[Josh83]

Sorry for the delay guys, I got my weeks confused.

My rig is a 97 40th Anniversary Edition. I picked it up in fall of 04 with 140K on the ticker, and it is now showing just over 147K. It had lived life as a total soccer mom wagon until I got ahold of it. It had no running boards or roof rack, and no lockers. I was one of the few that was glad not to get factory lockers due to the reported problems with the factory rear locker and big tires. I am building it to be a good all around family wheeler with room for myself and my wife and son to go out for a weekend in comfort with all our gear.

Current Mods:

OME J-springs and L-shocks
2 10mm trim packers at each corner(total 20mm per corner)
Slee braided stainless brake lines
13x36-16 bias ply TSL's on stock rims
ARB front bumper
home made rear bumper/tire carrier
Hanna Quality sliders
angle iron sliders welded on factory lower control arms
Slee steering linkage componants
fender flares removed
Aussie locker in the rear

Future Mods:

ARB front locker
5.29 gears
Longs/chromo's front
Chromo's rear
Warn 9.5xp
bedliner on the sides(like NorCalDoug's) and in cargo area
1.25" wheel spacers

Way Future Mods:

cruiser crawler or dual cases
less sheetmetal/more tubing


Thats it for tonight guys. I will get some pics up tomorrow.

[MaddBaggins]

Pics man! Pics!!


How do you like the Aussie? Have you got to offroad it much yet? I just removed my front driveshaft to change u-joints and I haven't put it back yet. Well, with the Aussie rear and no front DS I can get it squirly around corners and chirp the tires.

[Josh83]

Here are a few action pics. Let me know if you want pics of anything specific. All of these pics were before I removed my flares. I plan to take some new shots tomorrow of the 80 park next to the 100 for size comparison.

[Josh83]

Originally Posted by MaddBaggins

Pics man! Pics!!


How do you like the Aussie? Have you got to offroad it much yet? I just removed my front driveshaft to change u-joints and I haven't put it back yet. Well, with the Aussie rear and no front DS I can get it squirly around corners and chirp the tires.

I really love the aussie locker. I had one in the front axle of a Jeep and I am a life long customer for sure. I never wheeled this truck without it so I really have nothing to compare it to.

[cc93cruiser]

Originally Posted by Josh83

I was one of the few that was glad not to get factory lockers due to the reported problems with the factory rear locker and big tires.

What problems are you talking about? I am not aware of the rear differential/locker acting up with bigger tires? I have never heard of anything....

[Josh83]

If you play hard on big tires the splines of one of the rear shafts twists inside the sliding collar and you have to torch it out.

[cc93cruiser]

Hmm. I have 35"s, my father has 35" and a couple other friends 80's have big tires( all with factory differential locks), and we wheel are cruisers fairly rough..Have never experianced anything like that, never even heard of it....Unless your talking about "bigger" than 35" tires.....Interesting though.....

[Josh83]

Yes, bigger than 35". I run heavy bias ply 36's (90 lbs mounted on the rims) so that is probably quite a bit heavier than your 35's assuming you run radial MT's. NW-sickboy went through it last fall...I think he is on 37" radials. I would assume that upgraded shafts would solve this issue fully though.

I guess I should also say that this truck is a trail rig. I have only put 2000 miles on it in the last year. That said, for this type of use, I MUCH prefer an autolocker to a selectable in one diff, because there is much less to go wrong with it.

[clarkrw3]

Very nice Josh. As far as the axles go, poly performance is having problems getting them made, i have a set that they are replacing because they are wrong. However, you should never really have a problem with your rear because you don't have elockers you have a aussie right? The collar you speak of is specific to the factory locked rear and not to arb or other lockers. this is why Slee doesn't run factory lockers on the short bus etc.

[Josh83]

Right, I have the aussie. The upgraded rear shafts are pretty low on my priority list, at least until I go bigger.

[DirtyHarry]

Originally Posted by Josh83

If you play hard on big tires the splines of one of the rear shafts twists inside the sliding collar and you have to torch it out.

I have heard of this being a problem in rare cases too, but I am skeptical that a "lunchbox locker" that fits inside the stock differential is going to really be stronger. It is not like you are running a full Detroit or something. The good part is that they are inexpensive and easy to install, it looks like your Cruiser gets used so let us know how the Aussie holds up.

Nice rig!

[Josh83]

The issue isn't with the strength of the actual locker or, really the sliding collar, it is with the axle shaft that is used with the factory locker. I have seen no similar problem with splines twisting on the standard full float rear end.

As for the aussie, I really love it. Off road it is nothing but traction but on the street you don't even know it is there. I have run a detroit in a similar vehicle and would not want another one unless ultimate strength was my only concern, considering cost and ease of install along with road manners. When I regear, I will continue to use the aussie locker.

[fuelgeddes]

Looks good, nice truck. I wish there were more positive notes on adding a locker solution to a LC with out factor lockers. I will look to add an aussie locker once I get some where that I need one.

more pictures... of the ride.

[reffug]

Nice truck.

Nice write up.

Thanks for contributing.

where can an aussie for an 80 be purchased?

[Romer]

Originally Posted by KAZOO

where can an aussie for an 80 be purchased?

http://www.offroadlockers.com/

Nice write up. Why did you choose the 5.29 gears?

[Josh83]

I chose 5.29's because the main focus of the rig is off road performance. The 36's are the smallest tire this truck will ever have on it, so I want room to grow so to speak.

[Elijah]

I ran my 80 all through Cruise Moab with an Aussie Locker and loved it. I had also run Moab without the locker a couple months ago, and admit that it was quite a bit easier with the Aussie. Less time spent on looking for lines that will give me the best traction, etc. If you don't have the $$$$ for the ARB Air Lockers it will be the best $250 you've ever spent for the 80. By the way, love the rig Josh. That's kind of what I'm aiming for with the 80.

[Josh83]

Thanks for the compliment. I really love this truck a lot. Even though my 100 is my "daily driver" it sets for weeks sometimes because this truck is so much fun. I drive this thing all the time, even with the bias swampers it really is a great truck.