Lockers are for pussies. Like this guy ↓
Lockers - why you want them and how/when to use them
- Thread starter TexasJack
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All I know is I have lockers and love them. After not having them then having them is like night and day... And my suspension appreciates them too...
Absolutely! Lockers allow you to drive slower thru obstacles that otherwise would require much more speed/wheel spin/bouncing.
Easier on the rig, the driver, and the terrain.
Here in WA where wheelspin is not a good practice with the ol' Sierra Club -which I get - rutted out trails are a nuisance compared to natural features you want to try your hand at but also we're wet from all but mid-July through Sept. 2.5 months of really the driest time to run certain places that in winter are 2-3' or more of crusted mud.
For me lockers are a 'tool in the toolbox' of possible ways to go further, just like the springs that allowed the bigger tires, the bigger tires themself, the bumper that holds my winch, the sliders that save my rockers & give a constant surface to use, either as a slider, a hi-lift jack point, or a place to let another throw a strap & anchor to. And as much as I hate to look at it - the shovel on the roof. If lockers keep me from shoveling, they are worth it right there. It's called wheeling, not 'yardwork I don't even live in'.
By themself, no - they aren't the 1 recovery tool/solution I'd personally pick, but used in concert they sure help kill wheelspin & get you further towards your desired route rather than jumping out & either grabbing the shovel or winch remote & taking time to winch.
As for that whole tangent of people who "look down" on unlocked 80's - that's not something I waste time on. We each use our 80 slightly different, so some guys don't need them - heck, as much as I like WA, a great set of dry trails I could tape over the switch would be an awesome change!
For me lockers are a 'tool in the toolbox' of possible ways to go further, just like the springs that allowed the bigger tires, the bigger tires themself, the bumper that holds my winch, the sliders that save my rockers & give a constant surface to use, either as a slider, a hi-lift jack point, or a place to let another throw a strap & anchor to. And as much as I hate to look at it - the shovel on the roof. If lockers keep me from shoveling, they are worth it right there. It's called wheeling, not 'yardwork I don't even live in'.
By themself, no - they aren't the 1 recovery tool/solution I'd personally pick, but used in concert they sure help kill wheelspin & get you further towards your desired route rather than jumping out & either grabbing the shovel or winch remote & taking time to winch.
As for that whole tangent of people who "look down" on unlocked 80's - that's not something I waste time on. We each use our 80 slightly different, so some guys don't need them - heck, as much as I like WA, a great set of dry trails I could tape over the switch would be an awesome change!
My $0.02. Or $0.03.
Six pages of chest thumping about who is a "real offroader" in their 25 year old luxo-barge, and the how/when part of the question hasn't really even been bothered with yet. I mean, this could have been informative and insightful, instead it was mostly just embarrassing.
Why - it makes your vehicle much more capable offroad, whether someone else thinks you need it or not.
When - you are leading into an obstacle where you feel like there may be some loss of traction to one side or the other, potentially resulting in a wheel spinning in free air, rather than pushing earth. I prefer to turn them on before i get into it, but others may feel different.
How - push the button or turn the dial, maybe coast forward a bit to engage the locker. Then drive as desired according to your surface/obstacle.
Most importantly though, it makes you seem cool when you tell someone it's 3 way locked and also let's people know how much money you are willing to spend on a vehicle.
Six pages of chest thumping about who is a "real offroader" in their 25 year old luxo-barge, and the how/when part of the question hasn't really even been bothered with yet. I mean, this could have been informative and insightful, instead it was mostly just embarrassing.
Why - it makes your vehicle much more capable offroad, whether someone else thinks you need it or not.
When - you are leading into an obstacle where you feel like there may be some loss of traction to one side or the other, potentially resulting in a wheel spinning in free air, rather than pushing earth. I prefer to turn them on before i get into it, but others may feel different.
How - push the button or turn the dial, maybe coast forward a bit to engage the locker. Then drive as desired according to your surface/obstacle.
Most importantly though, it makes you seem cool when you tell someone it's 3 way locked and also let's people know how much money you are willing to spend on a vehicle.
I hate this picture. Looks like I got high centered on a country road! We stacked rocks and they slid out from under me. Locker had nothing to do with it. @KWalkerM used the hi lift to push the truck back to a line we could drag me up. It was bad a**. I should have never been on that trail in that truck. That's the bottom line. But we made it and have a great story to tell. That's the other bottom line!
Hunh? - I'm not out to pick a fight but you're a little light on tech with your statement too.
None of us have KOH or a Pro-3 truck here, so that is the closest I see to you talking tech aside from locking ahead of the spot you see butt pucker over. We e-locked folks NEED wheelspin / inequal speed tires or a good 50-75' to lock the rear, so just "twist the dial" & "maybe coast forward" isn't reality.
For myself, I stop way the frack ahead, get my rear locker locked, then twist over to full locked if I think I'm generally pointed where I want to land as turning locked is a 50% proposition. You may be at full lock, that doesn't mean you won't snowplow the same way you're pointed. Gravity and physics always trump desire.
Entirely it is about seat time, and you can argue what you like but just from Kevin's statements I expect I'll sooner ride with him than you.
And your last statement is a hater comment - lockers are like guns, better to have them & not need them than the reverse. Either on a trail or in a classified ad, we both know locked is more desirable, so that was a non-starter comment to make.
I still stand by my comment prior about use priority (and as a snowboarder the better statement/thread is "keep your fat fingers off the dial on a snowpack road" aka "just because you have it doesn't mean you should") - so just get out & plan a trip, go locked or unlocked, and rock out with your diff lock out
Hunh? - I'm not out to pick a fight but you're a little light on tech with your statement too.
None of us have KOH or a Pro-3 truck here, so that is the closest I see to you talking tech aside from locking ahead of the spot you see butt pucker over. We e-locked folks NEED wheelspin / inequal speed tires or a good 50-75' to lock the rear, so just "twist the dial" & "maybe coast forward" isn't reality.
For myself, I stop way the frack ahead, get my rear locker locked, then twist over to full locked if I think I'm generally pointed where I want to land as turning locked is a 50% proposition. You may be at full lock, that doesn't mean you won't snowplow the same way you're pointed. Gravity and physics always trump desire.
Entirely it is about seat time, and you can argue what you like but just from Kevin's statements I expect I'll sooner ride with him than you.
And your last statement is a hater comment - lockers are like guns, better to have them & not need them than the reverse. Either on a trail or in a classified ad, we both know locked is more desirable, so that was a non-starter comment to make.
I still stand by my comment prior about use priority (and as a snowboarder the better statement/thread is "keep your fat fingers off the dial on a snowpack road" aka "just because you have it doesn't mean you should") - so just get out & plan a trip, go locked or unlocked, and rock out with your diff lock out
I wasn't trying to pick any fight either, and i know that my input is light on the tech
It's actually why i bothered to read the thread in the first place; I've only had my first Cruiser here for about six months and was hoping to gain more insight into how the lockers on these trucks work, where they work best, where they don't work, how to get the most out of them, good maintenance etc. Instead it was just wasted time reading about peoples opinions on who is more hardcore or not.
The bottom jerkoff comment of mine was a failed attempt at levity, although i truly do feel much cooler being able to say i have a 3x locked truck.
@Dork -
For my part I'll own it - I seriously doubted you had lockers. I wasn't going to flat say as much, but OK - if levity & opening the focus to bigger pic of lockers, sure.
Really, just go run some logging / fire access roads, and progressively try balls-ier stuff (not sure it's a word) - then you join all us doing "ride, break, rebuild, repeat" - at least you'll get the hang of twisting dial way the fook ahead to catch the rear, and the downfalls of front locking - dang thing always locks *right now* anytime you expect it to take 8-10'.
Kevin really hit it - seat time, no replacement for learning differing degrees of pucker.
Besides, they always need that monthly-err, weekly- excercise.
For my part I'll own it - I seriously doubted you had lockers. I wasn't going to flat say as much, but OK - if levity & opening the focus to bigger pic of lockers, sure.
Really, just go run some logging / fire access roads, and progressively try balls-ier stuff (not sure it's a word) - then you join all us doing "ride, break, rebuild, repeat" - at least you'll get the hang of twisting dial way the fook ahead to catch the rear, and the downfalls of front locking - dang thing always locks *right now* anytime you expect it to take 8-10'.
Kevin really hit it - seat time, no replacement for learning differing degrees of pucker.
Besides, they always need that monthly-err, weekly- excercise.
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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'll venture to say that no one outside this board knows (or even gives a damn...) what "3x locked" means...
And, for the record, I pick seat time & lockers over seat time only...
And, for the record, I pick seat time & lockers over seat time only...
I endorse /this\ post
the rear locker was hands-down the single-most noticeable improvement in my husband's wheeling truck when I was still only a passenger
since then, we have accumulated 8 locked, 1 limited slip and 3 open axles
as for the OP question, I use lockers in deep water crossings
the rear locker was hands-down the single-most noticeable improvement in my husband's wheeling truck when I was still only a passenger
since then, we have accumulated 8 locked, 1 limited slip and 3 open axles
as for the OP question, I use lockers in deep water crossings
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All I know is that I bought an unlocked 80 (very clean and very nice) and I regret it everyday because of how expensive it is to 3x lock it.
(I don't actually regret it I love my cruiser but man I should have gone for one with lockers)
(I don't actually regret it I love my cruiser but man I should have gone for one with lockers)
You would be wrong. Sorry.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'll venture to say that no one outside this board knows (or even gives a damn...) what "3x locked" means...
And, for the record, I pick seat time & lockers over seat time only...
- Thread starter
- #115
@Dork -
For my part I'll own it - I seriously doubted you had lockers. I wasn't going to flat say as much, but OK - if levity & opening the focus to bigger pic of lockers, sure.
Really, just go run some logging / fire access roads, and progressively try balls-ier stuff (not sure it's a word) - then you join all us doing "ride, break, rebuild, repeat" - at least you'll get the hang of twisting dial way the fook ahead to catch the rear, and the downfalls of front locking - dang thing always locks *right now* anytime you expect it to take 8-10'.
Kevin really hit it - seat time, no replacement for learning differing degrees of pucker.
Besides, they always need that monthly-err, weekly- excercise.
Differing degrees of pucker-factor is what got me to investigate lockers in the first place. I nearly rolled my truck a few times going up VERY steep caliche roads with deep ruts and lots of loose rocks in the Texas hill country. Sliding backwards (and then sideways) while totally out of control inspired me to investigate new ways to avoid that situation in the first place! I can lock my truck 3X and climb those same roads now with little effort.
Lockers can make one hell of a difference in the safety of your wheeling....and I agree, I lock it up before I start up the hill or through the mud patch or whatever else might get me stuck or rolled over.
I have owned Toyota elockers and I didn't care for the preplanning that has to be done in order to lock the rear up before you get to the "spot". Compared to my current and past ARB's, they are slow. My air lockers lock and unlock instantly and transparently.
Save your pennies and soon you can have selectable lockers that work at the flick of a switch.
Aside from pushing the button how did you know your Air Lockers were actually locking and unlocking?
Is this a serious question?
Yes
Alright! Alright! I'm removing my hi-lift from the roof rack first chance I get. You've convinced me.