Another revisit, its been 2.5 years. No issues, still works perfect. I put one in the wife's Trooper RS as well. Just as flawless operation. I highly recommend it for the person building an unstoppable wheeler on a budget. As for driving with the front locked, I drove for some time with the OEM drive flanges, handledfine,but the click was annoying. Just dont get on the gas in a corner.
Im guessing your snow driving time is minimal though, right?