratio options.... Look up Axletec 4000. They have air locker as OEM front and rear. Pretty sure there are more ratio options than the 3 for LMTV. Bryce Wasielak on facebook is your guy for that info. He also is your guy for the Detroit locker for the FMTV's as well.

Bryce Wasielak

Bryce Wasielak is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Bryce Wasielak and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected.

www.facebook.com

And that leads to the next question (since he doesn't have a truck yet):

Is the LMTV the right platform for you?

If you want a truck that can do 70mph, with selectable lockers, maybe a Cummins....why not just buy that truck instead of doing axel swaps and engine swaps, etc, etc, etc. There are other surplus platforms that have all those things (and some haven't gotten st00pid expensive like the LMTV has of late).

In the end, if you play hard enough you can stick anything (with or w/o lockers). I certainly want to drop one in the rear when the time comes, but a good 20K Stallion winch solves the same issues for less.

 

[Stratosurfer]

And that leads to the next question (since he doesn't have a truck yet):

Is the LMTV the right platform for you?

If you want a truck that can do 70mph, with selectable lockers, maybe a Cummins....why not just buy that truck instead of doing axel swaps and engine swaps, etc, etc, etc. There are other surplus platforms that have all those things (and some haven't gotten st00pid expensive like the LMTV has of late).

In the end, if you play hard enough you can stick anything (with or w/o lockers). I certainly want to drop one in the rear when the time comes, but a good 20K Stallion winch solves the same issues for less.

 

[Stratosurfer]

I chatted with Bryce above in the thread on Facebook messenger earlier and he says he’s installed Detroit lockers on LMTV front diffs on 10 different trucks. He says the trucks drive on the road and off-road and they’ve had no problems and good results. That’s pretty encouraging.

 

[Third From Texas]

I chatted with Bryce above in the thread on Facebook messenger earlier and he says he’s installed Detroit lockers on LMTV front diffs on 10 different trucks. He says the trucks drive on the road and off-road and they’ve had no problems and good results. That’s pretty encouraging.

Bruce is good people.

Yeah, you can slap them in front and rear.

I think most don't do the front because it's a steer axle. There's tons of "locker" threads in there with a lot of good feedback.

 

[Guruman]

I chatted with Bryce above in the thread on Facebook messenger earlier and he says he’s installed Detroit lockers on LMTV front diffs on 10 different trucks. He says the trucks drive on the road and off-road and they’ve had no problems and good results. That’s pretty encouraging.

Unless you ever plan on driving in snow/ice, in which case a front non-selectable locker is bad mojo.

 

[Stratosurfer]

Unless you ever plan on driving in snow/ice, in which case a front non-selectable locker is bad mojo.

Okay, wouldn’t want that. What is the problem on snow and ice with a Detroit locker (any non-selectable) on the front axle?
S

 

[Guruman]

Okay, wouldn’t want that. What is the problem on snow and ice with a Detroit locker (any non-selectable) on the front axle?
S

Locking the front axle causes a lack of steering input when turning on ice/snow. Basically because one wheel travels farther than the other during turns, if they are locked, one will always slip on the ice, once it breaks free, you (usually) just keep going straight. Obviously it's not a cut and dry as that, but that's the gist anyway.

It will do the same thing in the rear, but if you can still steer to correct it, it's not as serious of a deal.

One of the options I'm looking at is to get a second setoff tires/wheel and fill one set with studs for winter. That might make it possible to run a front locker.... not sure though.

 

[coachgeo]

Unless you ever plan on driving in snow/ice, in which case a front non-selectable locker is bad mojo.

did ton of reading on this. Seems the longer the wheel base.... the less this is an issue. The folk who have the least issue is long wheel base and selectable locker in the rear with auto locker in front. AKA... with open diff in rear when front is an auto locker, front tends to pull you more..... when rear locked it pushes more instead. On slick surface; when front auto locks..... rear locked too will push the tire contact patch of front tires straight forward..... rather wheels turned or not... .

 

[tgreening]

I run detroits front/rear in my CJ, about as short wheelbase as you can get, and have never had trouble in snow/ice here in Ohio. The key as far as I can tell is that right foot. Get on the power in a turn and it could get squirrels. You have to know when to hit it, and when to let her just roll.