Can We Get Real About Aussie Locker for a Minute? (1 Viewer)

[ewillis]

I have a rear Lokka (same thing as Aussie) that's been sitting on my bench for a couple years. Decided I wanted a Harrop and dropped one in the front. I like it a lot and putting one in the rear would be ideal... I get that. However, the cost of another Harrop is prohibitive and I already have the lunchbox. I am completely comfortable with the characteristics of the auto locker in the rear of the 80 when driving on any dry surface. What I need clarification on before I install it is REAL experience in the snow from those who ACTUALLY have one installed on an 80. It's tough to sift through all the negativity from the threads where owners are commenting on experience from front diff installs, 40 series istalls, or someone's brother's Hilux or El Camino or whatever. So... any cold climate 80 series owners of an Aussie or Lokka care to share actual first-hand experience in snow/ice before I dig in?

 

[scottryana]

Snow is ok, ice can be sketchy and off camber ice or really slick mud can be very sketch as it will lock and slide the rear. With a front locker you might have more control but with just the rear locker off camber I found myself in a very scary place that I do not think I would have been in even with open diffs.

In what, 4 or so years I have only had the one bad experience and I drive the truck a lot, rain, snow, ice, mud, etc. If the truck is going to be 90/10 road/offroad spend the money and just go selectable, anything more than 80/20 road/offroad go with the Spartan/Aussie.

 

[JDMark]

I'm open front but have a Lokka in the rear. With the center diff lock it's pretty great in the snow - not much experience in ice. It definitely locks. Any specific questions? I recovered my locker-less buddies plenty of times in the snow, something I couldn't do before

 

[ewillis]

I'm open front but have a Lokka in the rear. With the center diff lock it's pretty great in the snow - not much experience in ice. It definitely locks. Any specific questions? I recovered my locker-less buddies plenty of times in the snow, something I couldn't do before

. No specifics really just looking for affirmation of better traction in snow... nothing improves traction on ice really. I'm in the Sierra's and lake Arrowhead multiple times during the winter months and just don't want to install something that may be dangerous.

 

[ZackR]

Throw it in and try it for a while. If its not what you like keep the original parts and swap it back out.

 

[LFD2037]

We don't get snow here, we get ice. Ice storms. I have 1 in the rear, open front, and it's not too bad on ice. I've had mine thru 2 seasons of ice (about 5-7 days of driving on ice) & didn't really notice it back there.

 

[Bludozer]

I haven't had mine long enough yet to encounter snow but even in super slick mud I did not feel like the rear was going to slide out from under me. Full disclosure though I wasn't very off camber at all during that situation like the turbo lord above was.

Overall I've really liked it a lot. Locks up when I need it, comparatively super cheap and pretty bullet proof.

 

[mehbohdi]

I have a Aussie in the rear and open front and other than the click click click around coners I haven't noticed problems in the snow and where I live all the roads have horrible crown so if it can slide it will. I'd do it again. Harrops are nice and I would love to have 1 or 2 but dam there expensize .

 

[Pin_Head]

Put the auto locker in and take it up to the snow and then do donuts and get on it in an empty parking lot. It will take you 2 minutes to figure out how to drive with it in snow. Auto lockers always will have more traction than open differentials, but they need a little finesse.

Auto lockers have different characteristics than selectable spools, like the factory lockers or ARB lockers, so they don't compare.

 

[dugsgms]

I would urge you to go ahead and install it. The 80 is a prime candidate for a auto-locker in the rear, its relatively long, heavy, has a auto trans and full time 4WD. I don't have Aussie but I have a Grizzly and even in snow on windy mountain roads it's never done anything even remotely disturbing. Other than a faint clicking sound bouncing off the walls of a fast food restaurant on a tight drive thru you'd never even know it was there.

IMHO, while a selectable locker in the front of a 80 is great idea(I'm saving up for Harrop now) I don't think it's worth the added complication in the rear.

 

[tampacruiser95]

I drove mine with a rear Lokka in deep Pennsylvania snow this winter. No traction or fishtail issues in snow with some rear end play on ice. I was comfortable on the interstate making my own lane and had no issues passing people in 6-8" snow.

 

[Heckraiser]

I've had 2 vehicles with an auto locker in the rear. Neither was an 80, but I'll give you my experience anyway

Minitruck: pretty sketchy--wanted to slide off of any crowned road or in the direction of any side slope

FJ60: (similar weight distribution to an 80): worked fine. Just don't get too hamfisted and it does well.

 

[LFD2037]

I've had 2 vehicles with an auto locker in the rear. Neither was an 80, but I'll give you my experience anyway

Minitruck: pretty sketchy--wanted to slide off of any crowned road or in the direction of any side slope

FJ60: (similar weight distribution to an 80): worked fine. Just don't get too hamfisted and it does well.

BIG difference is those other 2 vehicles aren't AWD. I've had an auto locker in Jeeps, including a Cherokee. It wasn't fun on ice.

 

[retrofive]

Been locked that way for years now. In snow, it just is different. If you know what to expect and change your driving style a bit, non issue IMHO.

 

[Qball]

Went to big bear in heavy snow with Aussie and had no issues, went around a corner a tad too fast and slid a little but that was my fault. Just don't lock center diff. Although I never tried snow with the 80 before locker but it really wasn't any different from drive anything else if you ask me.

I would worry about tires and drop a few PSI when it gets really heavy but not the locker on AWD.

 

[Box Rocket]

I had an Aussie locker in the rear of my '93 for several years in Utah with lots of winter driving. I'm a fan of the Aussie in an 80. From my experience, it was totally transparent and the truck behaved completely normal with the locker on the road. Of course it would ratchet when making tight turns on pavement but that's the only way I even was reminded it was in the truck until we hit trails and it locked up perfectly when you would expect and do what it was supposed to do.

The only time I noticed anything "weird" was when driving down the highway during one winter, probably around 70mph. The road was very wet and slushy with piles of slush between lanes. As I changed lanes one of the back tires likely slipped slightly in the slush and the rear locked momentarily and there was a little shimmy. Nothing scary at all but reminded me there was a locker in the truck. That happened once and otherwise never an issue. This was a daily driven truck (mostly driven by my wife), lifted 5" on 35's.

 

[Qball]

Btw only time I wanted selectable locker is on really tight trail with good traction.

 

[retrofive]

I think @scottryana nailed the largest thing, off camber in snow the rear will want to lock and slide out. That is most of the fire roads in the winter around here. Again, Im used to the behavior and know what to expect. Just IMHO and .2

 

[CDmpc]

Aussie here. One of the best upgrades I have made. Non issue for me. Mountains, snow, rain and mud are normal.

 

[Landseer]

Ive had an Aussie in the rear of my 80 for a little over a year, drove it all over Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah in some serious snow. The Aussie definitely helps a lot in deep snow and starting from a stop on slick ice. I haven't had any problems and I'm pretty sure it saved me from getting stuck at one point.