97 Lexus LX450 w/o Locking Diffs

[SpamEggsandRice]

I've had this vehicle for a while just sitting on the back burner of projects to do. Well now is the time to work on it.

As the title says, it does not have the magic switch for the locking front and rear diffs.

What are my options to get locking F/R diffs on this vehicle? I'm open to all suggestions and value your input. Thanks in advance.

-Michael

 

[sbman]

You'll hear lots of opinions here and people will tell you everything including that you don't need them.

Your options for installation are:

• Find used axles with toyota lockers, harness and controller, swap it all in
• Find used thirds with toyota lockers and I believe you have to modify your housing slightly to make them fit, come up with your own control stuff or find the toyota harness and controller
• Install ARB's in your thirds and use Air to actuate them
• Install Harrop E-Lockers in your thirds and use electricity to actuate them.

I've gone the ARB route myself and I'm satisfied with it. I have no experience with the others. I had Zuk install the ARB in my third, I sent it and my third to him UPS and received it back a bit later ready to install.

 

[retrofive]

Tossing in the auto/lunchbox route as well. Aussie/Detroit/etc/etc

 

[wardharris]

You'll hear lots of opinions here and people will tell you everything including that you don't need them.

Your options for installation are:

• Find used axles with toyota lockers, harness and controller, swap it all in
• Find used thirds with toyota lockers and I believe you have to modify your housing slightly to make them fit, come up with your own control stuff or find the toyota harness and controller
• Install ARB's in your thirds and use Air to actuate them
• Install Harrop E-Lockers in your thirds and use electricity to actuate them.

I've gone the ARB route myself and I'm satisfied with it. I have no experience with the others. I had Zuk install the ARB in my third, I sent it and my third to him UPS and received it back a bit later ready to install.

Well said and right on. Ken Francisco aka Zuk @gearinstalls.com gearinstalls.com is the best kept resource in the offroad Toyota community. Honest, competent, timely and just plain nice to do business with. Whatever course you take, do yourself a favor and shoot him a PM or email at gearinstalls@gmail.com. You will not be disappointed.....even if you hire someone else to do the work.

Congrats and good luck!

 

[SpamEggsandRice]

Thanks for your input. After looking at all the options , I'm going to go with the Elockers.

 

[LINUS]

Totally my opinion, but my ARB locked LX450 was a hell of alot more stout than I dare go crazy on e-lockers in. Fear of beating up a RR PS side shaft & splines, etc.

Only reason I sold it was I drove my past dog to the vet so much in it, when he died I just felt it was his 'death cab' - and it just sucked.

The ARB's hit quicker, are tough as and more than e-lockers.

I swapped in e-lockers back when, but now with some 80 parts including locker wire harnesses dropping off from availability - I'd be hard pressed to do e-lockers again.

Just my opinion having had both, your 80/450 & your pocketbook. GL!

 

[Str8Razor]

ARB's no question, when I was looking for my 80 i specifically wanted one with open diff's so I could install ARB's....they are stronger than an open diff and you get the added bonus of having on board air.... search the issues with factory lockers and you will see they have their issues.... i have had 5 ARB's in different toyotas and couldn't be happier with the performance... with a bit of technical finesse you can make the ARB's work on the factory toyota diff lock switch....just my.02

 

[SpamEggsandRice]

Totally my opinion, but my ARB locked LX450 was a hell of alot more stout than I dare go crazy on e-lockers in. Fear of beating up a RR PS side shaft & splines, etc.

Only reason I sold it was I drove my past dog to the vet so much in it, when he died I just felt it was his 'death cab' - and it just sucked.

The ARB's hit quicker, are tough as and more than e-lockers.

I swapped in e-lockers back when, but now with some 80 parts including locker wire harnesses dropping off from availability - I'd be hard pressed to do e-lockers again.

Just my opinion having had both, your 80/450 & your pocketbook. GL!

I do value your opinion and upon posting this topic I knew there would be many. I've talked to about 15 people so far who have owned or currently running the ARB or Elocker. Some of the people are climbers and others were like me who will be doing mostly trails. Surprisingly there was nothing negative said about either brand. It comes down to personal preference and the primary intended use. I like the fact that the Elocker is electronically activate which will allow me to purchase the factory diff lock knob and keep the dash in its OEM apperance.

 

[SpamEggsandRice]

ARB's no question, when I was looking for my 80 i specifically wanted one with open diff's so I could install ARB's....they are stronger than an open diff and you get the added bonus of having on board air.... search the issues with factory lockers and you will see they have their issues.... i have had 5 ARB's in different toyotas and couldn't be happier with the performance... with a bit of technical finesse you can make the ARB's work on the factory toyota diff lock switch....just my.02

I didn't and still don't know too much about 4wd, locking diffs, or anything like that. Hell, I just now figured out what 3rd's were. It was purchased because of a growing family and my wife would not be caught dead driving a mini van. It has actually worked in my favor because she got a company car and the LX has just been in the garage for years. I had no interest in doing anything to it until recently.

I've done a lot or research since I've posted this topic and pretty much decided what route I'm going to take and who will perform the work. I found a place called ACC Garage in Georgia which is a couple hours away from where I live who specializes in Toyota Off road vehicles. I just had some BFG KM2's installed yesterday.

 

[wardharris]

TECH CLARIFICATION & HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES
Good decisions are based upon good information. The Mud Swarm is a great place to acquire credible intel and the opinions of owners, installers and vendors. Take it all with a grain of salt, including mine to follow

We have imported several hundred elockers in the last two years and it is important for us to have an informed customer. The cost to purchase and install a set of manually actuated lockers (OEM cable or electric, air or Harrop/Eaton) can run up to over four thousand dollars with lockers, labor, related parts, shipping, etc. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what you buy or who installs it - if you are happy with the results. So here is our two cents:

1. The term "elocker" is inexact in that it covers both OEM Toyota lockers and Harrop/Eaton aftermarket lockers. They are structurally and functionally different. The OEM housing, carrier, external actuator, wiring harness and "computer" are all different than the Harrop Eaton ELockersTM product, which features an internal actuator comprised of a ring magnet that engages the locking mechanism when energized.
2. Installing an "elocker" need not involve carrier or housing modification, used wiring, out of stock OEM parts replacement, addition of aftermarket actuator skid plates/guards, etc. if you go with the Harrop/Eaton elocker.
3. ARB air and Harrop/Eaton electric lockers are comparable products - well built and capable of effective and long service. Each has features and benefits that provide for a distinctly different user experience - including economics of purchase, required install parts, install labor and long-term maintenance over the ownership lifecycle.
4. Brian Dugan and the guys at ACC are the pioneers in the world of Harrop elockers. Once upon a time, Harrop elockers were distributed/sold in Australia by Ironman. During that period, the US reseller brought in a few Harrop/Eatons by order and ACC was the first (only?) reseller shop to sell them. ACC had a good experience with the product - good installs, happy customers, etc.
5. The US Ironman distributor at that time ceased operation and Ironman and Harrop ended their distribution relationship some years ago. I had been looking for a non-OEM elocker (just did not want air) and was disappointed when Brian said he did not have access to a US distributor. Based upon Brian's positive view of the Harrops, my partners and I started a business that includes their importation. If not for Brian, there may not be ANY Harrops in USA.
6. Terrain Tamer 4WD of Australia is the largest distributor of Harrop Eaton ELockersTM and those products are available through Cruiser Brothers in North America as Terrain Tamer importer/distributor here. We offer a full range of Harrop products supported by Terrain Tamer installation and differential rebuild kits, as well as non-standard gear sets - including new OEM two-locker switches to suit just about any vehicle installation. The example below is in our shop truck, a first gen Tacoma with two Harrops.
7. We usually sell to, through or in conjunction with recognized installing shops and resellers, who can be seen here www.cruiserbrothers.com Find a shop you trust, tell them what you want, why you want it and how you want to use it......

Good luck and thanks!

Ward