front lockout hubs or rear lockout and axle

I have an m35a2 wo/w. Anyone have an opinion on which would be the better way to go - lockout hubs on the front or lockout hub and axle change in the rear?
I have tried removing the rearmost drive shaft and it improves the steering but it is a pain to take off and put back on. Would having a winch on the Deuce change the choice?
Recon

do you have an airshift or sprag?

I have have an airshift.

if you want slightly better milage put them on the front
if you want slightly better turning and tire wear put 1 on the forward tandum.

Or do both! If you want a price on 3 lockouts and 1 double splined shaft for the rear shoot me a PM.

jwaller said:

if you want slightly better milage put them on the front
if you want slightly better turning and tire wear put 1 on the forward tandum.

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Why not pull both axles on the forward tandem?? Or put lockouts on both sides?

MWMULES said:

Why not pull both axles on the forward tandem?? Or put lockouts on both sides?

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there is no need to do both. it's an open diff. disconnect 1 and your golden. you could do both but you'd be wasting money.

MWMULES said:

Why not pull both axles on the forward tandem?? Or put lockouts on both sides?

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This was discussed at some length last year. Here is some text copied and pasted from that thread:
With either one or two lockouts on an axle, the differential carrier and ring and pinion will still be turning because they are geared to the driveshaft. Same as with no lockout.

With one lockout disengaged, the axle shafts will be turning at the same speed except for small differences caused by turning or tire diameter differences. The benefit compared to no lockout is that it eliminates stress on the components caused by that small difference in speed, as well as reducing turning radius. The differential spider gears will be turning very slightly to accomodate the axle shaft speed difference.

With two lockouts on the same axle, the axle shafts will still be turning because they are connected via the spider gears to the turning carrier. You might have both axle shafts turning about the same speed, or one shaft stationary with the other turning double speed, or something in between, depending on the difference in frictional drag on the axle shafts. Kind of like when you brake one rear farm tractor wheel and the other speeds up. So you could end up with a lot of motion of the spider gears that you wouldn't have with just one lockout.

Two lockouts on the front axle help if you have air shift, because you can disengage the driveshaft and the gears then don't turn at all.

ok im offically lost . ok i understand doing the front just like a pickup truck .. but you start talking about on tandum and disconnection this that.. im lost are you talking about putting a lock out on one axel or just on one side of an axel please at like im a child and dont use tecknacal terms ....lol

Yes, the rear axles only get one single lockout hub. You can not "stop" the components from turning, so there's no benefit there. Unlocking one hub on one side of either rear axle stops both wheels from propelling the vehicle forward. So everything in the axle "idles" along under no load when not needed. It prevents unnecessary wear on both axles by keeping the driveline from "winding up", and you may have experienced that winding up phnominon before, that you get when you try to drive a pickup on dry roads in four wheel drive, where it just feels like the whole truck is glued to that spot in the road and it doesn't really want to move. Sometimes in corners it even hops and bounces. Windup between the two rears doesn't get that bad, but it still causes unneded drag.

the duck boats they have in seattle have the toploader rockwell axles and they removed the driveshaft on the rear most axle. they actually removed the third member and capped it. but could you not just remove the drive shaft from the middle axle to the rear to help gain some turning radius?

ok i think i got it say you use the rear axel for your lock out . you only need to put the lock out on say the driver side of the rear axel and thatll disengage that axel completly from driving. untill you lock it again......it so i get it.. that make tota sence now that i think about it

so the conclusion..........

The best way to go is two lockouts on the front axle and one on the forward tandem? right?

In my opinion that's correct. Just remember you need an aftermarket double splined shaft for that rear with the lockout because a stock shaft can't be used with a lockout. PM me for a price if interested in a total package or just a component or two.

Biggles said:

so the conclusion..........

The best way to go is two lockouts on the front axle and one on the forward tandem? right?

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YES, if you have the $$$. if not my suggestion would be to start with the 1 on the forward tandem axle.

I also prefer the drivers side bc if you need it you don't have to walk to the other side to engage it.