DO NOT UNLOCK ONE HUB WITH ANY TRACTION DIFF! You will certainly cause massive amounts of damage doing this. The only front diff that will take one locked hub is an open diff or an unlocked selectable. There is no function of this method so just stay away from it.
Not sure I agree with this at all. Now, hear me out. First of all,, I've been wheeling with a lunchbox style locker in the front and busted a hub before. Drove it out with "3 wheel" drive and experienced no problems whatsoever other than a small bit of torque steer. The auto lockers - Detroit, Spartan, or whatever disengage when one wheel or the other gets *pushed* not when one or the other spins. With a single locked hub up front and an auto locker, the locked hub side will have power. No different really (in theory or real life) that a front tire being in the air.
I think all of us would agree that a locked rear end (selectable, ratchet/lunchbox, or spool/welded) vs any kind of limited slip or open, even with a 2wd vehicle, wants to go straight. Add to this a front end that is locked by any method (selectable, ratchet/lunchbox, or spool/welded) and it's even harder to turn. What we do is unlock the front end to help. I know that I don't unlock both hubs, I just unlock one and that solved my turning issue.
UNLESS you have massive power, I see no difference between a single locked hub up front and an open carrier other than torque steer. Power through one axle with traction is not going to break things any faster than having air with a locked axle. An open diff only ever has one axle doing the work.
Are there things to consider - especially in handling? Sure. Are things going to break certainly? I say no. I say power to one wheel is power to one wheel.
Then add to the entire mix the fact that the rear axle is NOT locked, but limited slip, the vehicle wants to turn when you turn the front wheels whether the front is pulling or not.