In a message dated 12/12/01 6:39:51 PM Eastern Standard Time, TSmola@TRIBUNE.COM writes:

<< What's the deal on converting a 85' 2WD to a locking rear differential?

Got one in my 88....no BIG deal..IF you have the parts (carrier, case etc....) and you are conversant in 091/1 trannies...

And what about just going to a Limited Slip?

Heard about ..never seen..

Install some paddle tires and off you go across the sand......Right? >>

Ummm..yes..well..maybe...and maybe NOT.. On my last trip around the junk yard there was about one inch of wet mud on top of pretty hard ground. Street tires (yokohama "SUPER VAN" load range C), the van well loaded..I had a 4x8 trailer with the pathfinder (VW) diesel marine engine and the 1.9 TD ..both forward of the trailer axle...and..it took 20 minutes of slowly churing BOTH rear wheels to inch the van 200 feet around the corner of the lot....it never stopped MOVIING....but you had to look down at the front hubcap to make sure.... I had chains and it would have been a simple (but MESSY) job to put them on and it would have walked out (a W/O a diff lock too, I suspect)... So...My Syncro would not have even NOTICED the soft and mushy ground... We've all had the embarassment of getting "stuck" on things like wet grass (the aircooled were really bad that way for some reason and the diesels pretty good..) the locker will stop that..it will NOT make your 2wd into a syncro or a <ahem> LAND ROVER........ One final "benifit..a certain lurker on this list blew a CV joint while towing a trailer...he popped under the van (manual engagement on that one) and drove home in one wheel drive..no muss, no fuss and slightly odd steering under power...

steve

"Hey! nice Jeep, Mister! " "Look kid, it's NOTAJEEP! "