Locker Advice Needed for an 80

[Turkeypen]

My mechanic called me today and said he has a customer who wants to "swap in" his brother's locker from his '96 TLC and then "swap out" to his brother's '96 TLC his non locking diff. The old switcheroo. All of this done at an hourly rate . . .

My instant reaction was that this was perhaps the most expensive way to get a locker. I thought buying an aftermarket locker would be cheapest and perhaps better.

So, I have guessed at this one. Does anybody have a more concrete answer I can give, including recommendations as to purchasing a locker?

 

[GXO]

E-lockers do not directly fit into a non-locker housing of the same year.

There is a lot of grinding, welding, and changing of studs to do mechanically, before you even talk about the electrical harness and control ECU.

An ARB as a selectable locker is the better and easier path.

 

[Turkeypen]

Thanks Dan!

This should help since the customer has ARBed up both front and rear and may well like the sound of ARBing underneath.

 

[GXO]

No problem.

 

[informationjunky]

if he is set on swaping, the whole axles would probably be easier.

 

[Capt. Jim]

I swapped both front and rear factory lockers into my non-locked 80 shortly after buying it. The locked rear chunk cost me $800 new from toyota. The entire front axle with locked diff was compliments of Allstate after a coillision. I got the dash switch, ECU and harnesses from a friend who bought a trashed 80 that had lockers. (I had to make controls and harnesses for his 80 electric lockers he swapped into his 40 to get the electrical parts from him.)

I did not have to do any weldng. Some slight grinding of the rear axle housing and replacement of a couple of studs. Add the breather tubes and you are done.

Finished long before my 12 of Korona was finished.

 

[Capt. Jim]

One last thing:

You will have to buy two dash indicator light bulbs and install them in the dash cluster to have the locker indicator lights work on the dash display.

 

[Capt. Jim]

Oh yea, the harnesses are all plug-n-play.

 

[Turkeypen]

Going with the ARB locker . . .

If not at the local shop (which really does not want to do this), where would be a good place to have this installed on an 80?

 

[jfz80]

justin at unbreakable fab is close to you, morgantan/lenoir area. give him a call.