131 0209 Lock 05 Z - Photo 8811137

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Our only complaint was with the old-style shifting mechanism. It wouldn't go right in when we wanted it to. We needed to pull the vehicle forward or backward slowly with the steering wheel turned slightly to get the locker to engage. This allowed differentiation in the locker so the teeth would line up for proper engagement.

Drivetrain Direct in Corona, California, yanked out the old open carrier in our Dana 44 front axle and filled the void with the OX Locker. The cable adjustment is a little tricky but not difficult if you read the instructions. The factory carrier only has two differential gears; the OX has four. So even when the locker is disengaged the carrier is still stronger than stock.

Vehicles with long-travel suspensions will have more difficulty running the cable because you'll need more slack to compensate for extreme droop. We ran ours along the upper suspension link and into the cab from underneath. Several different length cables are available for front and rearend applications, so plan cable routing before ordering parts.

The OX diff cover is machined out of billet steel and is more than 1/2 inch thick in most areas. You certainly aren't going to dent it. In a frontend application the tie rod will protect the cable unless you're running high-clearance steering. The cover features a smooth bottom and a countersunk drain bolt for easy service.

Our only complaint was with the old-style shifting mechanism. It wouldn't go right in when we wanted it to. We needed to pull the vehicle forward or backward slowly with the steering wheel turned slightly to get the locker to engage. This allowed differentiation in the locker so the teeth would line up for proper engagement.

By the time you read this, all OX lockers will come with this new shifter that we managed to get our hands on by the end of our testing. It's spring-loaded and engages seamlessly without any hassle. It's also easier to install and adjust. We mounted ours off of the interior rollcage and next to our tranny shifter so we could get to it easily.

<b>What Broke</b><br>To try and torture our OX we put our Atlas transfer case into front-wheel drive, locked the OX, engaged the emergency brake, put it in gear, and violently spun the front tires in loose soil while steering back and forth. The result was a spit-out 297 U-joint cap. We pounded it back in and installed a new clip and went for a short vertical climb with substantial throttle. It popped the cap out again because the shaft ear had been hogged out and the cap had spun again. But no locker problems. If you plan to really abuse your Dana 44 you'll probably want to upgrade to full circle clips and chrome-moly shafts.