Do lockers really make a difference in the mud?

If so, how much (roughly) would it cost to have them installed?

 

Hey sent you a pm.

 

Yes lockers make a difference in the mud. Not always mind you, but essentially they double the possibility that you'll get traction and continue moving forward. Of course you still have to temper it with good driving.

 

I've certainly been in spots I would not have gotten out of if it werent for the lockers.

 

i only have a rear locker but i got stuck once and realized i didn't have it on. When i turned it on it got out relatively easily...just my edxperience

 

IMO lockers do help in mud, sicne both wheels are driving and not just the drive wheel. The down side is, with a set of lockers you will most likely be able to go places where you would not have been able to without. That could mean if you do get stuck with lockers, YOUR STUCK!!
The bad side of having lockers sometimes comes out in snow. Since both wheels are driving, its not hard to break traction in a turn. Once traction is lost, everybody knows what happens then.
It took some getting used to having front and rear lockers, and driving in the white slippery stuff.

 

For this reason alone is the reason to have selectable lockers for both front and rear on a Daily Driver. Lots of guys i talk to say use a detroit or similar type in the rear and selectable in the front but with this setup on pavment in wet or snowy conditions its makes it slip and slide around.

Kat

 

And exactly which wheel is the "drive wheel"?

 

With an open diff, the RR is usually the drive wheel. When in 4WD the LF is normally the driver. At least that's how it is with my 94XJ, before I locked front and rear with PowerTrax's. Added Warn locking hubs to the front.
I'm pretty sure the JK is the same. RR and LF.

 

In short, yes, lockers DO help in the mud. But it's still down to driver experience and skill. Too much skinny pedal in some circumstances and you will sink, not enough skinny pedal in other circumstances and you will get passed by a snail. All in how well you know your terrain, and your rig.