Nope unless I csn get someone to custom build something I think we are sol I still have my spare diff, I guess it's a $500 paperweight now.

 

hmmm. There has GOT to be a differential that's similar to it. Maybe you can take some measurements and find an LSD that will fit in there, perhaps with some shims. Limited slip would help a hell of a lot

 

I used to own a ranger and I had the gears "welded" to make a fully locked diff. It was a cheap way instead of buying a locker and it worked great off road, however when I turned the back wheels would chirp, and in the rain it was a bit scary. I ended up putting an explorer 8.8 in in with LSD. Long story short, would welding the gears work to lock the rear without throwing all sorts of CELS and mess up my whole transmission? I'm sure it's not the best idea, but could it work?

 

Welding it would absolutely work, no issues with check engine lights or anything, the problem if you would destroy the rear drivetrain and kill your on road performance. A lsd diff wouldn't be worth the investment since the bld system functions almost the same.

 

well, with an LSD you could run with the BLD's disabled, and the bld's actually kill performance since its just slowing a wheel down. An LSD would probably lock the wheels sooner than the BLD's would anyway, and they would back off. Gotta harness every Gerbil Power these engine have man!

 

Anyone tried contacting OX lockers? It's a long shot but I think I may try.

 

Wow, that was a quick:

I took a few minutes to review the post in the link you provided. As you are most likely aware we use the differential cover to mount our shifting mechanism. It looks like the special cove we would have to make would be too cost prohibitive. I do thank you for sending me the post it was very helpfull .

no luck...

 

http://www.tractionconcepts.com/default.asp

Sent them an email today, yes an LSD is probably not ideal for us, but I figured what the heck, see if there is any interest at all.

 

An LSD combined with the BLDs would actually work now that I think about it. Most LSDs needs some resistance on each wheel to work and the BLD would supply that.

 

anything to provide better traction without robbing engine power, would be awesome.

 

Any updates from that email?

 

Hi Tyler, long time no talk. Well, have we thought of using a different rear end. Maybe one from a new Jeep Cherokee or Grand Cherokee? With the trailhawk or what it is called might work. I was looking at it and thinking if it could be modified to work. Then we could have a locking diff and the ability of a larger axle in the rear. No guarantee this would work at all, but just a thought I been having. What do you think?

 

a different differential might work, but making it fit is another issue, I've looked quite a lot at the diff in my wife's Cherokee and it is a lot larger, something that would be hard to accommodate. The other issue is with a different diff,

1. need a difference driveshaft
2. Our awd system is actually controlled and engaged in the rear diff so it might not even work at all.

 

Well not in the diff, but the electronic clutch is right in front.

 

Is this over with?

 

Tyler sold his compass, so yeah, unless somebody else picks up the torch.

 

Well, I just got my Pat, and I have other Jeeps that are my off-road toys. However, I think that the trajectory of this thread was off-vector from the start. I would put forth that the 4wd system (including the rear differential) in our 4x4 MKs is more akin to a UTV than a traditional 4x4 SUV/truck. If I were looking to adapt a locking differential into the the RDU of my Pat, I'd see if a UTV locker was dimensionally similar enough to be modified to work. The usual automotive locker manufacturers would be hard pressed to make a true locker for such a tiny differential, it would open up all kinds of liability due the inevitable damage to peripheral components. UTV differentials are tiny like ours, have modular aluminum housings like ours, and utilize half shafts like ours. They have far more in common than anything from Dana, AAM or Sterling.

This is a locking differential from a Polaris Ranger 900 crew. Appears more similar in size than anything from ARB or Eaton, but I have no idea how close it is.

 

The company was going to make a locker, they just decided to go MIA when I had everything in order (measurements ect).

Either way your ideas are solid but after thinking this over more (I also don't have my Compass anymore)

The real world gains for this wouldn't be worth the hassle.

MK's lack low range and while there would be a very select few situations where you would see an improvement, the fact there is no low range gearing really kills its ability offroad. 99.9% of people would not put their MK in a situation where having a locking differential would give them any kind of meaningful improvement.

I have a Cherokee Trailhawk, I RARELY ever use the locker, but I used the low range all the time, everything is in the gearing. With its 48:1 crawl ratio and great brake based traction control (Brake Lock differential) it can go almost anywhere.

My cherokee can also bog down exactly like my Compass and Patriot did, when I don't use low range again its all in the gearing.

The MK platform was fun for me to play with for 8 years but ultimately I had to move on because I needed more capability, once you have a vehicle with proper low range its very hard to even look at a platform like the MK's except if you are doing light offroading and nothing too technical.

If someone wants to continue on this project that would be great.

I think its mentioned earlier, but the closest diff I could find size wise to the MK's was a Dana 28

 

Tyler, I'm in 99% agreement with you, and I also love my KLTH for my offroad adventures.:grin2:

^^^Imogene Pass a few weeks after we bought it^^^

That 1% is just my own belief that REAL Jeeps are meant to be modified, but that's also with qualification. I feel like Jeep lost the privilege to manufacture non 4x4s when they split off AMG (the gov't arm of the company) prior to acquisition by Chrysler. Purpose built mail carriers and such were alright, but Jeep is supposed to be synonymous with off road capability. Even the Grand Wagoneers were exceptionally good off road compared to the offerings of the Big Three.

So, ignoring all the 2x4 Jeeps that have been made over the years, I look at the XJ as the closest comparison. When it debuted, it was regarded as an affront to all things Jeep. The uni-frame was a joke, the link suspension was unliftable, the axles were toothpicks and the biggest available engine was smaller than the SMALLEST engine available in it's predecessor. It was a failure ...until it wasn't.:wink2:

These Patriots are rediculously prolific, so I'm hopeful they'll see a similar future. I didn't realize it until I started driving one, but they are all over the place (at least in Denver). RRO started popping out hocky pucks for a 2" lift and that's an alright start, but the Patriot will become a "real Jeep" once owners start getting creative. Figuring out a rear locker and disabling the traction control so it doesn't stall from lack of wheel horsepower when a tire gets in the air will be a HUGE step in that direction.

Again, that's just 1%, the other 99% of my thinking and effort will just take the Trailhawk when we head to the boonies.:smile2:

 

The patriot I don't think will ever compete off road with the XJ or even have nearly as many mods. But you never know, there are less and less vehicles that can go off road each year. No more xterra, no more FJ, no more off road explorer. It will be interesting in the future when more vehicles have electric engines in them. You won't need a transfer case with those.

 

The problem is that it won't see the following of the XJ it simply doesn't have the backbone of a good offroad set up for capability. NO low range and that's where it ends.

You can add the biggest tires and highest lift you want, but when you bog down you just aren't going anywhere extreme.

Lack of lift height is another one, same thing with the KL platform to, its about 4" if you go with the 2 types of lift and stuff some big tires while cutting up pinch welds and fender wells. I had CV axles binding on my front control arms and CV axles destroying themselves only with the 2" Rocky Road lift the platform isn't robust enough for serious offroading.

Without a solid foundation it isn't going to get lots of support. What you see now is what you are probably only ever going to see

As an occasional offroader or maybe even an overland vehicle its a good choice but that's really about all.

 

Alright, so this is probably gonna sound like the DUMBEST thing ever because I'm still relatively new to some of this stuff. BUT
You said that the spline count is 23 and the diff is a Chrysler 8.25? Right?
well, if I went up to a 27 spline on my Chrysler 8.25 diff, would that change anything?(They make lockers for a 27 spline C 8.25 diff) Or is a 27 spline Chrysler 8.25 diff something completely different from the MK's
Just a thought...

 

The diff is not even close to a Chrysler 8.25" go back a few pages and you can see pictures of it, i believe there is even a picture of it next to a Dana 44 and it looks super tiny