Lockers

i want to make my 4x2 do a little more, with lockers can my 4x2 follow 4x4? also, i dont want to spend a gillion dollars . what type of lockers can i buy that wont brake my bank?

SXFC

Not even close.
Save your money for something else.

Not sure how well it will keep up with a stock 4x4 but it will be better than it is now. Your going to be looking at 1k for the locker installed. I believe the only one available for the xterra is the ARB for which you will need a source of on board air. 100 to 250 dollars more.

A welder.

Then you can weld your gears together and go more places, with some aggresive tires. But you won't climb walls with it.

They call it a 'Lincoln Locker' or a 'Miller Locker'. Lincoln and Miller both make welders.

We had a 2wd Pathfinder with a Locked Rear end that went with us on some pretty good trails and he seemed to do pretty good, to a certain extent...but he tried to do some rock climbling and that's when he definetely needed the 4x4 capabilities...Just put the money in that you would spend on your 2x4 and trade it in for a 4x4, if you really want one so bad....just my 2 cents...

i dont really plan on crawling up any walls or rocks. but i would like to do some tougher trails. where can i find "lincoln Lockers" or "Miller Locker". searched on the internet but all i found was school lockers...

can any one suggest any others? how about manual locking?

i dont pretend to know about all this stuff, cuz i dont. my wife and me just enjoy the outdoors alot...

your help is appreciated

I'm no expert in the field, but I believe those are (jerry-rig) expressions for the process in which your axles are welded together, as opposed to the $$$ spent purchasing a locker. Lincoln and Miller, being the most common brand of welding machines, will most likely be what the welder uses to achieve this.
I'm just going to wait for the '05.

Trade in the 4x2 on a 4x4 before you consider a locker(s). That's my opinion. ARB is the only one available. I just bought one and the locker compressor and air line/fittings was about $1000 just for the parts. Labor is extensive, but prices will vary according to where you are and how much experience you hire to do the job. Bottom line is mucho $$$.

well i dont think i want to do a "jerry riggin" on my ride , bad idea. what about manual locking hubs in the rear or those auto lockers that dont require air compressor. they shift into locking automatically and then disingage...

any ideas anyone?

thanks for the posts thus far

Then you could have a zero wheel drive.

The answer to your question depends entirely upon where the 4x4 you're following goes. If the 4x4 does nothing more than fire roads (where 4x4 isn't required), your truck will do fine with all-terrain tires and lower tire pressure. If you plan to drive on soft sand, well... even a locked 4x2 will not be able to keep up with a 4x4. Don't waste money on a locker when you don't even know when or how it would be used. A locker does not solve all traction problems, whether installed on 2WD or 4WD vehicles. You first have to learn what traction-aiding components matter most for the type of wheeling you will do before just buying random parts that you've heard about. Just be more explicit about what kind of off-roading you intend to do and ask how to make your 2WD as capable as possible rather than asking questions about expensive lockers and rear manual hubs ( )

Edit: Where near Tampa can you go wheeling, except in mud?

we've had plenty of 2wd trucks on the trails with us. the only real problem is, they can tear up the trails by spinning tires a lot trying to clear an obstacle. on the otherhand if you aren't trying to conquer the Rockies or Moab and want to venture a little farther, try upgrading the battery to an Optima, get a winch bumper, and a good winch (Warn). also make sure you have tow straps and gloves and basic recovery gear and either go on the trail ride with someone capable of aiding you or let someone know where you will be and when to expect you home. find a local club (Xterra/Frontier/Jeep/Rovers...whatever)and ask them for advice on trails and what to expect on the trail.

have fun above all...

i can cross soft sand just fine, mud as long as its not too deep, i guess this is what im asking "how to make your 2WD as capable as possible rather than asking questions about expensive lockers and rear manual hubs"

thanks for the advice "XPLORx4"

hey southernX its "xcited"

xpedicious- what kind of wheeling do you want to do? High-speed sand? Baja-style desert running? Mud-bogging? Rock-crawling? The mods you put on your truck are a function of the truck's intended use. Your 2WD will definitely be disadvantaged if you really have the desire to go 'wheeling where only 4WD can take you. For example, if you ever want to run the GOX or goneMOAB events, 4WD is mandatory. The trails there are just too difficult for 2WD, not only because of the missing front differential, but because you don't have low-range gearing that allows the engine to put more torque to the wheels.

If you're mostly content with playing around on compacted and mostly level beach sand or some mud bogs, more aggressive tires (all-terrain tread minimum) are advisable. In situations where extra traction is needed you can always air down to 10 psi. And as mentioned above, get a hold of some decent recovery gear. That stuff is useful no matter how many wheels put power on the ground.

Really think hard about whether you are willing to live with the limited ability of a 2WD before you start sinking all sorts of money into it, only to find that you really should have started with a 4WD (but now it's too late since you've sunk a ton of money into the 2WD). If you can afford it (even barely), eat the loss now and start over: trade in your 2WD for a 4WD. It makes no financial sense to try to convert a 2WD into a 4WD vehicle. There are just too many additional parts (and labor) that will be required.

what about the calmini lock right? he has an open dif in the rear, right? couldnt he just put that in?

There is no lockright for a 33 spline H233B, which is what the X's have. At one point in time, there was "going to be" one. It didn't happen. Not sure if Calmini has expunged that page from their website or not, but the product doesn't exist.

Only locker available is the ARB.

But as to a 2WD offroad rig... Well, better stick to the sands and the high speed stuff, 'cause the rocks are unforgiveable. Can't high speed over 'em, and you can't krawl w/ 2WD.

Not only does a 2WD not have the front end helping, it doesn't have a low range, which further hinders its ability off-road when it comes to steep grades, rocks, ruts, or other areas where the power and/or control of low range is of benefit.

Low range is not a benefit on a 2wd. The lack of the front end means you are going to have to ram whatever you are having trouble with. Finesse is not an option, unless you consider a winch or strap finesse..

how bad is a spooler on the road considering that the rears are always locked?

spools are used on vehicles that are usually trailored to the offroad site. using a spool on a street/offroad vehicle will eat the tires up quickly and in general is not a good thing if you drive the truck on the street.

I'm spooled, but only run on the street to get to the trail.

A trailer queen it's not. Run what ya brung!

Keeping the pressures up is the key to a nice spool on the street. Heck, a spool in the front isn't bad, especially with manual hubs. Just have to disengage the 4wd to make a turn!

I actually enjoy the chirping tires on the ass of my truck. Let's folks know that I'm serious about it. Of course, the CO2 tank, roll bar, armor and mud may also do the same thing. Hmmm....

Spools are horrible on road....They are very hard on all parts involved...If you use your truck for anything but to and from the trails it would be a nightmare to run a spool...Worth the extra $$$ for a locker....you'd save $$$ on tires and other parts that you'd end up wearing out....Not to mention the sometimes spooky handling onroad.

thanks for everyones reply, i think i will skip the spool & lockers for now till i get permission from the wife to trade the truck for X 4x4 .

i will however upgrade the tires from stock to BFG Ko's soon as the stock are in need of replacement. this should give me a better advantage offroad with out having to much wear on my ride with spooler and lockers and such...

thanks for the great help everynoe...

SXFC RULES!!!

Heard the old addage: "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission"?

yeah but then she comes from the mall with a new diamond or something...

wost yet could be a new truck with the new "alimony sport package"