How fast do your lockers engage/disengage???

[93yotasr5]

mine activate fast. i also turn them on every week or so just to keep in good workin condition. i usually stop engage, and go again and by then they are usually engaged.

 

[Tools R Us]

mine activate fast. ...

Agree, use mine often. Most times, don't switch them until they are needed (have a tire slipping), in that condition they lock almost instantly.

 

[ChaseTruck]

Agree, use mine often...

Um, since when?

 

[Tools R Us]

Um, since when?

Used them on Friday, when were yours last used?

 

[inkpot]

Used them on Friday, when were yours last used?

He said he USED them, he didn't say he NEEDED them. I think it is a good idea to cycle them at least once every time you are on the trail, regardless of how often that is.

 

[Eighty96]

I have factory lockers on my 80 '96 front/ back. I found it easier to engage if i place those 2 joysticks to N and turn the dial to lock.... It locks faster most of the time. Is this the proper way to do it?

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[93yotasr5]

This works too. But sometimes I only want want to lock the rear and want to be able to do it on the fly.

 

[RavenTai]

solid info from Tools and Phil

a vid

https://plus.google.com/u/0/116661162279698983920/posts/U82CzS752nj

 

[spencertron]

my center lock had all kinds of problems and would take forever to engage. since front and rear wont engage without the center it was very annoying. turned out that one of the wires from the locker ecu had just barely come loose. plugged everything back in and now they all engage and disengage very quickly

 

[IanB]

E locker are instant if it is index when you turn the dial otherwise a wheel needs to spin and then they are instant. The way the actuator work is if the E locker is not index there is spring pressure for when it does index. My experience has been turn the dial and run your line and they will be engage when you need them.

This BS argument still happens?



Exactly^^^

Air and electric lockers lock the same way: When switched, a spring (air or steel) applies pressure to lock, if the splines are aligned, it will lock, if not, some differential turning is needed before they lock. The front e-locker and air lockers have finer splines, so have a greater chance of being lined up or require less differential turning. The rear e-locker has 5 teeth, so depending on where they are in relationship, can require up to 20% or 1/5 of a turn of differential rotation to lock.

This is why the rear is somewhat difficult to lock when it isn't needed. On an obstacle, it doesn't matter. Lockers are needed to prevent differential action, one tire spinning faster than the other and a maximum of 1/5 of a turn is not significant. In years of wheeling e-lockers, often with air locker rigs, have never seen any difference, both are equally effective on the trail.

The lights, "look my light comes on instantly" is a BS argument. Look at how the ARB is wired, when the switch is turned on, it powers the light, so it comes on instantly, turn it off and the light goes off, instantly. It's a dumb, idiot light, tells you nothing but the switch is on, works the same way if the solenoid is unplugged or a multitude of other reasons that the locker may not be locked.

Unfortunately for some who like to obsess about it, the e-locker system gives more information: When the switch is activated, the actuator motor runs, winding the wait spring, the light blinks indicating that the locker is ready to use. When the splines line up and it fully locks, another switch is activated, turning the light on solid. When switched off, the actuator motor runs, winding the wait spring the other way, when the bind is removed, it unlocks, turning the light off.

Diff lockers are needed to prevent differential action, one tire spinning faster than the other. If the system is working properly and you are driving around with the light(s) blinking, it's because lockers are not needed, have good traction, no tire slip. If it is needed, there is any loss of traction, tire slip, it will lock, instantly.

If you want to join the "look my light comes on instantly" crowd, simply rewire the light to come on with the switch, convert it to an idiot light. But would lose the extra info.

Great info in these posts, you've taken the mystery out of the lockers for many, thanks for taking the time to share!

 

[Mr Cimarron]

My elockers on the cruiser lock at about the same speed as my rear ARB in my Liberty. I always test them when I go to my ranch on the same section of dirt road. I turn off radio and roll down windows and listen for the "click" when locked. The elockers did need some steady use when I first got the LC but now lock up quick. The one difference I do notice is the ARB unlocks much quicker than the elockers.

 

[norcalsvx]

I turned mine on for the first time the other day since I owned it the front one kicked in 2-3sec the rear blinked for a while (30 sec )I just turned them off

 

[BlackLS1]

i have a question. If im stuck, lets say fully articulated and 1 wheel is spinning in front and 1 wheel spinning in rear, and i turn my rear locker on, i slowly give gas so it can engage softly, but its somewhat harsh and causes the car to jerk when the locker engages. how bad is this for the locker? should i engage the locker before i get myself into something like that?

 

[SiRaDuDe]

I ALWAYS engage lockers just before I enter a questionable situation.

If I wait to engage once stuck, it usually creates a worse scenario.

 

[TexasJack]

If I am concerned, I just engage them. With that said, I did all of the trails around Ouray and Silverton this summer and never engaged them. It was raining when I did Imogene pass and I never used them. I wasn't trying to prove a point, I just didn't think about it. The truck did fine without them.

I tend to get more concerned about deep mud or climbing really steep hills with deep washouts and lots of loose gravel.

I'd be very curious to hear how/when others use their lockers. I have only had mine on the vehicle a couple of years and wheeled it for 13 years without them.

Thanks to Tools R Us on how the lockers really work. I didn't know most of this either. I don't remember it telling me any of this in my broshure from ARB. If it did, I didn't understand it.

 

[BrotherRob]

I ALWAYS engage lockers just before I enter a questionable situation.

If I wait to engage once stuck, it usually creates a worse scenario.

This depends on conditions. I predominately drive on high traction surfaces (ie rock). I generally don't need lockers until I lift a wheel. At that point, the lockers work well to get you thru.

In mud or sand, usage is likely different.

 

[jbsax]

I typically turn my lockers on anytime I get it off pavement to exercise them. When wheeling, I cycle them a couple times to make sure they are loose before I hit anything that will need them. Once I am where they are needed, I just turn the switch and as soon as one wheel slips, it locks. As others have said, front is almost immediate, while the rear can take a few rotations. I don't worry about the rear being instant because if it hasn't spun to lock, then it wasn't needed anyway.

 

[Dutch]

Does the centerlocking differential only lock in 4 low?

 

[retrofive]

Does the centerlocking differential only lock in 4 low?

Un-modified yes.

 

[IanB]

Does the centerlocking differential only lock in 4 low?

Un-modified yes.

On an FJ or HDJ that has the factory center difflock switch, it locks in high or low. On an FZJ that does not have the factory CDL switch you need to shift to 4low to lock it.