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Hello fellow truck adventurers, And having owned my 1952 M37 for a full week now, it's high time to ask: Can I get lockers for my 4:89 axles? Peter ( I hate getting stuck in the mud) Mark

check this site out
http://powerwagonlocker.com/

Thank You, And this sure looks like a substantial option. I shall r4ad this link thoroughly. Peter Mark, 82 ABN Motor Pool 1969

Does anyone know the name and number of these M37 axles? Whenever I talk to someone ab
out lockers they always ask me: Are they "DANA" ? 60'S, 70'S ?

The only other locker currently in production for the Chrysler 9.625" axle is the Lock Right 1210 automatic locker.

from MARS: http://www.kiva.net/%7Emars/

http://www.4wheelers.com/lock-right-loc ... p-821.html

http://www.tellico4x4.com/product_info. ... ts_id/2187

peter e mark wrote:Does anyone know the name and number of these M37 axles? Whenever I talk to someone ab
out lockers they always ask me: Are they "DANA" ? 60'S, 70'S ?

The axles in a M37 are not DANA, or any other outside suplier, they are actually Dodge axles... Hence the lack of options when it comes to things like lockers and gear sets... You can get the part number for them by looking in the Ord parts manual, but it won't help you much when you try to talk to folks at the 4WD shop...

The other guys have already given you the answers about what locker choices you have, but I thought that I would chime in on the axle source...

Thank You Kieth and Garbee, and everyone. Having been a reenactor with my previuos WC52, I fear getting stuck somewhere "out there" far away from the safety of my local home tow shop. Even though in all the battles, with full chains on , I never did. But more traction is better , Yes !

No, more traction is not always better. Many M37 axles have been broken due to the use of lockers. This usually results when a spinning wheel suddenly gains a grip on something solid. This is not to say that the same thing can't happen with an open differential, but it happens less frequently. If you routinely venture into places where you can expect to get stuck, I think you'd be better off with a winch to get you out when you do get bogged down. You'll get dirty, but laundry is cheaper than a new axle. Not to mention, you wife will probably do the work to correct that problem.

Lifer wrote:No, more traction is not always better. Many M37 axles have been broken due to the use of lockers. This usually results when a spinning wheel suddenly gains a grip on something solid. This is not to say that the same thing can't happen with an open differential, but it happens less frequently. If you routinely venture into places where you can expect to get stuck, I think you'd be better off with a winch to get you out when you do get bogged down. You'll get dirty, but laundry is cheaper than a new axle. Not to mention, you wife will probably do the work to correct that problem.

I disagree. Lifer, have you ever personally owned a truck with a locker?

The point of a locker is to get enough traction that you don't have spinning wheels. With an open diff, the wheel without traction is the one that spins (until it touches down and breaks), whereas with a locker both wheels on the axle have power so that if you lift one it will not spin faster than the one which already has traction.

"Better off winching"? Really! I'd rather drive there than winch there. I've been on many, many trails watching trucks with open diffs literally spinning wheels and going nowhere, and the trucks with at least a rear locker just walk right by them and keep on going. Lockers give you the ability to move forward in a controlled manner, while the open diff guys are thrashing trying to get up the trail and breaking their stuff in the process. There often are no winching points to anchor from, so you either try to drive or turn around and go home.

If lockers are such killers of axle shafts, you must wonder why Toyota, Jeep, Dodge, etc offer factory lockers - that must be a terrible warranty problem for them, right?

Installing a rear locker in my M37 was the #1 best off road performance upgrade I ever did - it made my truck much more capable at doing what it was designed to do, and I've had zero axle breakage to date.

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Keith wrote: Installing a rear locker in my M37 was the #1 best off road performance upgrade I ever did - it made my truck much more capable at doing what it was designed to do, and I've had zero axle breakage to date.

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Keith,
what locker do you use personally? Thanks.

I'm with you Kieth. I definitely will buy a locker for the rear axle, if not the front axle as well ! Some have told me that with front axle lockers, the truck seems to" go where it wants to " Like when I put dually wheels on the front of my WC52 in the snow. It went forward alright, but had to correct for wandering continually. But anyway, tell me Kieth, which locker do YOU prefer? Peter Mark

peter e mark wrote: Some have told me that with front axle lockers, the truck seems to" go where it wants to " Like when I put dually wheels on the front of my WC52 in the snow. It went forward alright, but had to correct for wandering continually. But anyway, tell me Kieth, which locker do YOU prefer? Peter Mark

A selectable locker like the ARB is the best, and I have one ready to go in the front of my M37 (when I get the time), but back when I did my rear diff the Lock Right was the only one available.

Most stock 4WD trucks have open differentials, so that even when shifted into 4WD you really are 2WD, with power going to one front wheel and one rear wheel. With selectable lockers, you can choose 1,2,3, or 4 wheel drive. For example, with a front axle with an ARB installed, if you are shifted into 4WD, you will have an open front diff, with power to only 1 front wheel until you shift in the locker, and then both front wheels are locked. Until you engage a selectable front locker you still have the manuverability, whereas with a front automatic locker it is much harder to steer. For this reason people tend to use front selectable lockers as "point and shoot" meaning you line up on the obstacle, engage the locker, drive over it, and then disengage the front locker.

When driving on icy roads, because an automatic locker can engage or disengage without warning and cause some instability, the general notion is that vehicles used for towing should use only selectable lockers.

Just give that Lock-Rite time Keith, many folks have changed their opinion of them with time. Some have come back to us & paid to have us put the standard spider gears back in. They don't tend to cause major problems except when the truck is driven on highway, on highway driving will bring out problems in time. We have installed many, but have stopped it except by special customer request & only then with a complete explanation of what may be expected down the road. We have installed a good many ARB's to date without problems, I can highly recommend them. The major difference is that you can disengage the ARB for on highway use thus eliminating the problems brought out by the Lock-Rite as a result of running on highway with no disengagement option. A truck with a good tight drivetrain will perform much longer with a Lock-Rite before problems become evident, but as soon as wear becomes a factor, so will problems caused by the Lock-Rite.

I'm scratching my head a bit, Kieth, but with repeated readings it will sink in. So front lockers are best when "selectable" That part I undertand. I can get an ARB selectable locker for the front. And it sounds like I can get an ARB for the rear too as 98% of my driving is hard road (damnit).Well thank you and i will proceed . Peter

peter e mark wrote:I'm scratching my head a bit, Kieth, but with repeated readings it will sink in. So front lockers are best when "selectable" That part I undertand. I can get an ARB selectable locker for the front. And it sounds like I can get an ARB for the rear too as 98% of my driving is hard road (damnit).Well thank you and i will proceed . Peter

Well, the simple truth is if you are driving 98% of your mileage on highway, you most definitely don't want a lock-rite at all. If you feel you need a locker for that 2% of off roading, the ARB is the only choice you have that makes sense.