1999 Factory Rear Locker Worth it? ('99 vs '00 purchase question)

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rjones

rjones

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Location
Elk Grove, CA
Hello,

New to the forum after lurking around for a month or so. Did a quick search and didn't really find a discussion related to my question so I apologize up front if it's redundant.

Is the factory rear locker "good"?

I've settled on an LC100 and have been shopping around a bit and have found two nice examples both close in my area. There is a '99 with ~185k miles, seems a little cleaner, owner has good records and it has the factory rear locker. His asking is ~2k more than the '00 that I found (~170k miles, trade-in resell at auction, clean NMVTIS and CarFax and my buddy mechanic drove it giving his approval).

I plan on lots of mods over the next year or two so in my mind I am saving the cost of the ARB rear locker down the road. So am I? Is the factory rear locker good? I suspect from watching the ARB videos that the factory might not be as strong as the ARB but is it good? I don't mean good enough either. Is good so that I would not consider the ARB in the future?

Oh, I also like the color of the '99 better ;). Any insight would be very much appreciated.

rj
 
Go for the 99. The rear locker is plenty strong. The front diff is where you can throw in a ARB if/when it explodes. I personally think the front diff issue is overblown, but to each his own.
 
IMHO ATrac is a clown show compared to the rear locker if you intend to go off-road.
 
I have a 99 with the rear locker.

I put an ARB in the front last year to address the front diff's potential weakness, but so far the rear locker by itself has got me out of every tight spot I've encountered. Love it. The only part of the ARB I routinely use is the compressor, to reflate the tires.
 
99 ' just say-in... add in a elocker or ARB front and your there
 
Lowbudgetlc100 said:
really depend on what you really plan to do with your rig.
Click to expand...

Good question. I guess I should have included more of that.

I live in Northern CA and seemed to have caught the bug after a few snow camping trips and a few hours round trip into the Rubicon from Loon Lake with friends that wheel. Just enough to get me very interested. I'm a car guy but I have never been involved at an off-road level.

I would like to spend a couple years building a vehicle and my skill level to be able to run a trail like the Rubicon. After a lot of research and discussion with off-road buddies I've got my eye on the 100 series Land Cruiser. Camping, light towing, light off-roading increasing as ability and equipment permits to tougher trails. 2 kids and a wife so I've kept my eyes toward 4 doors. The vehicle shouldn't get too many miles aside from to and from the campsites and trailheads.

So, with all that said, on my to-do list if I did purchase a LC100 would be to lock the rear relatively early. So is the rear factory locker good and reliable?

Thanks again,
rj
 
What's up, from Chico!

I'd go for the '99 as well. I was sold on the '98 because lockers were something I always wanted in my 4Runner. Tbh, there's no way a locker would have been in the budget when I bought my 100 if it didn't come with one. Up here in the foothills the red mud gets really sticky. My friend has a '00 and he cannot get through it like I can (he gets through it though). While I'm steady and consistent, he's doing some weird dance with the pedal. I'm sure ATRAC is great and I really appreciate the advancement in technology, but to me it's not a locker.

EDIT: I should add that a big factor in my choice was that I wanted as few electronics as possible. I prefer machine > computer.
 
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It is probably way more then you will need. I have used it like 4 times. It is great to have, but not a game ending thing to have in these vehicles. The 100 is extremely capable just with the center locked, and ATRAC is very good at what it does. During HIH6 I got stuck in a pretty technical spot. I locked the rear and still had to give it a few tries to get up. The 100 behind me walked the same obstacle with little effort (still want to see those pics stan @paflytyer :p). Could be a line choice, tires, etc, but I say go for the truck you like the most, and don't base it off the locker vs ATRAC debate.
 
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If you know you will have the budget to add a locker I would go for a 100 with ATRAC and add a rear locker but if not then I'd go for just the rear locker option. I think ATRAC is good where loss of traction is unexpected or unpredictable in situations it wouldn't be ideal to run locked and lockers are good when loss of traction is predictable / expected. With centre and rear locked, ATRAC does a pretty good job of looking after the front end traction and you get the stronger front diff.
 
rjones said:
I would like to spend a couple years building a vehicle and my skill level to be able to run a trail like the Rubicon.
Click to expand...
IMHO, the 100 is not well suited for trails like the Rubicon. I'd choose something smaller or with a solid front axle or both.
 
hoser said:
IMHO, the 100 is not well suited for trails like the Rubicon. I'd choose something smaller or with a solid front axle or both.
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I thought with all the bypasses and reduction of trail obstacles you could run it is a Ford Explorer now?
 
Do best of both worlds. I have 01 with ATRAC, better front than the 99 and did a rear end swap off a 99 with locker.

ATRAC with rear locker and SLEE CPU. can't beat that.
 
I have a '99 with the factory rear locker, and I added an ARB locker up front, all controlled from a 80 series rear/front locker rotary switch. Works very well and I have had no problems with any of the system.
 
hoser said:
IMHO, the 100 is not well suited for trails like the Rubicon. I'd choose something smaller or with a solid front axle or both.
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i agree if the rubicon is the stuff you like the lc100 might be a bit to big and heavy. but if money is not a issue. atrac and locker. my friend and i were fortunate enough to find a wreck 99 donor to pull the locker out for my 2000. is the factory rear locker reliable enough? i have not heard any issues.
 
hoser said:
IMHO, the 100 is not well suited for trails like the Rubicon. I'd choose something smaller or with a solid front axle or both.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%.
 
savirc said:
Do best of both worlds. I have 01 with ATRAC, better front than the 99 and did a rear end swap off a 99 with locker.

ATRAC with rear locker and SLEE CPU. can't beat that.
Click to expand...

I was curious about doing something like this. Is there a write up somewhere?
 
hoser said:
IMHO, the 100 is not well suited for trails like the Rubicon. I'd choose something smaller or with a solid front axle or both.
Click to expand...
There's some short wheel base 100' series (two door) out there that may be able to take the Rubicon. The long wheel base is the biggest issue i think.
 
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