IBC said:
So eventually would you just go and buy something new like a dynatrac or something?
I'm a cheap bastid. I doubt I'll ever have a Dynatrac or Currie or whatever unless they make me a screaming deal. If you've got good plastic and don't mind spending the cash, that's a great way to do it. Before doing that, I'd wheel your rig enough to know WHY you would want heavier axles and gain the driving skills to warrant having a built rig.
I'm a junkyard/classifieds kind of guy. {see above 'cheap bastid' reference} That's kind of the fun of building something to me (and others on here). Lockers are quite specific, but if you KNOW you've found a good deal on something, grab it and sell it for a moderate profit or trade it for something you need. They vary per axle model. Can't really use a 'blanket' statement there.
To me, the advantage to me building my junk, makes me familiar with the operations of my rig and WHEN it breaks, I can fix it and move on with my trip rather than whining about getting some help from someone. I like not having to rely on someone else to fix my stuff. There are things I can't/shouldn't fix, but sometimes it's nice to at least point the person fixing in the right direction or be able to assist if needed (at least have the right tool for your rig for common fixes).
IBC said:
Or would you just hit the junkyards and try to find something that works? As far as lockers go...they are specific to the spline and the carrier of the axle?
Junkyard/classifieds-whatever. I found my D60 in the yard of a business. Made a screaming deal and heaved the sucka in my pickup. Saved enough to make it 'right' even if I have to pay for non-dually hubs and I can still buy my selectable locker and stay within 'budget'. That said, there were some deals in the 'For Sale' section not too long ago with a couple of BUILT D44's for decent deals.
Example: I'm building a front Chev D60 for my YJ right now. I have 4.56 gears and one dually hub. My original plan was to run 5.13 gears, but since I got the 4.56 instead of the 4.11 that I thought I'd get, I think I'll try the 4.56 and run a slightly smaller tire than I originally intended-37" or 38". I'd like a selectable locker for the front {ARB[I have experience with them on my XJ] or E-locker are interesting}, but might just put a lock-rite or Detroit in for a while and run hydro-assist steering (probably would want to do that anyway). If I hate the automatic locker, I'll sell it for a slight loss and buy what I want.
To directly answer your question, from what I can tell, ALL desireable, common front D60's came 35 spline at the carrier. There's a great tech article on PBB from Billavista called the D60 bible. Check it out if you are building a D60. He seems to research everything very thoroughly and has some excellent information. I haven't found that article to be inaccurate, but I have formed an opinion about what I think I need in a D60 due to my driving habits, desired tire size, terrain I like to operate in and probable future trail goals.
Here's an interesting thread on the subject............
http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?t=12537
