front locker or not?

[Romer]

This is where power braking was needed rather than power. You put your foot on the brake while increasing RPM to about 1000 rpm. You then use the brake to control your forward momentum. I dont use crawl control and using it towing going up an obstacle to me is asking for trouble. Power braking allows you to control the momentum.

 

[tincan45]

Side note, every solid axle I've broke was in open diff mode (that's 4 total) one of those a 2.5 ton Rockwell. Then I grew up and used my lockers, never broke an axle again, including my IFS trucks.

Sounds like the voice of experience. Problem is, not enough grown ups on the trail...with or without lockers.

 

[silverhorse]

I noticed a couple of things in that vid. he was getting bad advice from the spotter for one... gas it winching?? WHAT?? wheel were not straight when they started winching him which is where I believe the fracture of the CV probably started. then the complete brake occurs with wheels straight and i believe both turning. I'm not so sure that was an open diff...

 

[Willy beamin]

A front locker is a great addition to the 200. Having one has afforded me to travel up obstacles that i would have not been able to otherwise. What is hard to understand is the desire and purpose of hauling a giant trailer anywhere off-road on the east coast.

 

[Taco2Cruiser]

Sounds like the voice of experience. Problem is, not enough grown ups on the trail...with or without lockers.

And I don’t mean to come off cocky. Not at all, I’m more upset for the things @silverhorse just mentioned above.

lots of bad advice. I can look past bad advice. I learned from failure myself. My issue is this is Mountian State Overand. You pay $900 to trail ride with them. And that is the best they can do?

I understand things happen, and (while being sensitive to not being the Monday morning quarterbacking). That was terrible advice.
Should of been, “hook up winch, keep tires strait, and proving minimum wheel spin. Just enough to keep the tires rotating, not much more.”

 

[Fisher23]

The need for a locker on the front really depends on where you are going. Florida has like no need that I have seen. Where I find a front locker most useful is going up fairly steep trails with lots of loose quartz rocks (like in California), or if crawling over rocks slowly.

In the sand the stock oem traction control on the LC200 is amazing. Especially the soft sugar sand like in ocala.

Locker in the rear makes a huge difference everywhere from what I have experienced. I wish detroit would make one for the LC200 but they don't.

It is only the 16+ that needs to re-gear for lockers as they have "thick" gears. The other years you can just add the locker in the rear.. and if later you want to add a front you can just add it then. With 13 no rear gear needed.

 

[silverhorse]

So are the only two options for the front of a 200 ARB Air lockers or the Harrop E-locker?

 

[grinchy]

I think the tjm is discontinued, and auburn makes a rear only.

 

[CJ3Flyer]

Alright... alright...
Momentum is that thing you use when you run out of talent.

True... I have a documented history of a shortage of talent and momentum has bailed me out flying, 4 wheeling and motorcycling off-road many times. Look where you wanna go and let her rip...

 

[Willy beamin]

So are the only two options for the front of a 200 ARB Air lockers or the Harrop E-locker?

I run ARB's F/R on my 200 and Harrops F/R in my 80. @steenh runs a harrop front in his 200, cant remember what he has in the rear diff. we did hole in the rock trail, remote Utah, together last year. My rear ARB failed me, o-ring inside the diff crapped out, and i had only the front arb to get me out. Steen's harrops held up fine. theres a real world application for you. I like having OBA with my ARB's but dont like all the parts to make them work, flame on.
The harrops thus far, only one wheeling weekend trip, in my 80 have been great. Really theres no right answer. both work, both are known great parts, one is less money with more parts and the other is more expensive with less working parts. pick your poison
good luck

 

[steenh]

I run ARB's F/R on my 200 and Harrops F/R in my 80. @steenh runs a harrop front in his 200, cant remember what he has in the rear diff. we did hole in the rock trail, remote Utah, together last year. My rear ARB failed me, o-ring inside the diff crapped out, and i had only the front arb to get me out. Steen's harrops held up fine. theres a real world application for you. I like having OBA with my ARB's but dont like all the parts to make them work, flame on.
The harrops thus far, only one wheeling weekend trip, in my 80 have been great. Really theres no right answer. both work, both are known great parts, one is less money with more parts and the other is more expensive with less working parts. pick your poison
good luck

I've always had ARB prior to the 200 and never had any issues with them. 2 40's and a 100. I decided to go with the Harrops in the 200 for a couple of reasons. A bit more pricey for the unit, but easier install, no need for the OBA so the total cost was roughly equal. They have a history of being very reliable so while I never had issues with ARB, the potential for issues is higher just due to the air lines and more parts that can go bad.

The flipside is the Harrops take more travel to engage and on that same HITR trip Willy mentioned, I had a need for the front to engage but didn't know it until it was too late. Learning curve for me. I was used to the instant on with ARB and didn't give the Harrop the needed wheel spin to engage. Had to get a tug from Willy and his broken-ass ARB locker... kinda pissed me off

If I had to do it again, I'd still go Harrop. Price is roughly equal, durability is probably a bit better, and I don't "need" OBA. I've used the same portable VIAIR for 13 years now and it's not pretty or fast, but is portable between trucks and hasn't failed me yet. Could always install a compressor at some point regardless of the lockers if I ever change my mind on that.

 

[silverhorse]

Thanks for all the input guys!!!. I was planning to put the 100 series OEM unit in the rear but at this point I'm thinking Harrops front and rear ..

 

[Romer]

There is no wrong decision here. It's how you want to build your truck. Be interested to know how well they work. I have always had air lockers

 

[OregonLC]

If you're going to re-gear then the marginal cost to add a front makes it an easier decision. That said, my 100 was triple locked. I thought that would be the fairy dust of magic traction. Nope. You still need to air way down, choose the proper line, and be ready to employ other tools (stack rocks, maxtrax, winch, etc). They provide some degree of gain, but it's not night/day. ATRAC, 33+ ATs, 15 PSI, and you'll go a long way before lockers (front or rear) become the defining element.

 

[TLCLVR]

This is where power braking was needed rather than power. You put your foot on the brake while increasing RPM to about 1000 rpm. You then use the brake to control your forward momentum. I dont use crawl control and using it towing going up an obstacle to me is asking for trouble. Power braking allows you to control the momentum.

I agree power braking techniques probably would have helped from the beginning, though in combination with bad winching...

Doesn’t look (or sound) like he was using Crawl, so I can only assume he was in MTS Mud/sand. If he was in MTS and had used power braking, doesn’t that override the MTS?

 

[TeCKis300]

I'm coming from a different angle on this. It's just my opinion rather than being right or wrong, so don't take this as being contrarian if you put a stake in the sand as to your preference.

Commonly in engineering, the focus is on the overall system capability to meet some performance requirement. This is in contrast to any specific part in the design (e.g. locker). There's many ways to skin a cat, whether that be by suspension articulation, lift, A-TRAC, CRAWL, etc. I'm not Toyota, but it's highly likely they didn't feel it necessary to fit or offer a locker, as the vehicle was able to meet its lofty performance requirements with other technologies and design features, without a locker. As opposed to a lesser model like 4Runners or Tacomas for example.

Considering multiple ways to skin a cat... Depending on where one is with their mods and the type of terrain they like to off-road on, perhaps the monies and effort could go into tires/upsized tires. More suspension lift or articulation. Lighter weight kit. Technique. The list goes on.