Locker Envy (1 Viewer)

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Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Threads
138
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Location
Helena, Montana
Okay, I admit I got one of the worst cases of 80 fever ever documented and may have jumped the gun. I have owned a 60 for a few years and wanted something more civilized for myself but especially for the :princess:


I probably paid way too much but it was a one owner 97 collectors edition out of Arkansas. No rust and it had records of all of the major issues had been dealt with including valve guide o-rings, distributor o-ring, recent brakes, recent tranny flush.

No evidence of head gasket though.

Anyway. She only has 112,000 miles and runs awesome. Body is in amazing shape and the interior it really nice.

No lockers though.

Have I just screwed myself on buying a foundation for a expedition vehicle for time spent in Big Bend, up in Colorado, etc?

Should I just torch it?

Should i give up any hope of Engineers Pass in Colorado?
 
You can add lockers.

:lol:


Yes, You can easily add an aussie/detroit/spartan/etc locker to the rear for relatively cheap. Or go to ARB or retrofit elockers.

Depends what you want to do with it. The front locker unless really crawling & wheeling is not needed IMO. Backcountry, good wheeler and a auto locker would suffice.

just my .02
 
add a arb when u regear, but a locker to do engineer no way man its nothing like that its easy subarus do it
 
I've done a lot of trails in Colorado and I've never said to myself "if only I had lockers!"
Drive it, hit some trails and if you end up saying "if only I had lockers!" start shopping. I've been very surprised by what 80's can do stock without lockers.

And dude, pics or it didn't happen.
 
Drive it all over and if you find yourself getting stuck or needing the strap, put a Aussie/lockright auto locker in the rear for $300.
 
And dude, pics or it didn't happen.

I've been a regular in the 60 forum for the last year or so but recently scored a pretty nice 97 FZJ80 Collectors Edition. You folks were right! It is an addiction and I am hooked!

Here's my 85 FJ60. spent all last year going through it with a resealed engine with 228,000, rebuilt t-case, new clutch, new brakes, new radiator, new power steering pump, new tires, rebuilt front end, etc.



The 80:

























Older sister looks a little jealous of the new addition!

 
I have been out to Big Bend many times, both NP & SP, in my Jeep Liberty, Jeep Rubicon, and 80. All have lockers and never had to engage them out there. Even in the Ouray, Colorado area all but a few trails will require lockers. You will be just fine.
 
80's are beastly with open diffs... and you've got a pretty nice looking one.


Congrats on the new rig.
 
You wont need lockers for engineer's pass north of silverton. I have a 91 that makes it up there no problem without putting it in low gear.
 
Pin_Head said:
Drive it all over and if you find yourself getting stuck or needing the strap, put a Aussie/lockright auto locker in the rear for $300.

I don't agree with this Pinhead.

I respect your years of mechanical and off road experience, but this is the cheap and hillbilly way to go.

A proper equipped 80 with lockers (either OEM or aftermarket) will be selectable and constant. Why go for anything but what this rig was meant to handle?

:meh:
 
I don't agree with this Pinhead.

I respect your years of mechanical and off road experience, but this is the cheap and hillbilly way to go.

:meh:

So you didn't know I was a cheap hillbilly?

I drove my FJ40 for 10 years with a lockright and I tought it was the best bang for your off road buck.

Lunchbox lockers are easily reversible, so if you find that you want selectable lockers later, it won't cost you much to go back and add them.
 
No lockers though.


Should i give up any hope of Engineers Pass in Colorado?

You definitely don't need lockers for Engineer Pass. You hardly need 4-low.

Despite Onur's opinion an Aussie in the rear is an inexpensive and fine way to ad some traction. Sure ARB's would be nicer but way more coin. And if trails like Engineer are your goal then they would be overkill anyway.

That looks like a great truck and if you love it don't worry about what you paid for it. You'll hardly remember in a year anyway.
 
I wouldn't worry about it. Most of the people who have lockers and mud tires rarely use them. Same for winches and that includes me. :)

There's a lot to four wheeling where driving ability and experience count. A guy with lockers and no experience won't go where a guy with loads of off road experience will.
 
I've never been wheeling in Colorado, but some people from our local club went there to try the trails a few years ago in a rented Jeep 4dr JK. I recall them mentioning that driving on the trails there was like driving on sand paper. Where I wheel (Eastern Ontario/ Western Quebec), I need lockers to do the tougher trails. Going through water, mud, and then rocks makes things wet and slippery, and the 80 needs all the grip it can get due to it's weight. A couple of weeks ago I was wheeling with a couple of guys in our club with BJ74's. Near the end of the trail, one was in front of me and he went through a small mud pit that was situated in front of a angled rock face. He made it through the mud pit and up the rock face with no issues, but he had a rear ARB locker. So, I figured no problem I'll go through as well. I made it half way into the mud pit and got stuck momentarily (only front locker working). I could feel the truck sink as I made my way in, whereas he just seemed to float across the water (we both had Toyo MTs -33" for his and 35" on mine). I was able to reverse and try again with a little more momentum and I made it through and up the rock face. I believe I wouldn't have a chance without lockers. Just my 2 cents...
 
Pin_Head said:
So you didn't know I was a cheap hillbilly?

I drove my FJ40 for 10 years with a lockright and I tought it was the best bang for your off road buck.

Enough said "your FJ40": the simplest reproduction of a domestic vehicle ever manufactured. :lol: ;) but done significantly better by our friends in Nagoya. Which is why thousands of people continue to build FJ40s as opposed to Willy Jeeps.

Like I said, I respect your mechanical aptitude and your contributions to the Land Cruiser heritage (hell, I used you tutorial on my 2F carb. ;) ), but I still think the 80 series is a significantly different beast than the old school FJ40. I personally would not be happy with a lockright or any other unit in my 80 series diffs that wasn't either an ARB or an OEM elocker. :meh:
 

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