About to pull the trigger on a LOKKA (1 Viewer)

[thebeedeegee]

I'm really close to trying out a LOKKA in the rear of my 1999 LX. I've emailed with ZUK about the ability to swap the LS back in if I don't like it, and it sounds like its doable....

So here we are. I don't daily this, but I do drive it quite a bit. I'm worried about how the auto locker will perform on long highway drives. Not worried about snow. I really want the extra traction for hunting season and offroad trails. I've gotten into 2 situations where a locker would have saved me and I want the option now. Before you say it, yes I know a selectable locker is better, I don't have the funds for that route.

I figure I can throw it in, try it for a while and if it sucks or feels sketchy, pull it out and put the stock carrier and clutch plates back in.

Is this a bad idea?

 

[flintknapper]

IF you do it, please document it. Others might be interested.

Does LOKKA actually have the unit (in stock) to sell you?

I know they supposedly offer it (auto locker to replace L/S diff) but I've never seen or heard of anyone actually getting their hands on one.

 

[thebeedeegee]

IF you do it, please document it. Others might be interested.

Does LOKKA actually have the unit (in stock) to sell you?

I know they supposedly offer it (auto locker to replace L/S diff) but I've never seen or heard of anyone actually getting their hands on one.

It's listed as available, I ordered it this morning so we will see. I will document the install the best I can for future ih8mud'ians

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Had an auto locker in my 60 rear, you'd never notice it on highways, only time I did was in turns (click click click) and then off road if it was slick/snow, it turns the back end into a giant auger and sucks everything to the PS.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Now I'm also looking at the part time conversion kit with the front lokka. All in you can get the kit with a spool, spool bearing , hubs, and lokka for $700.

So you could end up with a triple locked LX470 for like $1000......Selectable is more than double that with pro install. I wonder about the quality of the components though, if I open up my Tcase only to have the spool fail later or something that would suck


man this quarantine is giving me too much time on my hands.

 

[flintknapper]

Now I'm also looking at the part time conversion kit with the front lokka. All in you can get the kit with a spool, spool bearing , hubs, and lokka for $700.

So you could end up with a triple locked LX470 for like $1000......Selectable is more than double that with pro install.

^^^^

Selectable front and rear, pro install, shipping, tax, etc.....is going to run you a bit North of 3K so more like 3 times what you propose with the LOKKA gear.

Don't know how well the LOKKA products will hold up....but somebody's got to be the trail blazer. Let us know how it goes.

 

[thebeedeegee]

^^^^

Selectable front and rear, pro install, shipping, tax, etc.....is going to run you a bit North of 3K so more like 3 times what you propose with the LOKKA gear.

Don't know how well the LOKKA products will hold up....but somebody's got to be the trail blazer. Let us know how it goes.

Yeah you're right. I had priced getting a Harrop in the rear and shipping to ZUK to install, and that would have been around $1800 with shipping for the rear only doing the 3rd remove and install myself. so yeah crazy expensive. I don't wheel enough to warrant that kind of money buuuut if I could do front and rear for $1k that ain't bad. Since I'm keeping this truck forever im only really worried about part life

 

[thebeedeegee]

I ordered last Friday, never got any order update other than the confirmation from Paypal, Lokka's facebook is littered with people talking about not getting order updates for weeks and Lokka not responding to emails....then the part just showing up weeks later. That kinda sucks, especially if you are trying to get up with them to get warranty replacement parts.

I'll be the guinea pig though we'll see how this goes.

I've thought more about the front LOKKA, and doing the part time conversion. Not sure if I like the idea of having to get out of the LX and lock the hubs every time I go off road. If I understand correctly I would have to get out lock the hubs once I got to the trail, then I would press the CDL to actually engage 4x4. What I'm kind of confused about is will the front bind up on tight turns if the hubs were locked WITHOUT the center locked with the LOKKA in front?

Could I ,in theory ,drive around with the front hubs locked (CDL unlocked) and the LOKKA would allow differential action in the front until I locked the CDL and the engine actually started turning the CV's. I understand with the front hubs locked the components would spin, but it would be the road turning them not the engine until the CDL is pushed.

 

[flintknapper]

I ordered last Friday, never got any order update other than the confirmation from Paypal, Lokka's facebook is littered with people talking about not getting order updates for weeks and Lokka not responding to emails....then the part just showing up weeks later. That kinda sucks, especially if you are trying to get up with them to get warranty replacement parts.

I'll be the guinea pig though we'll see how this goes.

I've thought more about the front LOKKA, and doing the part time conversion. Not sure if I like the idea of having to get out of the LX and lock the hubs every time I go off road. If I understand correctly I would have to get out lock the hubs once I got to the trail, then I would press the CDL to actually engage 4x4. What I'm kind of confused about is will the front bind up on tight turns if the hubs were locked WITHOUT the center locked with the LOKKA in front?

Could I ,in theory ,drive around with the front hubs locked (CDL unlocked) and the LOKKA would allow differential action in the front until I locked the CDL and the engine actually started turning the CV's. I understand with the front hubs locked the components would spin, but it would be the road turning them not the engine until the CDL is pushed.

Should work exactly as you have depicted.

I have a couple of Broncos ('70 model Half Cab and '90 model full size) that have auto lockers front and rear. Full detroit locker in the rear of the 1/2 cab and lockright in the front. Lockright front and rear of the 90 model. Most of the time on the ranch I leave the front hubs locked and simply engage 4WD (t-case) when needed and never have any problems with binding.

The auto lockers will 'ratchet' (or at least are supposed to) until they are 'driven' from the power-train.

 

[ClassyJalopy]

Following. Thanks for sharing your progress here.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Well, I ordered on 7/31 and I've emailed 3 times. I found a few emails online isales@lokka.com, iorders@lokka.com, and I submitted request on the Lokka website, and 4wdsystems(which is the company name the payment went to)

Haven't heard anything, no status update, nothing but the paypal payment confirmation. I'm giving them until end of the day Tuesday since they are in Australia, then I'm disputing the charges. This is bull**** a company can't even give you an update after taking your money.

 

[flintknapper]

Well, I ordered on 7/31 and I've emailed 3 times. I found a few emails online isales@lokka.com, iorders@lokka.com, and I submitted request on the Lokka website, and 4wdsystems(which is the company name the payment went to)

Haven't heard anything, no status update, nothing but the paypal payment confirmation. I'm giving them until end of the day Tuesday since they are in Australia, then I'm disputing the charges. This is bulls*** a company can't even give you an update after taking your money.

Hope it works out for you. Maybe give them a few more days....but this is why I had concerns back in post #2. A few years ago this was brought up and at that time...no one could get conclusive answers as whether or not the item was actually available for shipment.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Hope it works out for you. Maybe give them a few more days....but this is why I had concerns back in post #2. A few years ago this was brought up and at that time...no one could get conclusive answers as whether or not the item was actually available for shipment.

yeah, I want to try and give them a chance because I really want to try it. But dang man yall can't at least respond to say "order recieved!" or " we got your order but it will take us a month to get it made" just something

 

[abuck99]

I'd Skype or WhatsApp them - (free or pennies a minute) call them during business hours: Time difference between Eastern Standard Time and Adelaide SA is 13hrs 30 minutes ( yep sounds crazy but Oz has 30 minute time zones!!).
So Sunday night 8pm EST is 9:30am Monday in Adelaide.

Dial: 011 61 8362 5955

4WD Systems
50-52 Payneham Road
Stepney, SA, 5069 tel (08) 8362 5955

 

[pjess50]

I'm really close to trying out a LOKKA in the rear of my 1999 LX. I've emailed with ZUK about the ability to swap the LS back in if I don't like it, and it sounds like its doable....

So here we are. I don't daily this, but I do drive it quite a bit. I'm worried about how the auto locker will perform on long highway drives. Not worried about snow. I really want the extra traction for hunting season and offroad trails. I've gotten into 2 situations where a locker would have saved me and I want the option now. Before you say it, yes I know a selectable locker is better, I don't have the funds for that route.

I figure I can throw it in, try it for a while and if it sucks or feels sketchy, pull it out and put the stock carrier and clutch plates back in.

Is this a bad idea?

I had a Lokka in my 1994 80 series and I loved it. I put 60k miles on it before selling the truck to my brother and he’s still driving it. No issues whatsoever and it worked like a champ off-road. You can hear it click on tight turns but that never bothered me.

 

[medtro]

yeah, I want to try and give them a chance because I really want to try it. But dang man yall can't at least respond to say "order recieved!" or " we got your order but it will take us a month to get it made" just something

I contacted them before, and it could take more than 2 weeks to get an one sentence reply from them.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Tried to call but the number wouldn't go through.

I messaged them on Facebook and got an automated response that they are "slammed" and working through orders as fast as they can and are in the process of installing new machines and hiring more people. I'll wait and see what happens.

 

[flintknapper]

Tried to call but the number wouldn't go through.

I messaged them on Facebook and got an automated response that they are "slammed" and working through orders as fast as they can and are in the process of installing new machines and hiring more people. I'll wait and see what happens.

Well...at least you got a response. Please keep us informed. Interested to see how this turns out.

 

[thebeedeegee]

Got them on the phone, but my 5 min free on skype ran out before they could get me an update. Then I got this email as soon as I hung up...


"Sorry for the delay

Things have gone crazy with Lokka sales recently and we are struggling to keep up with demand, my normally high levels of stock have been depleted. My factory is running at 500% of normal and about to increase to 1000%

Almost half of all my popular models are on backorder but coming through quite quickly - most are days to a week away.

The cam gears for this model are in heat treatment today and should be back in the next couple of days - I expect to ship this week.

I apologise for this - since 1993 we have never seen anything like it and cant really explain why

Regards

Raleigh"
"

 

[MongooseGA]

Glad they got back to you. Seems like a business in the weeds just trying to keep above water. I can appreciate the difficulty in scaling up (especially 500-1000%!) very quickly.

I'm very interested in your experience with the parts when they arrive. This could be a great option for guys wanting lockers without spending serious coin.