Lockers ARB a different Prespective (1 Viewer)

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Please don't comment about something that you heard or be dismissive.

ARB took a swing a Yukon Zip Locker in 2009...Why punch down?



The Yukon Zip Locker Broke at 6671 Ft pounds of torque. I know that Yukon builds a good product and I am fine with the video.

ARB Engineers state the the Chinese Locker is better then the Yukon Zip Locker

@ the 2 min mark the engineers say that this makes the Chinese Locker look good. I take this as meaning that the Chinese Locker performed better under the same test. ARB has not posted a Chinese Locker comparison video. Why didn't ARB post the video? I assume because it performed well enough that it would not stop people from buying it, and maybe cause more people to purchase it.

I know that several Suzuki and Mitsubishi guys run the Chinese Lockers without issues.

Does anyone have real experience with the Chinese Lockers in a 80 or 100?

I see the kits online with compressors in the $500 range. This really isn't that cheap, it is compared to ARB prices but gears really aren't that expensive. $500 is about double the parts cost of standard replacement gears. This video is from 2009. People are obviously buying the Chinese units or they would have stopped selling them. I cannot find any bad reviews or major failures. I bet they are making upgrades as often as ARB makes design changes.

Hopefully we can have a real discussion without people throwing out a lot of assumptions or fake stories. Most of Toyota OEM parts are made in China now. (Engines and Transmission)

edited
The Engineers in the ARB tested a Chinese COPY

The Chinese ARB copy handled more torque then the breaking point of a stock Toyota axle. This one broke before the after-market chromoly axle broke (6412 ft pounds) but it seems like the Chinese stuff is good enough for your average Joe not building a competition worthy rig. After watching the two videos it seems like the Chinese Copies are of varying quality, some sellers do charge $20.00-$50.00 more. The varying quality makes since since China is larger in land mass then both Australia and the USA.



I don't plan to be producing 6,000 foot pounds of torque anytime soon. You you say the Chinese copy is junk you have no understand of Torque. Double the money for a less the 10% performance gain. All off the lockers handled more foot pounds of torque then it takes to break a stock axle. When axles are locked most people are going extremely slow producing minimum amounts of torque.

The Yukon Zip Locker Broke at 6671
This particle Chinese ARB (other did better based on comments from ARB) copy broke at 6412
After market Chromoly axle broke at 6929

Thanks
 
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They did post a video on the Chinese copy:

Oops, I see you edited your first post to include that video.

From my own personal experience...I've installed lots of ARB's with no problems. I've only installed 2 ZIP lockers, but those two have a 50% failure rate. (one was bad out of the box and had to be exchanged under warranty)

I have a friend who broke his ZIP locker and ended up having to buy a new one, since Yukon took 2.5 months before they would even look at his broken one to decide on whether they'd cover it under warranty or not. (which of course, they refused)

I have no direct experience with the Chinese copies...but dealing with the "better" ZIP versions has convinced me to only use ARB for my own personal rigs.
 
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I am not sure if posting non-vendor links is aloud but google Chinese locker

Think about the largest Chinese online point of sale on the web for Chinese goods

I haven't checked for the FJ62 but they are everywhere for the 80 and 100. (several websites)

Thanks
 
What is your point exactly?
 
There was also some discussion about them here: ARB- Imitation Air Lockers

That thread is the main reason for this one. Basically a lot of internet experts restating what they have heard someone else say without real-world experience.

ARB engineers have proven that the Chinese Lockers are very capable. They are better built then anything that was available when the 80 seriers was in production in the USA. Anything can break including an ARB locker. (search forum)

Most people here are in used rigs that aren't worth enough to spend $4,000 on the highest quality stuff. Spending less the $1500 installed on something that is of good quality is a different story. I believe the ARB stuff is aimed at trail rigs that get towed to the playground, and that it is overkill for the guy that drives his 80 or 100 to work daily.

If I can get the "weak" front axle issue on my 1999 rear locked 100 fixed for cheap why not.

Thanks
 
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What is your point exactly?

Hoping that someone with personal experience will share it.

My point is the Chinese Lockers aren't junk. For a website this large with such a specific focus it seems odd that I can't find a topic that doesn't bash the Chinese Lockers. I am sure members here have them but they fell ashamed to speak up. It seems that many topics here end up with junk talk and bashing. At the end of the day I don't want to waste money; I and believe that ARB has proven that they are not junk.

Put a Chinese Locker in an ARB box and very few would know the difference.

Thanks
 
@Deshet I think most people pay for ARB for the peice of mind that ARB customer service will take care of them IF something happens
 
I have one of the Chinese knock off air lockers in the front of my FJ40 and it's held up fine since 2012. The matching rear however was so poorly machined that the bearing lands on the carrier would not hold the bearing and the local diff guy refused to even try to set it up. It got replaced by an ARB, which has been great.

So I'd say, hit or miss. ARB is a known quantity.

The difference between them is obvious. The Chinese one is like the previous generation of ARBs.

I'd be wary of putting the Chinese one in the front of your 100, because if it isn't right, that front end is a pain in the ass to get apart.

So I would not bash the Chinese lockers at all. They are sold at an attractive price. They work. But, ARB keeps parts available long after the locker has been sold so you at least have a chance at repairing them. Not so much with a Chinese locker. Just get a new one. A recent case in point-I developed an internal air leak in aARB air locker I bought in 2003 because the inner bonded seal failed. ARB still had the part and ZUK put it all back together for me.
 
Hoping that someone with personal experience will share it.

My point is the Chinese Lockers aren't junk.

At the end of the day I don't want to waste money; I (and?) believe that ARB has proven that they are not junk.

I quoted you to show why I’m not sure what you’re after. It seems to me after a bit of “clarification” you are interested in the Chinese ARB clones (I didn’t even know they existed, but the Chinese clone everything it seems), and want some actual owners of the Chinese lockers to give you their experiences? Or are you just wanting to debate the cost/benefit ratio of ARB vs clones?

I’m not trying to be difficult, it’s just that you’re not being very clear about what info you want or are trying to put forward. I have a ‘99 and to believe the hype, my front end is about to explode without warning, so I have a front end rebuild potentially looming on the horizon. I will put a locker in when (if) that time comes, and would love to save money too. As I said, I’m genuinely trying to get clear info here.
 
Not trying to debate or fight!!!
I would like to hear from owners....good or bad. I just don't want to cloud the conversion with misinformation. Nearly everything we buy and use it made in China and the quality varies.
I am confident that some of the Chinese Manufactures are better then others. Ideally this could lead to a list of quality manfactures versus the junk manufactures. If enough people talk about it with real information maybe we can weed out the good from the bad. I felt the need to post so much in the first post so people would not be dismissive.

I have spent a lot of time in Asia and have seen enough knock-offs to know that quality varies from seller to seller. That is why I would like to get real reviews and identify the good and the bad.

A real Chinese copy would be able to use OEM parts when problems arise.

Thanks,
 

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