Locking a differential - IS THIS TRUE ??

[Hendrik]

LSD in the front or not

I purchased a Lock-right locker for my front 4.11 FF diff in my 60. Curiousity got me looking into what (if anything) I should do with my rear 4.11 FF LSD axle setup. Then I read some articles on diffs and lockers and decided I don't really need a second lock-right.

[edit]

It's true, I think - a lock-right is probably better than an LSD. Now I am contemplating to swap them over. The donor LSD (from a HJ61) has a few km on it, so I was thinking about trying the 61 LSD in the FRONT, and the lock-right in the REAR.

Has anyone done this ? Or is this not a good idea ??

 

[Southeast Overland]

I have a 1976 FJ55 - so the setup is similar to your 60 wagon. I have a Lockrite in the rear and it works great. I want a locker in the front and thought about putting an auto locker in but decided against it. If you get bound up and give the skinny pedal a little too much love you could 'snap, crackle and pop' your front end. I would lock the rear and if you want to do something to the front put in an ARB, or maybe a LSD. I wouldn't put the auto in the front but there are some members on MUD who have done it with good results.

 

[Lost]

id put the lock-right (auto-locker) in the rear axle, and have the front selectable(arb$)
this is if you drive your truck on the street.
having the full-time locker in thw front is going to restrict streering
if this is a off road vehicle only, its prob ok to have the front on full-time lock

ps. i have no lockers
but i want some

 

[Ducks]

Having the locker in the rear with the LSD in the front is a good configuration. I know of at least a couple people running it this way. I happen to have two Aussies, front and rear. The front locker (or LSD) obviously doesn't do anything in 2hi or 2lo. In 4hi & 4lo, it does restrict turning a bit. When I get more $$, I'll probably put in an ARB up front and remove the auto locker, but it is not that big of a deal to have the auto locker up front, too.

 

[Gwynley]

Personally I would leave the LSD in the rear if I had one, then put the Aussie in the front. My reasoning for this is that if you do a fair amount of paved road work the cruiser will basically behave the same - then when you lock the front axle you will have a large amount of extra traction.

 

[Ducks]

You really don't need to worry about having an auto locker in the rear on pavement at least that is my experience with the Aussie Locker. Don't know the company name in Oz but they are imported to the US by Torq Masters (Aussie Lockers: Lockers, aussie lockers, torq-masters technology, automatic positive locking differentials, automatic precision locker differentials, off road, off-road). If you have to travel switchbacks, which I don't know if you need to or not, the auto locker in the front means you have to back up to make it around corners. The LSD up front should give you some more turning radius than the auto locker. You probably don't have to worry about ice, but in an icy situation it would also be better to not have an auto locker up front where you could easily break both wheels free and lose steering.

 

[wngrog]

For a pure traction standpoint, I think the Cruiser will perform the best with a locker in the front and limited slip in the rear.

That said, the locker will put lots of strain on your CVs (Birfields) and the LSD won't. I would just as well have the front open than have a limited slip in there. The real place I want a locker is when one of the tires leaves the ground. LSDs in theory will lock then, but they never do.

If you decide to move the Lock Right to the rear, you will notice a little bit of torque steer in corners, but with the wheelbase of an FJ-6o it is minimal.

 

[Tapage]

IMOP locker in your rear axle .. usually you weight travel in a uphill transfer the weight on your rear with more traction .. and your locker will do better on it .. plus, the LSD on front will be more gently with your steering and birf ..

 

[nuclearlemon]

I also vote for locker in the rear and lsd in front, or sell the lsd and put the money towards a selectable locker for the front.

if you do put an auto locker in the front, then make sure you've got the 2low mod and spend your time wheeling in 2low until you need the front locker.

 

[REKCUT]

id put the lock-right (auto-locker) in the rear axle, and have the front selectable(arb$)
this is if you drive your truck on the street.
having the full-time locker in thw front is going to restrict streering
if this is a off road vehicle only, its prob ok to have the front on full-time lock

ps. i have no lockers
but i want some

Locker wont come into play in the front on road as you will have the hubs unlocked. It will be a little restrictive in 4wd on the road but that is usually a small amount of drive time.

 

[tonyota]

I run Aussie lockers front & rear. The front does limit steering on hard packed dirt, but I have very little issue with it on trails.
I also installed Bobby Long 30 spline shafts & birfs because I drive it to the trails which means I have to drive it home also
I would not recommend it in front if you use 4wd on streets. I never use 4wd on the road so my front Aussie has served me well

 

[Hendrik]

A big THANKYOU to the all the above and everyone here at IH8MUD.

...I would not recommend it in front if you use 4wd on streets. I never use 4wd on the road so my front Aussie has served me well

Thanks Tonyota, the PO advised me NOT to use 4wd on bitumen if I could help it. I don't think there is a need for using 4wd on bitumen here in OZ so I always un-lock the hubs, as REKCUT describes below...

Locker wont come into play in the front on road as you will have the hubs unlocked. It will be a little restrictive in 4wd on the road but that is usually a small amount of drive time.

Cheers REKCUT !

 

[Hendrik]

...if you do put an auto locker in the front, then make sure you've got the 2low mod and spend your time wheeling in 2low until you need the front locker.

Thanks Nuclearlemon, Im not sure what the 2low mod is - but my rig WILL operate in 2WD, Low-range very nicely. Is that what you mean ??

...the front locker (or LSD) obviously doesn't do anything in 2hi or 2lo. In 4hi & 4lo, it does restrict turning a bit.

Thanks mate - Is this the same 2low referred to by Nuclearlemon ??

 

[Scotty]

If the LSD has more than 10K on it, then clutches are probably pretty worn, and really not worth much. Its like pissing on a forest fire. Buy another lockright or Aussie locker and lock BOTH axles up if you really want the best performance. Being in Australia and not needing to deal with ice and snow, a auto-locker in both axles is fine.

I live in Colorado and my 88' 4runner daily driver runs Detroit Lockers front and rear. I drive it all the time, so don't let people tell you its not possible or not safe. Learn to drive them, and they are just fine on the street. Even in snow and ice.

My rear Detroit is so subtle that I drive it harder now than when it was an open diff.

 

[REKCUT]

On our 60's you can run in 2h 4h or 4 low. You can leave the hubs unlocked and it will act like 2Low but the front drive shaft is still turning. You can go in an cut off the tab that keeps the transfercase lever from sliding over into 2L and then you have 2 low without the driveshaft turning. This lets you turn the truck with a front locker without having to get out and unlock your hubs on the trail. Easy in and out of front wheel drive. I am guessing that your 60 is the same but I know we have a few odd differences in the US models

 

[Hendrik]

I would just as well have the front open than have a limited slip in there. The real place I want a locker is when one of the tires leaves the ground. LSDs in theory will lock then, but they never do.

This is what I have been reading and worrying about.

When I get more $$, I'll probably put in an ARB up front and remove the auto locker, but it is not that big of a deal to have the auto locker up front, too.

That would be an air-locker ??

id put the lock-right (auto-locker) in the rear axle, and have the front selectable(arb$)
this is if you drive your truck on the street.

...thought about putting an auto locker in but decided against it. If you get bound up and give the skinny pedal a little too much love you could 'snap, crackle and pop' your front end. I would lock the rear and if you want to do something to the front put in an ARB, or maybe a LSD. I wouldn't put the auto in the front but there are some members on MUD who have done it with good results.

I appreciate all the info - thanks very much !!

 

[Hendrik]

On our 60's you can run in 2h 4h or 4 low. You can leave the hubs unlocked and it will act like 2Low but the front drive shaft is still turning.

I never thought of that....

You can go in an cut off the tab that keeps the transfercase lever from sliding over into 2L and then you have 2 low without the driveshaft turning. This lets you turn the truck with a front locker without having to get out and unlock your hubs on the trail. Easy in and out of front wheel drive. I am guessing that your 60 is the same but I know we have a few odd differences in the US models

Thanks Mate ! [edit] Very much !!

 

[Hendrik]

...If the LSD has more than 10K on it, then clutches are probably pretty worn, and really not worth much. Its like ****ing on a forest fire.

Hmmm. About 150,000 KM actually...

...my 88' 4runner daily driver runs Detroit Lockers front and rear. I drive it all the time, so don't let people tell you its not possible or not safe. Learn to drive them, and they are just fine on the street. Even in snow and ice.

Do you always drive it in 4wd ??

My rear Detroit is so subtle that I drive it harder now than when it was an open diff.

Or mainly in 2wd ??

 

[Scotty]

Hmmm. About 150,000 KM actually...



Do you always drive it in 4wd ??



Or mainly in 2wd ??

2WD on dry streets. 4wd in snow and ice.

With the hubs locked, I can shift on the fly 4wd, so it makes it very easy.

 

[Red04VXE]

I've recently fitted Front & Rear LockRights and 30Spline Longs to my HJ60. Been driving it to work for 2 weeks and apart from very sharp turns in carparks I wouldn't know rear is there.

1st trip off road got 1 tree with drivers side bullbar and a tree and a rock wall with passenger side of bullbar. Gotta love the reduced turning circle, learn to drive it all over again. Will be doing the 2 Low conversion on Friday Arvo after work to play again this weekend. https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/181454-fj60-2lo-stock-transfer-case-easy-mod.html