can you swap front and rear third members?? Are the ARB's the same part f&r??:confused:

The rear ARB for semi floater rear end has 3 spider gears and an opening in the case to access the c-clips, It can be used in the front also.
The front ARB is the same that can be used in a rear full floater and it has 4 spider gears and no openings to install c-clips on a semi-floater rear end.
Does that make sense:confused:

ARB RD02 Fits Front Full-Float and Rear Full Float Axles

ARB RD08 Fits Rear Semi-Float as well as any Full-Float but not prefered due to is lack of fourth gear and weaker case.

That being said, you don't hear about RD08's breaking often, I am considering putting my RD08 back in my FF when I get it rather than an RD02.

Although inherently weaker, using an RD08 in the front has one significant advantage. If you blow a rear pinion on the trail and don't have a spare, you will be able to swap the front third member to the rear and still drive home. You can't easily swap thirds if you are running an RD02 in the front and a semi-floater axle in the rear. Since busting a pinion is a lot more likely than busting an ARB case, I think this is a good option for non-trailered rigs.

Originally posted by Shipwreck
Although inherently weaker, using an RD08 in the front has one significant advantage. If you blow a rear pinion on the trail and don't have a spare, you will be able to swap the front third member to the rear and still drive home. You can't easily swap thirds if you are running an RD02 in the front and a semi-floater axle in the rear. Since busting a pinion is a lot more likely than busting an ARB case, I think this is a good option for non-trailered rigs.

Thats what I did, just finished up the second one last night:D

Swapping 3rds is a good option but I think in the same siuation, I would just pull the broken rear pinion and go home in FWD, its alot of work to pull the front one just to stuff it in the rear.... One of the old mechanics at work drove his FJ40 in FWD from Moab to SLC, did 55-60 the entire way. Back in high school, my rear driveline was getting rebuilt... but I had to go ride my dirtbike that afternoon, so I pulled a trailer with 3 bikes on it to the track, couldn't really tell it was in FWD cept' on steep dirt hills... :D

The best option.... put a FF in the rear so you have two RD02's... :D

I won't sweat it the cruiser rear end has only two spiders and there smaller and they will normally break the pinions before they break the case.

Originally posted by cruiseroutfit
Swapping 3rds is a good option but I think in the same siuation, I would just pull the broken rear pinion and go home in FWD, its alot of work to pull the front one just to stuff it in the rear.... One of the old mechanics at work drove his FJ40 in FWD from Moab to SLC, did 55-60 the entire way. Back in high school, my rear driveline was getting rebuilt... but I had to go ride my dirtbike that afternoon, so I pulled a trailer with 3 bikes on it to the track, couldn't really tell it was in FWD cept' on steep dirt hills... :D

The best option.... put a FF in the rear so you have two RD02's... :D

I would drive home in FWD as well but at least that way since I have a spare third sitting around I could have the locker in the back while saving $$$ to replace the broken one (assuming it breaks afterthe warranty goes out or its not covered)

I guess I don't know which is better though... would you prefer to have the locker in the front or the back if you only had one? most everyone would put it in the back I would assume but technically you should get the same result either way right?

Originally posted by 76lcforty


I would drive home in FWD as well but at least that way since I have a spare third sitting around I could have the locker in the back while saving $$$ to replace the broken one (assuming it breaks afterthe warranty goes out or its not covered)

I guess I don't know which is better though... would you prefer to have the locker in the front or the back if you only had one? most everyone would put it in the back I would assume but technically you should get the same result either way right?

Good points, I would probablly rather have one in the rear... but I just hate trailfixing something and having to take it back apart at home to fix it for good, not to mention both axles... ;)

Moral of all this: buy a FF rear :D;) and run two RD02's :D Break a rear pinion, pull the shafts, the driveline and stuff rags in em... :D

FWD baby!

Break anything on the front and you can unlock it the same...;)

Another advantage to running the semi-floater in the front is you can leave
the circlips out of the birfields because the center block in the SF arb
keeps the axle from going in too far. Works like a mar-tack. Also, while
full floater is obviously better, I think it's silly to worry about not
having 4 pinions in the front. The RD08 seems to hold up fine in the rear,
I think it will be ok in the front.