ARB- Imitation Air Lockers

[Brizcruza]

Hi Guys,

After some personal experiences with some of the cheaper air lockers - ARB clones so to speak.

How strong are they?
Any repair/warranty issues?
How durable & reliable are they?

Cheers guys

 

[roscoFJ73]

There has been some discussion on various forums but I have yet to see anyone take the plunge.

Lockers are something you depend on in extreme conditions,if you blow a diff half way up a steep canyon,no tow truck will be coming to tow you home.

Warranty will be highly suspect unless there is a local dealer that you can bang on his door.
It wont be much good sending angry emails to China.

 

[cicak]

from here news is all BAD

1. some some workshops - they will not install a CHINA ("ARB COPY") in the REAR DIFF AT all. - ZIP warranty. They change the bearings immeditely before install to JAPANESE bearings and TOSS the china ones
2. IF install in FRONT use SPARINGLY and do not GAS it. ZIP warranty

this is from bitter hard experience by them and customers.

I want lockers for the HANDBAG LC II - ARB or TOYOTA factory only the "twice the price of a CHINA locker" does not even comapre to the costs of tossing in a new CHINA locker when it SNAPS first usage and running the rest of the trip in 2WD and a winch or running home on FWD only

 

[gotoy]

The imitation ARB lockers have a high tendancy to break and have a short life span.

 

[Radd Cruisers]

The imitation ARB lockers have a high tendancy to break and have a short life span.

That pretty much sums it up.

The TJM lockers are a really good option.

~John

 

[Tigerstripe40]

Check out this video

ARB Air Locker vs Yukon Zip Locker - YouTube

Pretty much sums it all up for me.
ARB for the win.

 

[kbushnz]

Here is another video comparing to a Chinese copy locker
ARB Air Locker Comparison - YouTube

 

[Tapage]

well not blaming on ARB lockers .. but I do know the breaking point of 'em ..

 

[Hulsty]

No experience with the chinese ones, only read stuff on forums, what I have read has been SHORT TERM, they seemed ok for stock light vehicles with standard tyres.

As per Tapage above, I have also found the limits of a genuine ARB, shattered the internals, but getting parts was easy and ARB support their products, good luck with the Chinese version.

 

[carpet]

i agree with Hulsty, with ARB even if its just the ease of sourcing parts for repair its probably worth the extra $$

the only thing with both those vids they don't seem to test for impact loading? sudden amounts of torque on and off like a real world situation, for example tyers biting slipping and biting again.

rather they only test steady increase of load until failing.

just my 2c

 

[Hulsty]

FYI My ARB died from shock loading, same with Tapage I think.

 

[Tapage]

FYI My ARB died from shock loading, same with Tapage I think.

indeed ..

 

[gotoy]

indeed ..

How did it happen?

 

[Tapage]

How did it happen?

first part came here ..

Tencha uphill part I - YouTube

second came here

How to kill ARB locker - YouTube

result ..

there is thread in the Hard Core section with more pics ..

 

[gotoy]

Wow, that is extreme.

 

[Hulsty]

Mine looked pretty much exactly the same, on 35''s giving it a hard time, air borne on the governor in low 2nd, CRACK!! On the plus side I drove a track that my mates Patrol couldnt.