(not the story I promised but yet) I had the distinct opertunity to break four ring gear teeth off the front R&P about two months after I bought the jeep (dang stuck throttle cable) so in the shop it went, new r&p, and the spider gears had a good crack in 'em too, so in went the lock-right. It made a world of difference, sure you have the turning radius problem, but you really should have a straight line through the deep stuff anyway, and most FL gumbo is in a big pond, not really in the middle of a forest. So I found the front locker to help 70% versus a rear locker helping 30%.
For the story I promised :
We were jeep'n one sunday, and we had along two jeeps we hadn't be out with, but they wanted to see some deep mud. One (the green one) was setup similary to mine, but with a 258, and balding TSL's, I have a 304 and good tread thornburgs (tsl's now). mid way through the trip, the green jeep wants to go through a part called 'No Trucks' Its amply named. Trucks get stuck, jeeps sink, and those who are lucky enough to have the horsepower can sometimes make it. So this guy wants to try it, we suggested he didn't, but he did anyway. So he gets stuck pretty early, and we have to tug him out, nearly pulling off his rear hitch (read : no bumper, or tow hooks, nothing). So we're getting ready to head home in a different part of the woods that evening, and we come to a big play puddle. So we take a run around it, mark it on the GPS, and get ready to head home. The green jeep asks if we think he can make it through the middle. I don't think a ford f-350 mud racer with tractor tires could've gone through this... We tell 'em no, and that we're going home, and he should follow us out. and he jumps in his jeep and goes for the mud... and gets stuck in the middle of the hole. To which the wives (they go mudding too, in their own jeeps) get pissed off and leave to go home on their own, knowing we're going to be there awhile getting this ******* out of the mud (can't just leave a fellow jeeper, no matter how stupid) We tried tandem pulling him out from the front, only to bulldoze more mud infront of the jeep. There was now a pile of mud as tall as the hood that he'd pushed... so we had to pull him out from behind. We had to hook him with a 4" steel hook into one of the drain holes in the frame. We got him out after 5 good jerks, and covering him with mud as all four of my tires sent tails of mud directly into his toppless, manicured jeep... He needed some serious frame repair, and a new rear bumper, and I'll never go jeep'n with him again. the worst part of it was, they didn't even have CB's.
Go prepared, and don't try and conqour everything that lies in your path. Some day you'll be able to drive anywhere... I know I can't, and I still get stuck, but I don't break as often or get damaged as much anymore.
Florida Mud CJ-5
'77 RB304, t-150 D20 4" 35" swampers
