Can We Get Real About Aussie Locker for a Minute? (1 Viewer)

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The chirping I was referring to is related to the tires scrubbing the ground with steering wheel turned. I liked my fj40 equipped with lockrites but I like the selectable lockers in 80 better because they offer the best of both worlds but of course this comes at a cost.
 
I also had a lot of scrubbing in the 40 when turning with both front and rear locked. That is because the front and rear wheels have a different turn radius and wheel speed and there is no center differential to split the difference. It is nice to be able to turn it off.
 
I also had a lot of scrubbing in the 40 when turning with both front and rear locked. That is because the front and rear wheels have a different turn radius and wheel speed and there is no center differential to split the difference. It is nice to be able to turn it off.
I don’t disagree with what you’ve said but I think we are on different tracks of thought. The bottom line is wheeling is fun and when it’s done in a landcruiser, it’s even more fun. :)
 
I’m pretty sure this explaination holds true only on the street at higher than trail speeds, otherwise, the auto locker would be useless off road.

It's taken me a while to try and figure out the aussie / lokka /detroit lockers.

My understanding now is this:

In a situation where there is no load, they default to locking both sides, the springs push the sides of the locker into the other tooth faces and the rear is locked.

When there is torque through the differential, and load on both sides, the locker remains locked as above.

When there is wheel slippage on one side the torque remains on the side with traction and both continue to stay locked.

When it acts like a differential, so driving on a surface with traction around a corner, the inner wheel (slower spinning of the two) remains locked and applies force to that tire, the outer wheel, is pulled faster by the greater distance under the outside tire pulling it forward (at a slightly greater speed) this tire isn't under load as the inner is providing the driving force and the locker allows the center section to cam inwards against the cross pin, relieving spring pressure and allowing the outer tire to unlock.

Its the crosspin and the inner components that press against it that put pressure on the components to lock sides, the only time it doesn't have the inner piece pushed outward by a rotating force is when the outer tire is pulled faster when not really under load.

This is my understanding, I hope @Aussie_Locker can verify or deny it. It's pretty cool to have a rep from a large vendor/manufacturer show up to provide technical input on this forum once in a while.

The only downside, as compared to a normal open diff, is that power on pavement is kind of only applied to the inner tire when traveling around a corner with full traction, and putting all power to one tire creates a situation where it's a bit easier to break a tire loose, which then turns into a locked rear. Easier done on ice/snow and perhaps the source of the claims comes from.

Having said that, my comment is not meant in a negative sense, just technical. I've ran the aussie on my 60, and my friend has them in his, I would recommend them for an 80 you go wheeling with, but NOT for one that's just used on the street with no real need for a locker, or for someone who drives an 80 as a commuter on icy highways but is not very comfortable driving in icy road conditions.
 
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Its the crosspin and the inner components that press against it that put pressure on the components to lock sides, the only time it doesn't have the inner piece pushed outward by a rotating force is when the outer tire is pulled faster when not really under load.

This is mostly true, but you are missing the effect of the contact of the tire on the pavement in driving one wheel faster than the other the vast majority of the time. The tires are almost never rotating at the exact same speed.

The pressure of the cross pin on the oval cut out of the coupler forces the teeth to mesh and the side to lock. However, as soon as one tire is driven even slightly faster than the other tire, the ratcheting cycle begins for that side. The ratcheting cycle starts as soon as the coupler for the fast side loses contact with the cross pin. As the speed differential makes the clearance of the coupler oval and the cross pin to increase, it finally hits rotational limit imposed by the slots in the coupler and pin in the driver. When it hits the limit, the teeth separate and the driver/coupler ratchets (slips) by one tooth. The cycle continues as long as the speed differential continues.

There are a lot of reasons why the tires are almost never rotating at exactly the same speed. The road is crowned, the road isn't exactly straight, the tires aren't exactly the same circumference and on and on.

Both sides lock when one tire slips and they will both stay locked until both tires regain traction.
 
Another $.02. I'm in a 60 with a rear aussie, and I'll agree that there are some off camber issues to worry about in wet snow and ice. When a wheel starts slipping and then they lock together, the wheels turning together can lose their ability to hold laterally on a side slope. This is especially apparent when starting off at low speed. Result? The rear wheels can spin together and slip sideways downhill until the rear end falls off the road or hits a tree. With an unlocked rear diff, one wheel would be driving (and perhaps spinning) but the other freewheeling tire will usually help hold the lateral position of the truck.

There's a logging road that I drive often with a short section that's tilted about 20° off camber and has a steep soft shoulder. After a bad experience there while driving quite slowly, I now either carry a bit of speed through the section, or make sure to put chains on, which are my main tool to keep the rear end going in a straight line when in icy conditions where the road camber is unpredictable.
 
Well you can't just give up and leave the truck half off the road, you gotta keep going somehow.
 
Well you can't just give up and leave the truck half off the road, you gotta keep going somehow.
Sure, but you need traction to move and you have almost none with both wheels slipping on ice no matter how fast they slip. You need to back off the power until the wheels stop slipping and then see if you can move forward. If not, then back up and take a longer run at it so you have some momentum. When driving on ice it is a good idea to drive like you have an egg between your foot and the gas pedal.
 
Most people would let up on the gas pedal before before that happens.
I’ve had my Aussie locker do exactly this even idling. Once they start spinning together, it doesn’t stop until the wheels stop moving, in my experience. Then you’re in a different frying pan depending on how precarious yiur position. If I ever get around to it, I’ll probably put in a selectable locker. For now I overcome it. But I don’t wheel hard enough for it to be a make or break issue.
 

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