80 owners obsessed with lockers?

[OGBeno]

I met the man from Toyota who was responsible for persuading Toyota to put e-lockers on the 80-series. He was on the planning committee of many Toyota 4WD vehicles. He'll be featured in the next issue of 4WD Toyota Owner magazine. He's got some cool stories about dealers begging Toyota HQ for more locked Cruisers!

Dave

Dave--

Thanks for the editorial tidbit. This interview is going to make me finally ante up and subscribe to your mag.

As i have gotten more and more into my LC, I realize that I am equally if not more interested in the technological/technical development and historical development of the LC as I am into driving it...a discussion about the management/R & D conversations going into having lockers as an option in a consumer vehicle makes for good automotive history.

Paypal coming your way soon.

Thanks for the bait.

Later.
-onur
Akron, OH

 

[Mikesta]

Lockers... get stuck.. use them. Know the obsession is a reality that you will like.

 

[MH_Stevens]

Let me ask this question another way. Who has NEEDED (I mean needed - not played with for fun or experience - REALLY needed) to use their lockers? If you have please tell of the situation that made this necessary.

Mike S

 

[e9999]

When I was at Pismo, I "needed" my lockers to go up steep dunes.
What I'd do was to choose a steep dune. Try first unlocked. Would stall. Go back, and go again, each time adding a locker until I'd get over it. Illustrated quite clearly the usefulness of lockers. Now, could I do all dunes? No, some were too steep even with 3 lockers on. Was there a difference in the dunes that I could do with and without? Yes, huge! Did I really *need* them to get out of the dunes? No. Could I have found a way out of the dunes without lockers? Yes. Could I have been unlucky some other time and be stuck there without lockers? Yes, some bowls were hard to get out of. I went out some night and could not see much. Without lockers I could have been out there for a couple of hours trying to find a way out or digging when I went down some deeper bowl (hard to judge in the dark) and needed the lockers to get out.

Other time, went up Miller. Wet and muddy and rocky. Another fellow without lockers had to be winched up a couple of times over some big rocks. I didn't need to. Did I *need* to go up Miller? Nope, could I have taken the freeway. Could I have found myself in that situation while exploring the backcountry? Sure.

The above was avoidable.
One time I was in Baja. Went up some trail near the shore. Turns out the trail was submerged at high tide. It got to be very muddy unexpectedly quick. Recognized the problem but if I had lingered longer, I could have easily been stuck in the mud and hit by the high tide if I didn't have lockers or Trac Con to get out. One of those instances when the lockers would mean a difference between OK and disaster. Did I *need* to take that trail? No.

You don't need to do any of this. But if you never go offroad, then what is the point of getting a cruiser, eh?


What it boils down to is, IMHO: do you *need* lockers? No. Do you want lockers? Yes. Should you get a locked rig? Yes, since they are almost free if you are patient enough. Would I pass out on some amazing deal on an unlocked rig? Not if I didn't plan to do more than light or moderate offroading, but otherwise I would (and have for that matter).

 

[landtank]

I found myself in a puddle that was about 3 feet deep. It was off in the woods out in North Adams MA and I could not climb out of it unlocked. Did I need lockers, no, I could have hiked out and called a tow truck, which was were my buddy was heading as he climbed out the sun roof. I locked everything and drove out of it with ease. The funny thing was that my other Rover friend commented on how the right tires makes all the difference. I left that one alone.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

The only times that I needed my lockers is when I put myself in a position to need them. I could have went around that section of the trail, but what fun is that?

 

[Mikesta]

Let me ask this question another way. Who has NEEDED (I mean needed - not played with for fun or experience - REALLY needed) to use their lockers? If you have please tell of the situation that made this necessary.

Mike S

Just posted this yesterday. Was up in Orcas island... in the back woods on a logging road.

Muddy.

Going through thick brush down a hill... no turn around spots. Got stuck in mud.

Put in 4wd Low. Mud flung like mud flings.

Engaged lockers in reverse. Stuck? Who's stuck.

If I didnt have lockers. Would have:

Muddy Brand new shoes.
Muddy Carpet.
Perhaps 1-6 hours walking to the nearest home to call for a rare towtruck on the island to pull me out.
A cold and pissed off wife. (Avoiding this is worth the extra money spent on lockers).
--- Also wouldnt be posting now. Changing the course of history.

 

[Mikesta]

Here is a video.

Locked - Going up a steep hill from a standstill. Couldnt do it otherwise. Did it slowly as well.

Unlocked - 2-3 foot water in road.

Missing - lots of mud

http://fjtoys.com/movies/insearchofmud.wmv

................. Click here for Video ......................

or go to

www.fjtoys.com/video and right click the 40th anniversary picture and save target as:

 

[fj803fe]

Let me ask this question another way. Who has NEEDED (I mean needed - not played with for fun or experience - REALLY needed) to use their lockers? If you have please tell of the situation that made this necessary.

Mike S

I use my lockers about 1-2 times/week-not as much during the dry months. After wheeling since 15 I get myself into situations where I NEED my lockers too many times to count.

That said, it is funny to hear wheeling noobs demand lockers. If you want to have a chance to LEARN to offroad and drive the vehicle to its limits-wheel w/o lockers. Chances are if you are new to wheeling you aren't going to be in a situation like Pritchett, 21 Road, Carnage Canyon, or otherwise. If you are and you have never off-roaded your rig before-you are an idiot. If you take your first few trails at 3 to 3+ rating and you find yourself engaging your lockers when the trail clearly does not call for them-you may want to re-think off-roading at all.

But then again I always love to see the noobs taking their runs on trails outrageously above their skill levels.

If you think off-roading doesn't require significant driving skill, you should stop and re-think again before you hurt your rig, yourself, or someone around you.

Even more to the point-you would be AMAZED at the trails (Though a totally subjective statement) you can do w/ an 80 unlocked with good driving. I've had my unlocked 85 4Runner and unlocked (back in the day) 80 through Golden Spike on a couple of different occasions-with strap help here and there mind you. Also, if you find yourself in a "walking" spin on a climb w/ f&r locked-try unlocking-you may just climb right up!

 

[freightdog]

I was obssesed with lockers on my 60 (ARB) because where I live - we have the rear locked quite a bit - I never used my front locker so I was never really worried about the front -

My 40 = no lockers and it is more of a Pink Panty mobile than my locked 80 - that being said when I build my 40 it will be locked...

The 80 has the factory locker option so now I am obsessed with a CDL and huge lights up front = free range cows for 76 miles to town in the dark...

 

[e9999]

I find this argument in favor of buying without lockers that I read often -that one should first learn to wheel w/o lockers- a bit strange. It's kinda used as a "consolation prize" to buy a rig w/o locker, it seems. Uh???.

Well, if you really believe that, buy a rig with lockers anyway and don't use them at first! Not a very good argument IMHO

 

[firetruck41]

Well, if you really believe that, buy a rig with lockers anyway and don't use them at first! Not a very good argument IMHO

Exactly, why buy a rig w/out lockers when you can get one w/lockers for the same price? If you want to learn w/out them, just don't turn the switch!

 

[Tools R Us]

Exactly, why buy a rig w/out lockers when you can get one w/lockers for the same price? If you want to learn w/out them, just don't turn the switch!

I agree, if your shopping for an 80 why not shop locked? If that's obsessed, so be it!

Lockers are trail friendly if used correctly, mainly on up hill sections. Unlocked rigs spin and dig holes, eroding the trail, mostly from the knob behind the wheel using too much skinny pedal. A locked rig can climb the same hill and not spin a wheel, preserving the trail for the next guy.

 

[Cruisin'Carolina]

Ok, so everyone knows I don't wheel my locked 80....yet.

That being said, the two times that come to mind when I could have used lockers, I wasn't even wheeling.

I got stuck working Hurricane Fran in my 94 Hilux, all I did was a uturn, two passenger side wheels dropped off pavement and whole truck sank in the Eastern Carolina 20 inch rain soaked mud. Two wheels on pavement, two off. Guess which ones had the "power" going to them. Same type of thing happened a year later.

 

[fj803fe]

I agree, if your shopping for an 80 why not shop locked? If that's obsessed, so be it!

Lockers are trail friendly if used correctly, mainly on up hill sections. Unlocked rigs spin and dig holes, eroding the trail, mostly from the knob behind the wheel using too much skinny pedal. A locked rig can climb the same hill and not spin a wheel, preserving the trail for the next guy.

Not ALWAYS the case-sometimes unlocked IS better-if you can imagine.

I find this argument in favor of buying without lockers that I read often -that one should first learn to wheel w/o lockers- a bit strange. It's kinda used as a "consolation prize" to buy a rig w/o locker, it seems. Uh???.

Well, if you really believe that, buy a rig with lockers anyway and don't use them at first! Not a very good argument IMHO

If you are reffering to my post-I never said that. Its not strange at all-quite the opposite IMO. Knowing how each tire will respond in flex situations is important-moreover learning the limits of the vehicle w/o locking will give you the off-road driving skills needed to situate yourself safely on VERY difficult obstacles-where you may lock as needed.

I only hate to see the F&R go in before one even gets to the climb/obstacle-most, who I know who do this, just blindly lock, thinking they are therein capable of ANY line and fail to think about the vehicles angle/approach/position before, during, and after the obstacle/climb-A very important skill IMVHO.

However, in a stuck mud/snow/ice situation on flat ground-they can be helpful, though, depending on the conditions they can also hurt.

Again, I never said anything to hint toward buying/not buying a rig w/ factory lockers. Similarly however, I feel that implies that it shouldn't be the only hinge for the door to the purchase, so to speak.

 

[Tools R Us]

Not ALWAYS the case-sometimes unlocked IS better-if you can imagine.

Did you notice this part, "Lockers are trail friendly if used correctly"? Maybe someday I will get to your level of imagination.

 

[fj803fe]

Did you notice this part, "Lockers are trail friendly if used correctly"? Maybe someday I will get to your level of imagination.

Maybe, but you are not there yet

Sorry for the SNAFU...I'll crawl back to my hole now...

 

[NorCalSam]

Slower is best, most accidents I've witnessed were unlocked vehicles hitting obsticles fast and hard (multiple times) to get over them. That's why it is good to have lockers, I usually lock my rear on these type obsticles so I can just crawl over them.

Also high rpm spinning of wheels trying to get un-stuck on open vehicles is probably the most common cause of breakage.

Dido that he hit the nail on the head.

Also the lockers compensate for the tremendous weight of the cruiser on steep terrian.

Sam