Any word on an E-locker for the 9" Ford rear end?  

I would not want to hold my breath waiting for this one. Being that the 9 inch has long been out of production it would have a limited market for investment to build it. They do have one for 8.8 which is still in production.  

It would be hard to name another locker that you can't get for the 9". If there is no E-Locker for it, it's more likely for another reason than demand. I have heard that the 9" 3rd member design may prevent an E-Locker being possible for it. I was hoping a staffer might have some "inside info" on if/when there would ever be one.

The 9" has been out of production for awhile, but there are still plenty of em on the trail. It's a very popular upgrade for the Bronco II and Jeep drivers not to mention the all Bronco's and F-series trucks that had them.  

Listen, I am not knocking a 9 inch but it is past its prime and more are scraped every year and long out of regular production so it make little sense to bean counters to tool up a part for this limited and dwindling market. They want to make them for axles still in production for good return on investment and 9 inch does not fit this. Heck you can take the old GM/Rockwell HO52 and HO72 rear axles used in GM P/U through 72 and those things were bullet proof (arguably the strongest rear axle ever placed in a P/U) well beyond even a built 9 inch but they are rarely used today because they are long out of production and aftermarket support for them is limited, not because they were not strong.  

If there is no market why is it practically every other locker is available for the 9"? Why do you suppose the very same company (Eaton) makes other models for the 9"? You'd be hard pressed to find a company that does not make a 9" model.

Perhaps you have never seen an E-Locker up close. I have seen a complete teardown/rebuild and from what I understand it is the magnet and where/how it mounts that makes it impossible to make a 9" version due to the 9" drop-out's design. I have not seen and ARB internally, BUT I have seen the little cutaway CAD's and it engages differently is why it was possible. I was hoping they would overcome this, and hoping maybe someone had some info from Eaton on if it was being addressed or if it was determined to be an impossibility.  

I am well aware of how a E-locker works and how they have to make carrier special for a 9 inch. Eaton is basically a OEM supplier and not interested in a limited market like a 9 inch presents. They want to sell 10's of thousands of each unit style a year, not a few hundred. It can cost tens of thousands of dollars (maybe 100's) to develop a new design to fit 9 inch and it would not likely pay out on balance sheet. (and more companies are really watching their bottom lines closely today) Sure maybe some other lockers are available for it but they have been out longer and were first offered when 9 inch was not as far out of production as it is now and with each passing year there is less of them out there. With D44, D60, GM 9.5's, 9.25's, Ford 8.8's and so on still being made is it wise to support that market because more sales are assured today and tomorrow. I think you need to understand that this is not a knock for 9 inch but the reason why you will likely never see a E-locker for it. If you want one that bad you should consider swapping to a axle that is supported today.  

Dude I'm college educated and understand R&D, economics, etc, etc. just fine. You are simply under-estimating the market. I agree I probably won't see a 9" E-Locker but it will only be because of the 9" design, not for any other reason if it doesn't happen.

The 9" is more popular than the Dana60 or 8.8 for Jeeps and Bronco's II's etc from what I see on the trail (and in this magazine) because it's already 5x5.5 to match the Dana44 it's usually paired with. That's the main reason I chose a 31-spline 9" over a D60. The 60 can be converted to 5x5.5 but it's alot of work and extra *** Much easier to just slide a 9" under it.

Read the first two posts in
this thread if you think Eaton didn't at least consider it. Both of these guys reportedly spoke with Eaton reps on the matter.




87 Bronco II
5.0 HO
NP435 4-speed
NP205 transfer case
Dana44 full width front
Ford 9" full width rear
35" Pro-Comp MT's on Eagle Alloys
9" total lift  

Dude, I have a engineering background in electrical and mechanical and I am a bit of a old timer and been around 4x4 longer than most. You are missing the point again. It is not a production axle today and has not been for many years. Eaton does not care if you go to bone yard and recycle them because the problem is that they have long been out of production and any market for parts for them is limited at best and it is not cost effective to make new tooling for it. You should know that if you have any economics training. Companies like ARB are geared for nitch markets and charge a lot for their products while Eaton is a mass marketer and OEM supplier and are not likely interested in the limited market a discontinued 9 inch presents as it is not economically viable to them. Any product they invest time in they want to know their is going to be a big long term return on their investment. Eaton is likely feeling the pinch of fuel prices today on their bottom line and demand for some of their products as industry sales on big iron is fading and they do not need the drag of another product will limited demand that is only going to get worse because they are not making those axles anymore. Again if I really wanted one I would switch to a axle that supports it today. Look at how many 10.5 14 bolt are out there and I see no Elocker for that yet and it is a many many times bigger market than 9 inch too and the 10.5 like 9 inch has a straddle mounted pinion which adds to tooling issues for a diff for it. The diffs they support are in production still and have a open carrier design (no straddle mounted pinion). Again it is all about economics and there is no future in making a product that will likely never pay back the developmental costs and turn a nice profit as well. Eaton has to pay it stock investors a return, ARB does not.  

You made an effort to sound educated there, but I can read between the lines. By saying you had an "engineering background in electrical and mechanical" I can deduce you don't have a degree. By using "nitch" in place of "niche" (obviously not a typo), you pretty much confirm that hypothesis. What do you mean by "electrical and mechanical background".....commercial construction HVAC? That's the industry term for it.

I do have some economics training by the way, although it wasn't my major.

I still say it's an engineering issue, not lack of a market, although I have more pressing matters to tend to than continue to point out to you why I say that. I'm new here, and just my luck to bump into the forum idiot on my first day.  

by the way, be sure to drop by www.currieenterprises.com and let them know to cease all 9" production because "any market for parts for them is limited at best".  

Dude I do have a degree (major and minor many years ago) but I do not wave it around like a flag like some do.

Your are not going to be very popular with your attitude and name calling because you disagree. It is all about economics with with your zeal for 9 inch you fail to understand. Eaton is a publicly owned company as they have to have returns on their products for investors and a 9 inch does not fit that bill. Also, a 9 inch is not really that great stock anyway as it has a weak pinion shaft (dia) for its ring gear size (if you do not spend coin and upgrade it) and if you break a axle shaft it can be a royal pill to remove pig. 9 inches were popular long ago with users that wanted to be able to have a few "pigs" on had so they could swap ratios for strip for their street car but today, OD trannies has reduced that need. Also when building a 4x4 up, many just think of axle shaft strength and not housing too (because it is strained more too) All 9 inch housings are 2 to capacity of less with stock tire and wheel offsets (bigger offsets actually reduce capacity) Therefore I am not a fan of upgrading LD axles when more strength is needed. I would replace hole axle assembly and get a stronger axle and housing too. BTW, a Ford 8.8 is about same strength as a stock 9 inch and they make E-lockers for those because they are still in production and there is a LOT of them out there too. (unlike limited dwindling 9 inch market)  

I posted a one sentence message directed at the staff, but for some reason you felt a need to start bashing the 9" and telling me what an outdated POS it is. I should have just laughed at you right then and not gotten sucked into trying to educate someone who has doesn't want to be confused with facts.


LMAO, the "hole" axle huh. You're killing me dude.

"if you break a axle shaft it can be a royal pill to remove pig" The 8.8 is a c-clip axle. Enough said if you've broken a c-clip axle and had your tire fly off.

"9 inches were popular long ago" LMAO again. That would be news to NASCAR, drag teams, and rod builders all over. Research it, it's not that hard. Fact is the 9" has been for decades and still is the most popular rear end on the track. Enough said about it's strength. The 9" has a bigger aftermarket to this day than any other axle. Enough said about it's popularity.

"All 9 inch housings are 2 to capacity of less with stock tire and wheel offsets" OK now you're starting to get incoherent on me.

So what do you wheel by the way?  

You can install C Clip eliminators on most SF axles if you want to but the point is because the way the PIG removes on a 9 inch regardless of wheel not coming off, it can be a pill removing pig because axles typical break near weakest point near pig. With a semi floater or full floater you can remove cover to assist in fishing axle stub out. Generally though I will not run a tire size/axle/vehicle combo that has a fair chance of breaking as I never believed in operating in the grey area. It is not hard to calculate yield strength of a axle shaft if you know its material and diameter. Axle shaft diameter and materiel vs tire size also plays a role in traction and hop because shafts tend to wind up a bit under torque and unload/unwind suddenly when traction is lost and then reload. This "springy" action can lead to wheel hop sometimes as axles snap back to original state which they will do as long as they are not over stressed. A good tip for a build up is to remove axle shafts and clean them and paint a straight line down their length and then run them. Pull them are a while and if line is still straight that you are not over stressing your axles but if line is twisted a bit (and I have seen them twisted up to 90 degrees too) it is a sign that you need to do some upgrading.  

I never found the 9" 3rd member difficult to remove. A little more work than removing a diff cover and c-clips, but not having to worry about watching your tire, hub, and axle roll across the road through the mirror ever again and being able to set the gears up on the bench is well worth the payoff. Especially since it's not part of any normal maintenance routine and most likely will never need removed again anyway after I get it locked.

Once again....tell me about your rig please.  

You never removed a 9 inch with a broken axle either. Also you never will have a tire pass you either if you understand limits of your hardware and do not push it. There is two ways to build a 4x4, your way where you slap a few parts together (tires and lift) brag about a few things and hope for best or do the math and get chassis, engine, axle and gears right for tire sizes and vehicle mass and usage. I do the later you the former. BTW, I do own three 4x4's (one of them for 23 years now) and have owned at least one at any given time over the last 37 years or so. I have owned Jeeps, IH's, a Ford and several GM's. (never owned a dodge 4x4 but worked on a few) I was likely working on mine and others before you even knew what a 4x4 was. I do not "brag" about that either.  

LMAO...slap a few parts together huh. You've even seen my rig and know what I drive. Making that statement only goes to further illustrate your ignorance. Not even gonna waste my time with your idiocy this morning.

For the third time...how about the specs of your trail rig?