With a selectable locker, absolutely — disengaged, the differential behaves like stock, and the locker only exists when you flip the switch. Automatic lockers are livable but opinionated: expect ratcheting sounds in tight turns and changed manners on wet or snowy pavement. If most of your miles are commuting with weekends off-road, selectable is the version that keeps both lives pleasant.

Depends on the actuation. Air-operated lockers need a compressed air source and a line routed into the differential housing; electric lockers need a switched circuit run to the axle; cable-actuated units are purely mechanical. Whichever you choose, budget for the supporting system in both money and install time — the locker itself is only part of the project.

They raise the stakes, yes. Torque that used to bleed off as one-wheel spin now gets delivered in full, and shock loads from bouncing, hooking tires land directly on shafts, joints, and gears. Throttle discipline is the free fix — smooth, slow inputs instead of bursts. If your axle is already marginal for your tire size, shore up the weak links before adding the locker.

Rear first, for most builds — it cures the common one-wheel-spin failures on climbs and crossed-axle terrain without changing how the truck steers. Add the front when technical rock and deep ruts become your normal, and accept heavy, pushy steering while it's engaged. Locked at both ends is transformative, and it stresses every drivetrain part accordingly.

Generally no — ABS reads wheel speeds and keeps working, and an engaged locker simply does mechanically what brake-based traction control attempts to imitate. Behavior does vary by platform, and some vehicles relax their electronic aids in low range regardless. If your truck runs an unusual electronics package, check your platform's specifics or ask us before ordering.