Topic: Spools...

[TahoeYJ]

What's the good, bad, and ugly on them? For how cheap they seem to be I'm honestly considering one for my rig. I drive mostly street, wheel when I can (hopefully that will be lots more this spring/summer).

Edit: Also, this question pertains just to having one in the rear... 

[dwtaylorpdx]

They are not mild mannered. I have a ARB locking it on pavement is OK on a mild road with no sharp turns, But driving around town would be vicious.

I do have a spool in a couple road race cars, its alright once you hit about 80 mph and the car is sliding.

Dave

[FourbangerYJ]

If you had a trailer queen then I'd say do it, but since you drive on the street a lot I'd say pass.

[TahoeYJ]

Soooo basically, don't be cheap and save up for a Detroit or even an ARB? 

Not to sound stupid... But say since a Detroit is always locked, what makes it different on road?

[aw12345]

Spool sucks on the street, Detroit isn't to sweet either go ARB or Ox or atleast a Detroit soft locker. I have driven 2 TJ's with Detroits so far and on the street I do not care for it at all. For a couple of hundred dollars more you can have something that works every bit as good offroad, but you just don't know it's there on the street

[TahoeYJ]

Spool sucks on the street, Detroit isn't to sweet either go ARB or Ox or atleast a Detroit soft locker. I have driven 2 TJ's with Detroits so far and on the street I do not care for it at all. For a couple of hundred dollars more you can have something that works every bit as good offroad, but you just don't know it's there on the street

OX locker is honestly what I really would go for in the rear, maybe by the time I upgrade to a locker they'll have one available for the 9"... I really hope they do at some point, I like the idea of a mechanical locker

I've heard mixed reviews from various people running a Detroit in the rear of many different rigs... I wonder if the road manners of a YJ would be any different than that of a TJ though when equipped with a rear Detroit...

[Jesse-James]

I love my Detroit. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

[aw12345]

Detroits work great offroad, but compare it to a selectable locker is a  built rig pretty much like yours and drive it on the street and then go from there. We all pretty much favor what we got, but it's nice to compare it to comparable stuff on other rigs gives you a better understanding of what is what. Still Detroits are great lockers that work very well

[Bounty Hunter]

Spool sucks on the street

Have you experience with a spool on the street?

I've daily driven my jeep for years with a spool in the rear, no problems.  It's super predictable and KISS simple, nothing to go wrong.  I've ridden in some rigs with a rear Detroit, and in all honesty the constant bangs from locking and unlocking is very annoying.  Often sounds/feels like the rear end is coming apart, and the sudden lane changes can be unnerving.

Many of my friends whom have made the switch to a rear spool love it, and wish they would have switched sooner.

[aw12345]

Friend of mine had one in the front and it sucked another one put one in the rear loved it offroad but did not care for it on the street unfortunately he could not afford anything else an in the end just sold the Jeep since he did not care much for driving it on the street anymore. I am with you on the detroit behavior, don't care for it on the street still will probably bu a pair of them for my other Jeep

[TahoeYJ]

Have you experience with a spool on the street?

I've daily driven my jeep for years with a spool in the rear, no problems.  It's super predictable and KISS simple, nothing to go wrong.  

that's the other reason I've been thinking about them, there's no parts to fail and no cables/air lines/compressors or anything to go bad like a selectable.
It's still kind of a toss-up... for the price of the spool I'm still considering one, I can get one from the guy I bought my gears from for $125. I plan on upgrading to some Moser 31 spline shafts and some sort of locker in the future so for the price I'm almost gun-ho to buy the spool. I know it's sort of wasteful to spend that $125 when I'm just going to dump it one day, so I could use it for something else... I was considering an Aussie up front but with the amount of snow driving I'm leaning away from it now...

[Bounty Hunter]

While I love my spools, have them front and rear, they're not for everybody.  If you're like me and don't run a front trackbar (YJ), a little more steering input is required.  The spool wants the jeep to go straight all the time, so when you turn the steering wheel with no trackbar the steering tends to push the axle to the side before you begin turning.  I don't notice it anymore, but it is there.

Then there's the idea that in every turn you are losing traction on one tire, usually the inside tire as it tries to spin faster to keep up with the outside tire.  It hasn't been a problem for me, even in the snow, but it's something to be aware of so you can drive accordingly.

I expected problems in the snow but for me the spool has been very manageable, and often downright fun.  Traction is great and you can have a lot of fun when you want with just a blip of the throttle.

Run a spool in the back and save the big bucks for the front, where a limited slip or a selectable locker sounds like the best option for you.  If you run a TJ, you will want a limited slip or selectable for the front as any locker will tend to push the jeep straight when trying to turn (in the snow).

[sharpxmen]

driveability is one of the issues but you guys covered all that, so...

imho, it's not just how it drives, it is also about the loss and wear in the powertrain - so since left and right side would fight each-other for the difference in travel, and i am not talking turning left/right at the end of the street you're on - even the slightest turns matter, would be like driving with the foot lightly on the brake - will decrease mpg, increase overall drivetrain wear and tire wear as well - something to keep in mind

[chardrc]

you mean like this

Yes, unless the surface you are driving on allows the tires to slip.  On dry pavement you would get chirping, and you only get so many axle twist cycles before they snap.

Here's my favorite picture of what can happen when you run a spool on the street - the shafts from my old CJ

[Torch_Ind]

if your going to buy a spool why not just weld the spiders??