Starkman's Expedition - Big Red Elephant

[Dimz]

Hey Starkman. Love all the recent upgrades (sliders, rear bumper)! I am thinking of a locker. I got 35"s and tortion bars. When looking for lockers that fit they say 8.8" IFS 28 spline reverse gear? Is that going to fit in my front diff? I am including a foto of front diff tag. This tortion bar setup is not really IFS is it?
Your TruTrac lockers are appealing but the arb seems like a good option not to lose momentum uphill since this beast isnt very light.
Did you have to modify anything when installing the front TruTrac. Are the spider gears the same as they were? What about the bearings? Did you need a special tool to put them on? Any info on the circ clips instead of c clips being used? The shops are not able to answer my questions. Thanks for your time.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Dimz- yes you have IFS. Torsion bars are just one method of IFS.

Installing the Truetrac involves completely removing the carrier. You’ll need to resetup the gears: basklash and shims and whatever else. It can be done by an amateur, but it’s not easy. I do a lot of wrench turning on my vehicles. Setting up an axle is not something I’ve tried.

Do you live in Colorado Springs? If so, the guy that did Starkman’s and my Explorer has a shop out in Calhan (east of Co Springs).

 

[Dimz]

I dont live far from Calhan. I do plan on learning how to do it myself but I could use his info, just in case. PM it? Thanks. Just got ARB airlocker for front. Gonna pull the diff in the winter.