Aussie Locker in the front of an AWD vehicle

[Hefty]

This is the funniest debate I have read in a long time. So many wrong ideas of how an auto locker works and wether or not it is locked or unlocked and what not. WOW!

First off I don't own a toyota so you probably won't take my opinion to mean anything anyway. However after owning 4 Jeeps and a whole stable full of Broncos all of which were built for both off road and daily driving, I have learned a little about lockers over the years.

In a front application such as a Jeep, most of these are a part time 4wd application, so while in 2wd, a front locker is doing nothing but sitting in the housing. This obviously will not cause any issues with driveability. With my front locker in 4wd I would be lucky to make a u-turn around a 6 block radius. Good luck parking without doing a 6 point turn. What about slick road conditions. My rear gives me a hell of a time on ice. With the front locked in these conditions, no matter what way I turn the wheel the truck goes where it wants.

The bottom line is that the manufactures don't recommend the front application for a very specific reason. ITS NOT SAFE ON THE ROAD!!!

 

[alkaline747trio]

This is the funniest debate I have read in a long time. So many wrong ideas of how an auto locker works and wether or not it is locked or unlocked and what not. WOW!

First off I don't own a toyota so you probably won't take my opinion to mean anything anyway. However after owning 4 Jeeps and a whole stable full of Broncos all of which were built for both off road and daily driving, I have learned a little about lockers over the years.

In a front application such as a Jeep, most of these are a part time 4wd application, so while in 2wd, a front locker is doing nothing but sitting in the housing. This obviously will not cause any issues with driveability. With my front locker in 4wd I would be lucky to make a u-turn around a 6 block radius. Good luck parking without doing a 6 point turn. What about slick road conditions. My rear gives me a hell of a time on ice. With the front locked in these conditions, no matter what way I turn the wheel the truck goes where it wants.

The bottom line is that the manufactures don't recommend the front application for a very specific reason. ITS NOT SAFE ON THE ROAD!!!

Hate to say it, but all that info is useless in an 80 series application. The fact that the 80 has a center diff allows the 80 to drive just as normal even auto-locked front and rear WHEN the torque is being transferred just right and there isn't any tire slip occuring.

If I lock my center diff, I can agree with the excessive steering feedback and the hard to turn aspect...

But it isn't anywhere near as extreme in an 80 as in your Heep thanks to an extra 2000lb of mass and an extra 2ft or so of wheel base and extra half foot or so of track width. Apples to Oranges, sir.

 

[CreeperSleeper]

You're right... I'm a web wheeler who hasn't been building rigs for the last 15 years... Do what you want, just make sure not to drive around me.

 

[-Spike-]

We should avoid the whole argument and defer to whatever alkaline747 has to say. Obviously none of us has any relevant experience and couldn't possibly give any good advice.

All further questions about auto-lockers should be handled by PM to https://forum.ih8mud.com/members/alkaline747trio.html

 

[retrofive]

Surely some out there has made a "see through" CGI of the systems with some tech spec (meaning accurate and able to witness the beahvior) behind it??

Sorry off topic.

 

[spdwaver]

Sorry off topic.

Seriously? I wouldn't sweat it at this point.

 

[Hefty]

Hate to say it, but all that info is useless in an 80 series application. The fact that the 80 has a center diff allows the 80 to drive just as normal even auto-locked front and rear WHEN the torque is being transferred just right and there isn't any tire slip occuring.

If I lock my center diff, I can agree with the excessive steering feedback and the hard to turn aspect...

But it isn't anywhere near as extreme in an 80 as in your Heep thanks to an extra 2000lb of mass and an extra 2ft or so of wheel base and extra half foot or so of track width. Apples to Oranges, sir.

Not arguing here at all. I don't drive a Heep and actually have you by about 1000lbs in my full size bronco, about a foot wider and about equal on wheel base. So lets leave that behind us. I stated right up front that I don't drive a yota but I do completely understand the center diff and torque transfer application. However, In a slick condition, an auto locker up front is not safe. That is why every manufacturer of auto lockers states this as a fact. They don't say not recommended for front use in every vehicle except the Toyota FJ80. The bottom line is: Can you run an auto locker up front in an AWD 80 application? Yes. Can I run one in my bronco in 4 wheel high? Yes. Is it manageable on the road? Yes. But in any vehicle on slick or icy roads it is flat out not safe!!

I know I'm new here and don't drive a LC but I do work on them and have been building trucks, jeeps and even toyotas for well over a decade. I may not know every in and out of the LC but the basic driving characteristics of these vehicles is not far off from each other. Toyota has a lot of cool innovations like the center diff. They are tough and can handle a ton in their stock form but the characteristics of an after market part are going to be the same in any vehicle (with the exception of track width and weight ect as stated.)

 

[alkaline747trio]

You're right... I'm a web wheeler who hasn't been building rigs for the last 15 years... Do what you want, just make sure not to drive around me.

Creeper, you're definitely not a web wheeler, you've got plenty of dents to prove it....but just know that you'd be surprised how much different an auto-locker reacts with the center diff and the weight/wheelbase of the 80 than any other part-time auto-locked SUV.

We should avoid the whole argument and defer to whatever alkaline747 has to say. Obviously none of us has any relevant experience and couldn't possibly give any good advice.

All further questions about auto-lockers should be handled by PM to https://forum.ih8mud.com/members/alkaline747trio.html

Thanks, that's about the best bit of info you have to this matter other than the science of an auto-locker and anecdotal evidence due to experience with other vehicles or other lockers.

 

[alkaline747trio]

Ice, snow, or rain w/ double auto-locked 80....definitely not a great idea. Guess I missed your post being more aimed towards those conditions. I apologize.

 

[-Spike-]

Ice, snow, or rain w/ double auto-locked 80....definitely not a great idea. Guess I missed your post being more aimed towards those conditions. I apologize.

Gee, wouldn't it be safe to assume that anyone who drives an 80 (or any car) might find themselves in adverse conditions, and that it might not be smart to set up a vehicle so it's unsafe in ANY of those adverse conditions? Or that they might possibly find it necessary to hand the keys to someone else, and the car should be drivable by anyone- not just someone who's familiar with the strange things it might do from time to time?

Secondly, all you will do on pavement IS test it.

The first time my front Aussie locked when I was going about 35mph around a 90* turn was also the last. The jerky front to rear/rear to front unloading and binding just isn't pleasant and I chose to unlock my hubs and lock my center diff that same day.

...I fell in love with my 80 because it drove more like a 2000# sedan than the 6000# tank that it is. Why compromise that with a $250 locker?

What really kills me is that you basically gave the same advice- that it would not be a good idea, and yet you ridicule everyone else for giving the same advice. I don't have to stick my head in a vice to know it's not a good idea. Just because someone does stupid things doesn't make them the expert on what not to do.

BTW, if dents are the standard by which we are judged, I'm in the top 10.

 

[Hefty]

Ice, snow, or rain w/ double auto-locked 80....definitely not a great idea. Guess I missed your post being more aimed towards those conditions. I apologize.

Not a problem. I guess I didn't make it clear. I talked to the guys at aussie when looking to lock mine up front and their entire reason for not recommending it is simply that it make handling much more difficult in a 4wd or awd situation and almost impossible on snow or ice.

 

[RedTacoma]

Can somebody please tell me why you should not run an Aussie or a Lock-Right in the front of an AWD vehicle? Then, more specifically, why you can not run one on an FJ80/FZJ80.

Pin_Head asked the question in another thread, and now I am curious to know as well.

I/we are not looking for opinions on the matter, but technical facts as to why it is suggested that you can not, or why you can run one in the front.

Has anyone installed an automatic-style locker in the front of an 80-series Land Cruiser?

I know I am late to the party but i don't think anybody mentioned this. I want try to explain how locker works since between multiple people postings you can get 100% info. I learned by sticking two broomsticks in diff on my bench and looking at locker in action.

As some mentioned auto-locker with no manual hubs, driven on pavement, will create jerking in driveline of LC since it is AWD car and a locker always will be in "power mode". When locker "engages and disengages", while going through turn, a locker action creates a thumb and it is a BIG thumb . This will shorten life of birfs, spindles and drive plates for sure, and most likely seals (especially on driver side)
Front axle does not like jerking since it is composed of multiple connections between wheels and Diff carrier, jerking in drive line usually ends up with things broken.

Can it be done? yes, can you live with it? ah maybe, would i do it ? NO
I would get Truetrac for the front instead.(unless I had money to install e-locker )

 

[Blewseal]

I tried to pull as much info as possible from this, alot of s*** show bickering and people not knowing what they are talking about. And no mention of a spool and locking front hubs to install the lunchbox in the front? Thats the info I am looking for