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So is it worth it buying the chilkat system to replace the electric rear locker on a lc fzj80 ?
Cable locker? Chilkat
- Thread starter Taco crawler
- Start date
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I like the idea of a cable locker. I'd really want it on the front though. There are times I'd want to quickly unlock in the rocks to turn the wheels. E-locker makes that impossible. They make a cable locker for the 8", but I don't think it's for the FJ80 front.
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A cable locker isn't likely to change that. The reason that lockers don't instantly unlock is bind, if you were to apply enough pressure to unlock when bound, would likely bend the fork, etc. All of them apply pressure to unlock, when the bind is reduced/gone, they unlock.
I actually don't like the "magic dial" because it forces me to lock the rear first. There are times when I would rather just have the front locked and the rear open to get around an obstacle. But alas...
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So, install a separate switch to be able to do front only.
exactly.
I would if there were a drop in replacement
I have factory locking FJ80 axles (1994) underneath my 1989 FJ62 (which also has an H55f) and I'm in the process of converting to Chilkat's cable actuators because the electric system that my builder and I first were using (a totally custom-built and ancillary wiring harness, since no 60's had e-lockers) is too unreliable. Plus, mechanically locking the diffs by moving levers is just way cooler than touching a button!!
The whole rear kit (9.5" diff) installed and works great.
The actuator part of the front kit (8" diff) installed and works great (circular lever with the swapped-in gear) to lock/unlock the mechanism inside the diff, however the cable mount bracket doesn't fit on the top of the high-pinion 8" (used in FJ80s with lockers) diff housing because of a large ridge that is there (which I understand doesn't exist on other 8" Toyota diffs, only the high-pinon one used in FJ80 fronts). It is possible to add another piece to the bracket, and cut out space for the ridge and to provide room for the cable to clear the ridge too - which that is what I'm currently working on. I made this additional bracket piece yesterday to raise Chilkat's bracket by about 2", but it's not quite high enough for the cable to mount and point towards the actuator - I need to raise another inch or two so I need a bigger piece of metal to make the larger, additional bracket. Hopefully will have everything finished by this coming weekend...!
Here is a picture of the hand-lever installation I decided on. In my opinion, this positioning is the best looking and performing - but in reality it was the only area where the whole bulkheads would fit keeping the levers easily reachable, the cables un-obtrusive to passengers and so the cables could actually reach the port in the hull to go underneath (without me having to drill a new hole in the hull). I attached both bulkheads together by replacing the fulcrums for the separate levers with a common one (which was just a 3.5" screw) and the end of that went through and is bolted to the front of my tuffy box. Another 3.5" screw holds both bulkeads together at the other end, and is itself attached to a right-angle bracket I made to anchor to the side of the tuffy box. The cupholders are attached to the front bulkhead with a single nut/bolt.
I'll add more pictures of the kits on the diffs themselves when I've finished installing the front.
The whole rear kit (9.5" diff) installed and works great.
The actuator part of the front kit (8" diff) installed and works great (circular lever with the swapped-in gear) to lock/unlock the mechanism inside the diff, however the cable mount bracket doesn't fit on the top of the high-pinion 8" (used in FJ80s with lockers) diff housing because of a large ridge that is there (which I understand doesn't exist on other 8" Toyota diffs, only the high-pinon one used in FJ80 fronts). It is possible to add another piece to the bracket, and cut out space for the ridge and to provide room for the cable to clear the ridge too - which that is what I'm currently working on. I made this additional bracket piece yesterday to raise Chilkat's bracket by about 2", but it's not quite high enough for the cable to mount and point towards the actuator - I need to raise another inch or two so I need a bigger piece of metal to make the larger, additional bracket. Hopefully will have everything finished by this coming weekend...!
Here is a picture of the hand-lever installation I decided on. In my opinion, this positioning is the best looking and performing - but in reality it was the only area where the whole bulkheads would fit keeping the levers easily reachable, the cables un-obtrusive to passengers and so the cables could actually reach the port in the hull to go underneath (without me having to drill a new hole in the hull). I attached both bulkheads together by replacing the fulcrums for the separate levers with a common one (which was just a 3.5" screw) and the end of that went through and is bolted to the front of my tuffy box. Another 3.5" screw holds both bulkeads together at the other end, and is itself attached to a right-angle bracket I made to anchor to the side of the tuffy box. The cupholders are attached to the front bulkhead with a single nut/bolt.
I'll add more pictures of the kits on the diffs themselves when I've finished installing the front.
Finally Done!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SETUP. it's badass. Granted, it took a little extra work to correctly mount the cable at the front diff (and the way that I ended up doing it may or may not be helpful to others, since I imagine not many folks have 80-series locking axles with their factory suspension mounts all cut off, and then mounted underneath leaf springs on a 60-series rig...) but I'm sure another mounting system could be figured out.
Here are pictures of the where/how the cables act on the differentials themselves as well as where/how my hand-lever controls are mounted:
Rear. The cable pushes lever towards the left about 2", and that acts on the shaft which actuates the lock-collar inside the diff. In this picture, the lever is vertical and the differential is unlocked. The installation here was very easy since the chilkat cable bracket fits directly on the top of 9.5" differential.
Front. The cable pushes/pulls downward/upward on the circular-lever, which rotates a gear inside of the diff housing that actuates the shift collar in the 8" high-pinion front diff. This installation was more complicated, because the cable-mount bracket that chilkat uses does not fit on the high-pinion 8" (the actuator does fit, just not the cable-mount bracket) because there is that large ridge in the top of the housing. The ridge also blocks the path of the cable from being left/right and necessitates it being up/down. I fabricated an additional bracket that both cleared the ridge and provided area to rotate the chilkat cable-mount bracket about 45d so the cable pointed at the circular lever at the right angle.
Hand-levers mounted. I found this horizontal position was pretty much the only one that fit within the spaces I had while also pointing the cables toward the port that they exit the hull though (which is a factory port, usually just covered, basically in the dead-center of the FJ62, underneath the back-end of the center console, roughly even with where the front seat belts attach to the floor). It was also fortunate because logically the lever that controls the front differential is mounted in front of the lever the controls the rear, and because the cables could be easily routed underneath the passenger seat, without any obtrusion into leg area. Both bulkheads are bolted together using 2x 3.5" bolts (one of which also serves as/replaced the fulcrum points for both levers) which also are used to securely mount the bulkheads to the center console.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS SETUP. it's badass. Granted, it took a little extra work to correctly mount the cable at the front diff (and the way that I ended up doing it may or may not be helpful to others, since I imagine not many folks have 80-series locking axles with their factory suspension mounts all cut off, and then mounted underneath leaf springs on a 60-series rig...) but I'm sure another mounting system could be figured out.
Here are pictures of the where/how the cables act on the differentials themselves as well as where/how my hand-lever controls are mounted:
Rear. The cable pushes lever towards the left about 2", and that acts on the shaft which actuates the lock-collar inside the diff. In this picture, the lever is vertical and the differential is unlocked. The installation here was very easy since the chilkat cable bracket fits directly on the top of 9.5" differential.
Front. The cable pushes/pulls downward/upward on the circular-lever, which rotates a gear inside of the diff housing that actuates the shift collar in the 8" high-pinion front diff. This installation was more complicated, because the cable-mount bracket that chilkat uses does not fit on the high-pinion 8" (the actuator does fit, just not the cable-mount bracket) because there is that large ridge in the top of the housing. The ridge also blocks the path of the cable from being left/right and necessitates it being up/down. I fabricated an additional bracket that both cleared the ridge and provided area to rotate the chilkat cable-mount bracket about 45d so the cable pointed at the circular lever at the right angle.
Hand-levers mounted. I found this horizontal position was pretty much the only one that fit within the spaces I had while also pointing the cables toward the port that they exit the hull though (which is a factory port, usually just covered, basically in the dead-center of the FJ62, underneath the back-end of the center console, roughly even with where the front seat belts attach to the floor). It was also fortunate because logically the lever that controls the front differential is mounted in front of the lever the controls the rear, and because the cables could be easily routed underneath the passenger seat, without any obtrusion into leg area. Both bulkheads are bolted together using 2x 3.5" bolts (one of which also serves as/replaced the fulcrum points for both levers) which also are used to securely mount the bulkheads to the center console.
I don't know if the chilkat system but my Downey Cable Locker for the rear works great after some mods. I believe its no longer available. I would not replace a working e-locker actuator with a cable but if yours (mine was) broken it was (when available) a cheap and easy alternative to costly OEM parts.
For the rear, you still have to drive till the large cogs in the diff line up. Sometimes they go right in and other times it can take some time to lock. Unlocking it pops right out. With the Downey system you still use the actuator that tells of the diff is locked, the diff lock still lights up.
For the rear, you still have to drive till the large cogs in the diff line up. Sometimes they go right in and other times it can take some time to lock. Unlocking it pops right out. With the Downey system you still use the actuator that tells of the diff is locked, the diff lock still lights up.
I'm about to buy these lockers for the 80 axles I'm putting under my 60. They have the option of the pull T handles and I can't say whether I prefer those or the levers. I like the idea of mounting them on the dash which saves space in the center console area. Any thoughts?
www.chilkatdesigns.com
Toyota Tacoma/4runner E-Locker Conversion | chilkatdesigns
At Chilkat we are 4WD enthusiasts, problem solvers bydesign, and enjoy a good challenge in the shop or on thetrail. We designed, built, and bench tested our originalcable conversion kit: naturally dubbed the E-Racer. The E-Racer replaces the OEM electric actuator.The E-Racer is designed to work...
www.chilkatdesigns.com