weld front end will it be impossible to turn

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2.5cummins

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Currently have a spool in my rear end on my 03 dodge puller... aam axles but the front end is still open... I know a locker would be the best option but I'm tryin get by for now untill I have the 700-1000$ for one... if I were to weld the front is it going to be pretty much impossible to turn with the rear being locked 100% of the time. Thanks!
 
Unless you have a custom hydraulic steering setup it will be almost impossible. Do you hang weights?
 
Get ready for 8 point turns, I have seen a welded front, actually break the steering arm.
 
When I lock my front axle I can not steer. Until I'm hauling sled.......
 
In my wheeler, spooled front and rear with linked suspensions, my hydraulic steering would turn the wheels, but even on loose dirt/gravel the wheels fought to swing the same arch pushed the rig versus turn it. Chances are you will not steer well at all unless you have lockouts you can disconnect. An axle with CAD, welding the spiders is fine as you can just disconnect the long side shaft.
 
We've ran spools in the front of our offroad trucks before and it's a pain to turn. The best bet if you really want to run one is kick the front out whenever you want to try and turn then lock it back in while your hooking up to the sled.. Or just save some cash and put a locker in there
 
Yes I am hangin weights....ill probly just run it the way it is now and save for a locker cause its already a pain to try and get it in my buddies shop on the concrete with just the rear locked
 
Had mine welded forgot to unlock and turned. It ripped the wheel out of my hands and turned all the way. Had to jack the front up to get the tires back strait so I could unlock the CAD.
 
Yea turning will suck but look at getting a one those mini lockers that you take out the old spiders in slide that in
 
A lunchbox locker won't hold anywhere near the load a puller will put on it. Not for long. They're meant for fairly mild use only.
 
Detroit locker worked best for me, ratchets a little on tight turns but locks great once torque applied
 
I fought a locked front end for three years. It would not turn period. It would always get in a bind and I couldn't even unlock the passenger side axle. Going to a locker made truck pulling fun again.
 
I'm running a spool in the front of my 95 2.6 truck and use the Yukon Lockout conversion kit to get around and they are holding up great! Unlock it when going to and from the pits and lock it up when in line.
 
My son activated the ARB on our truck ('01 Chevy 2500 with long travel IFS installed) while in a gravel parking lot just to see how hard it would be to turn and I could not turn the wheel at all. It even took a few seconds after disengaging the ARB to allow it to turn. I would not suggest welding the front at all, unless you do lockouts like Jereme mentioned!!!
 
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Weld it up, I get around fine with mine, might have to back up a time or two more but 7018 rods are cheaper than locker that will break if your putting the power down.
 
Tony R said:
I fought a locked front end for three years. It would not turn period. It would always get in a bind and I couldn't even unlock the passenger side axle. Going to a locker made truck pulling fun again.
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Completely agree with this ^^^. Went from a welded front with cable activated CAD to a Detroit and would never consider going back. It makes the truck so much easier to drive and not having the CAD is one less thing for the driver to worry about. We now pull with primarily tractor classes and the scale to sled arrangement isn't always the best for a truck anyway.
 
Again, you can weld it up, however I have seen a truck fail to get on the track because he broke the steering arm.

I have a set of EMS offroad hubs for the 94-99 with the 35 spline outers. The kit is mostly complete. I would let it go for $1000. Kit was purchased and never installed.
 
I went through a couple steering boxes and powersteering pumps because of it also. I would fight it to get up to the line and fight it just to back up to the sled. I felt like a complete idot.Sometimes I had to try to back up two or three times, just to get lined up to the sled. I would try to turn it with everything I had and it just wouldn't turn. I put a power lok in it, what most of the dana 60's used in a rwd axle. I was able to turn with one hand even with the passenge side axle locked in. I wish I never welded it and put a locker in years ago.
 
I spent the money and went air locker and I love it, my buddy went the welded route and hates it. But to each his own
 
If an air locker breaks your budget, you really shouldn't be pulling.
 
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