what other vehicles other than the jeep rubicon come with locking differentials as stock? (dreaming of a new truck) I am starting to decide ahead of time what type of vehicle I want.....although I love love love my blazer....I would rather find a vehicle that is more off road ready as stock then having to put a lot of after market parts on it....any ideas?

I think you need a Hummer. LoL Me to.

H3 is extremely off-raod ready if you get the package.

Land Rovers I believe also come with lockers.

You could get a ZR2 with the limited slip (type of locker) in the rear axle. Which would be a great choice. Still a S10-Blazer, and cost should be within reach. H3, LandRovers, and Jeep Unlimiteds are not going to be cheap, not even used.

so with the ZR2 and some bigger tires....I should be able to concoure a lot of obsticals?....I was actaly thinking of that vehicle...but then I got in a long discousion with someone last night about locking versus floating..etc.....deffinately trying to do all the investigation work I can....I want to be a well informed shopper....so expect a lot of questions in the future.......(I was looking at the prices of the rubicon...even at auction they are a little more than 10,000...which is what I figured my budget would be) dreaming........dreaming of rocks.....
thanks guys

The factory "lockers" are actually limited slip units. They aren't as good as a locker, but they are better then open differentials. The best "lockers" for street driving are limited slips, and selectable lockers. Selectabel lockers are not cheap.

Oh yea, a ZR2 with a limited slip will be pretty capable.

Nissan Frontier NISMO package. Has an E locker. Only selectable in 4LO though.

There is a way to make use of the e locker in 2HI and 4HI. Four Wheeler magazine printed an article on how to build and install a bypass relay/switch for the E locker. Someone from a import/pickup forum figured it out.

ok...so I think I need a few ideas.....if you were looking for a vehicle....to go off roading..like going over big obsticles..(like some jeeps do) anyways.....but you would still need it to be your daily driver...and you were only looking to spend in the 10,000-15,000 dollar range..(closer to 10,000 would be best) what would be some good vehicles...I was thinking about the ZR2...it was also suggested that nissan pathfinders..(older ones) are rock solid.....I want something that I won't have to put a whole lot of effort into to take it off road..some aftermarket fiddling would be ok...but I don't want to spend a fortune...any ideas would be great...tring to brain storm over here....

If you still want it as your DD, most likely you'll still need to do some mods beyond the stock stuff if you're also doing crazy offroading. I have a friend that has a Rubicon and she used to take it on the trails just fine, but she was limited in what she could do. She now has a 4" lift and 33's, not to mention a nice dent on the side from a little tree. The perils of a trail run! Stock can get you into and out of some obstacles, but you wouldn't make it on a lot of hardcore trails unless they had bypasses. I am SO not a Hummer fan, but if you are using a Hummer for offroading, you'd better have some cash! At least if you owned the Hummer you'd be using it properly! I recommend the Rubi or the ZR2. The ZR2's are sweet looking, plus you would still be able to call yourself a Blazer owner! EVERYONE has a Jeep! HAHA

Ah the delima!!!!!!!

To be honest, there isn't a factory rig perfect for wheeling right off the lot. Each rig has its advantages and disadvantages, some will excell on rocks, while others will excell in pre-running, some will excell as a family truckster weekend warrior. Some my not be perfect off the lot, and might take some coin to get them into the "perfect" rig, but less coin then some other rigs that are more capable off the lot. Newer trucks are more capable then their predacessors.

OH the tangled web I just wove is enough to drive you crazy, so what does it mean?

Each rig has its advantages and disadvantages. How much money you put into it will determine what you have to start with and what you want to end with.

I am goign to try and keep this as nuetral as possible, even though I am extremely partial to the S10-Blazers.

In genarl terms, all midsized rigs cna handle up to 33" tires. Bigger then that will require bigger axles.
Fullsize 1/2 ton rigs can handle 35" tires, 3/4 ton and 1 ton can handle just about any tire size.
IFS is better in pre-runner and on road, solid front axle is better in the rocks and off camber, other then that they perform equally for the most part.
Shorter wheelbases are good for tight trails and rocks, yet longer wheelbases are great for mud and climbing.
I'll type more later, or ask more questions.
Gotta go right now.

i think that my ideal offroading rig/dd would be a dodge powerwagon. They are quite nice, a bit pricey though.

I like how you think quontush.

well thank you guys for the imput.....I would for sure get a lift.....and bigger tires regardless of what vehicle I choose.....and what I like about the zr2.....is just what moonwater said.....I like being a blazer owner.....

......how come a longer wheel base if better for rocks??it seems the the longer base would get stuck on the rocks....hmmm......

dreaming of trucks........

Am not familiar with the front end of the 4 wheel drives, but am certaily in favor of lockers. If it were me I woud start with the blazer and buy a new one to drive to the store? Do what you need for off raod to the blazer and you'll have something that will not be a compromise. you'll have what it takes to get the job done. If the blazer is in reasonable condition then installing lockers is no big deal. like I said, i am not a 4 whell drive guy, but the rear whell drive only versions of lockers have bben part of my experience for years. You coould actually install your own if you have a decent amount of regular mechanical experience. If you happen to pick a simply model and follow directions well, you shouldnt have any problem.

I agree. If you start with a general open diff, many lockers simply replace the spider gears in the differential with the locker unit. Everything fits inside of the original open differential carrier.

The problem is if you have the G80 RPO code which is for the positration-limited slip (gov-loc) differential. Most lockers do not fit inside the gov-loc carrier. To replace the carrier, you are talking significantly more complicated. This would require a dial indicator with a magnetic base to re-set the backlash and possibly a set of micrometers to get your baseline shim pack. This is not generally a backyard mechanics job simply because of the specialized (and expensive) tools required to do it. But given the tools, it can be done by pretty much anyone.

Weld the side gears together.

My dream is a dodge T-rex. Well it might not be the most inexpensive rig or the most capable but 6x6 sounds much nicer than 4x4. The T-rex can be a good rig, tons of traction.....but a little heavy. Its pretty cool to look at on the trails.

ORIGINAL: blazingsadle

Am not familiar with the front end of the 4 wheel drives, but am certaily in favor of lockers. If it were me I woud start with the blazer and buy a new one to drive to the store? Do what you need for off raod to the blazer and you'll have something that will not be a compromise. you'll have what it takes to get the job done. If the blazer is in reasonable condition then installing lockers is no big deal. like I said, i am not a 4 whell drive guy, but the rear whell drive only versions of lockers have bben part of my experience for years. You coould actually install your own if you have a decent amount of regular mechanical experience. If you happen to pick a simply model and follow directions well, you shouldnt have any problem.


well that would be ideal to be able to afford car payments on two vehicles...I am just getting caught up.....and frankly....until I buy a house and gather some tools....I will just have to settle for being a weekend warrier....