got my powertrax installed on saturday... changed front diff fluid while i was at it...

thought i would post some comments about the powertrax after 1.5 days of having it installed

i like it... was very easy to install... no problems at all during installation... just followed the instructions step by step as to not miss anything crucial...
by far the worst part was removing all the old RTV... ugh... i installed a Lube Locker for the Chry 8.25 so i don't have to go through that again..

after installing and filling with 75W90 Mobil 1 gear lube (i put 75W140 in the front diff) i took it on a run down the street... a friend of mine was with me...
he was over installing a new soft top on his TJ... anyway, we backed out of the driveway and as we started forward, we heard the infamous "pop" from the rear... my friend immediately said "uh oh" and i said it does that when it unlocks while under load...
we took it down and around through a business parking lot nearby and came through to my back yard and went at an angle through the ditch next to my driveway to see if i could get a wheel off the ground... no dice... rusty's coil lift flexed too much for that ditch

went down the street to a really deep ditch and asked him to get out and watch to see if i lift a wheel... i could tell the driver rear wheel lifted when the jeep teetered over fom back to front about half way through... i stopped and started again no problem... still have stock SRA's and was in 2WD the whole time and it walked right through the ditch like nothing... the powertrax works very seemlessly in that regard...

my wife took her turn to drive, and it popped again as she started forward after backing out of the driveway... she says this "i don't like it".... i said it's supposed to do that and it is supposed to get smoother after it breaks in... she said "well, you freak out every time there's a little noise coming from the jeep and now it makes a noise and i don't like it"

i was like "well, i know what this noise is and it's normal for a mechanical locker" i really don't think she understood what it is for so i say "besides, our jeep will kickass off road now and will likely outperform Doug's TJ"... she was a lot better with it after that comment

after driving around the rest of saturday and sunday to get a feel for differences, well, there aren't many on road... the vast majority of the time you don't even know it's there... seriously... aside form the occasional "pop" (which has gotten quieter after driving 50+ miles) when doing parking manuevers...

all in all, i'm really digging the powertrax... it's a lot better than i even expected...

now, next week my 255/70R16 General Grabber AT2's go on along with a front end allignment, and we'll be ready for just about anything camp jeep can throw at us

Mark

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I have the 255/70's and wish anything i wouldnt have. If you keep stock rims you wont rub in the back, but the front may. Took tons of torque away also.

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LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

define "tons"
i'm not worried about torque loss with bigger tires.. it's a given
and going from a 29" tire to a 30.2" tire shouldn't make THAT much difference the way you make it sound

it's not going to be like my friend's TJ where he went from a stock 29" tire to a 33" tire and can now barely climb hills without smoking his clutch because he still has the stock 3.73 gears... same ratio as mine

Mark

edit: besides, this is supposed to be a thread about the powetrax

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I used the Dino 75W140 with the Power Trax and have not had any noise what so ever in over 1,200 + miles. Either that, or I have an exceptional Power Trax.

Yeah, what torque loss? With 32's I can still leep tall buildings with a single bound!

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Slightly modified Lt. Khaki 3.7 2004 LTD 4X4. Purchased new 8/6/03.
What I don't have....A Mag light mounted to my seat.
Original Old L.O.S.T. #000354

Nick's Pics & Mods click here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/531173
http://www.survivaltopics.com/forums/

I also got the 16x8 cragars which weigh alot more. The tires and cragars weighed in right at 25lbs more per wheel. Lets just say with all the hills around here its hard to hold 65 going up them in 3rd with the torque locked. Im use to the jeep taking them in o/d while only unlocking the torque to maintain speed. Also cannot pull a boat up them so they are off for the summer, unless I go offroading.

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LOST KJ'S
Where are you going???
Current Jeep: 2004 Jeep Liberty
-Atlantic Blue
-Air Ride Rear Suspension ; OME/Rustys Lift ; Powertrax Locker ; Moog Lower Ball-Joints ; 245/70/16 Yokohama Geolander A/T-S's on MOABS ; Flowmaster 50 SUV
Lost #007082
http://www.cardomain.com/id/jeepjeepster

I'm about to install my powertrax. Anything tricky or any words of wisdom to pass along?

As for the tire size, you will either get used to letting it slow down on those long hill climbs or switch it out of OD for them. You get used to it, and it's worth the trade off in performance.

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Adam
KJ is SOLD for a JK Rubi Unlimited!
2003 Renegade.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3199258

JeepTales

like i said, it was really easy to install...

one thing i realized i didn't do was put Loc-tite on the pinion shaft bolt... the powertrax instructions just said to tighten it up really well (didn't have torque value)... however, the jeep service manual says to use Loc-tite and torque it to 11 ft-lb

i don't think i'll have problems, but should i be worried about the pinion shaft bolt working loose in there?

Mark

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I put on a set of 245/75/16 (30.7") and it wasn't bad at all. Barely noticeable. Really depends on how sensitive you are to things like that.

the included directions are super simple to follow if you have any mechanical skill. I'd never been inside of a rear diff like that before (only owned FWD vehicles prior) and it was a lot easier than expected.

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#666
Lifted & No-Slipped [sold]

If you haven't already lock-tite'd the bolt, I would do so with red threadlocker. I have seen many 8.25" and 9.25" (same basic design) rears come to grief from either loose or sheared pin bolts. 8.25" is a decent rear but if the pin slides out, it will lock the rear axle and destroy the housing in some cases if it happens at speed.

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#074642

THANKS FOR THE TIP!!!

Anything else?

How about this one: I just changed my fluid 3 weeks ago with Royal Purple. Is it safe to reuse it if I drain it into a new, clean pan?

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Adam
KJ is SOLD for a JK Rubi Unlimited!
2003 Renegade.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3199258

JeepTales

I see no problem with that if you can keep it clean. If you are extra paranoid like me, you can drop by a local auto paint supplier or anyone who mixes auto paint and get a few paint filters to strain the fluid to get out any pieces of RTV or other funk.

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#074642

is red loc-tite really necessary? i was thinking blue... won't i have problems if i ever need to take the powertrax out at some point if i use red?

thanks,

Mark

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I'd have to say blue is better than none but I prefer red in the case of something that I won't be taking apart very often. As a matter of fact, I don't see much reason to take a read end apart at all unless you are modifying something since they will typically last the life of the vehicle. Naturally abuse and tough trails will take their toll on parts, but that's more of a reason to me to make sure everything holds together at the proper torque. As a I said, blue would be better than nothing, but properly applied red would be better suited in my opinion. Remember to clean both the bolt and the threaded hole with something like Brakleen before applying the threadlocker and to put only as much as needed. A drop or two is plenty in most cases. It's threadlocker, not glue, lol. The bolt will hole torque in most circumstances but the threadlocker is there to make sure that vibration and heat cycling don't make the bolt work loose. When used properly the red is not hard to break free. It will be harder than the blue, naturally, but still not to bad to deal with. The important thing about the lock bolt is it's size. If you use a top quality socket or wrench that fits properly (Mac, Snap-On, Proto, etc. NOT Crapsman) you will have less chance of rounding off the head of the bolt and having trouble getting it out. At the end of the day, it's your rig so you have to decide what is best for you. With my mechanical experience, I have no problem using red Lock-Tite on just about anything. If it makes you uncomfortable or you think you might be opening up the rear frequently, you may want to go with the blue instead.

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#074642

Good info. I personally have never used thread locker. So, just a drop or two? OK.

I can see removing the locker if I decide that I don't like it, or that I see the KJ and don't want to leave it in for some reason. Or that it breaks or something.

With threadlocker, it comes off, but it's just harder to crack it loose,right? I guess the thing is, will the thread locker give way before the bolt breaks, right? And that's the reason behind different strenghts of the product?

I'll go red, based on what I've read. I hope to get to this the weekend after this one, so keep the info flowing!

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Adam
KJ is SOLD for a JK Rubi Unlimited!
2003 Renegade.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3199258

JeepTales

thanks for the reply.. i picked up some red loc-tite yesterday and i'll go ahead and use that... you're right about not needing to get in there very often... so i shouldn't worry about such things

Mark

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Adam,

Mine seems to be better when I change fluid pretty often, You might find it the same.

Mine operates better with DINO too...For some reason.

I finally submitted to the no-slip. If its in your rear axle...you will adjust your driving habits.

I have sustained no wear or damage so far and I beat the Piss out of it.

The threadlockers are color coded for use and holding power or basically the torque needed to break it loose. Red is high strength and blue is medium strength. There is also green, yellow and others. The info is available on the net as to what does what and what the torque ratings are, but I'm at work so I am limited by our security and cannot find much on it.

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#074642