weld up the front end

[rr41mag]

I want to weld up the front end to make a cheap positrak. What do I weld together?

 

[BusaDave9]

are you sure?




If so you weld the spider gears and axle gears in the differential.

 

[BusaDave9]

do it like this:







Not like this:

Axle and spider gears
NOT
Ring and pinion gears

 

[IOPort51]

$300 bucks will get you a drop in locker, you know that?

Spartan Lockers by USA Standard Gear

 

[Incommando]

I want to weld up the front end to make a cheap positrak. What do I weld together?

Posi-trac is an old GM term for their Limited slip differentials. Limited slips work well in the front as they effect your steering effort (among other things) much less. Welding will create in essence a "spool" that allows no differentiation between the wheels, not a Limited slip diff.

 

[Razorfish]

Wow on the welded ring and pinion. But then I've done stupid like that before when I was sure I knew what I was doing.

 

[Old Dog]

I would not weld up the front if I were you, get a cheap lunch box locker instead.

 

[rr41mag]

just thinking about it. Right now there's way too much I want to do to get ready to move.

 

[mtnwhlr]

Not like this:

NOT
Ring and pinion gears

this is why some people should not own tools. I'm with everybody else I don't think you should do this to the front.

 

[coldair]

I have a buddy that did this to his chev it worked ok. when he wanted to turn sharper would just unlock the hub the way wanted to turn. Worked ok on slick roads also if he run it with one hub in. Myself I would just run it open diff tell you can afford a lunch box locker or a good locker.

 

[rr41mag]

My thinking is that the Transfer Case is in two wheel and the hubs are not locked it really doesn't matter. My jeep is a daily driver but would ike to have that pull occasionally.

 

[coldair]

I would say go for it. A carrier isn't very much to replace if you want to go with a lunch box down the road.

 

[IOPort51]

OK I guess we have all had a shot at talking you out of this so if I were going to weld spider gears I would pull the carrier and clean everything very well, oil can play hell with a weld. I would try to preheat as much as I could even if it were just to wrap it in black plastic and set it in the sun for a few hours. then it would be the nickle rod and do some serious welding to those gears, both sides. don't run any hotter than need be to keep splatter to a minimum, the R&P are not going to like any wandering dingle berries in the gear lube.AC current will work quite well.

 

[73CJ]

Never saw a ring and pinion welded.

Made my day.

Dah!

 

[Old Dog]

I've seen that pic before somewhere.
There's no way it was welded in the carrier though, you could never get the pinion back out.

 

[Machen]

if you decide to do this, post up after you've driven it a while, both on and off road, kinda curious.
personally, don't see where it would hurt anything if you only lock hubs when off road

Sent from my SPH-M820-BST using Tapatalk 2

 

[BusaDave9]

Although I think most of us would not recommend a spool or welded front end you can do it. It should be used only for off road. You won't get good directional stability.
Even off road there could be times when you are going along a slippery side hill that the front end will want to slide sideways. You can have these same problems (but to a lesser degree) with a locker. At least a locker can unlock for some differential action.

Don't use it on the street. Now if you do encounter a big snow drift you can put it in 4x4, get out, lock the hubs and then get through the drift. Then you should put it right back in 4x2 and unlock the hubs. That should be the extent of street driving with a spool or welded front end. If you try driving in 4x4 with a few inches of snow you may find yourself in the wrong lane or over the curb when you try to round a corner.

The choice is yours. All I'm saying is to be careful if you go ahead with this.

 

[IOPort51]

I don't get a chance to play in snow and ice very much so ths question just came to mind. TC in 4x2 and hubs locked with locker , or in this case Lincoln locker. Will the locker still affect the stability in a turn??

Although I think most of us would not recommend a spool or welded front end you can do it. It should be used only for off road. You won't get good directional stability.
Even off road there could be times when you are going along a slippery side hill that the front end will want to slide sideways. You can have these same problems (but to a lesser degree) with a locker. At least a locker can unlock for some differential action.

Don't use it on the street. Now if you do encounter a big snow drift you can put it in 4x4, get out, lock the hubs and then get through the drift. Then you should put it right back in 4x2 and unlock the hubs. That should be the extent of street driving with a spool or welded front end. If you try driving in 4x4 with a few inches of snow you may find yourself in the wrong lane or over the curb when you try to round a corner.

The choice is yours. All I'm saying is to be careful if you go ahead with this.

 

[Incommando]

I don't get a chance to play in snow and ice very much so ths question just came to mind. TC in 4x2 and hubs locked with locker , or in this case Lincoln locker. Will the locker still affect the stability in a turn??

I believe so as the axles will be locked to each other and both tires. When turning the outside tire must travel farther than the inside tire and it will cause the inside to to try to break loose or scrub whether it is powered or not.

 

[BusaDave9]

I don't get a chance to play in snow and ice very much so ths question just came to mind. TC in 4x2 and hubs locked with locker , or in this case Lincoln locker. Will the locker still affect the stability in a turn??

Good question. The tires would try to turn in unison. If one tire looses traction the other could too but if you are in 4x2 I don't think the welded front end would be very noticeable.