Need for lockers? (1 Viewer)

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I go offroad with a 4 or 5 Jeep guys, CJ's & Cherokees. There's a clear divide between those of us with lockers and those without as far as off road performance.
 
So when you say lockers you're referring to the post 93' 80's with electric lockers? Not the ones before that with the center differential locks? ???
 
[quote author=nyk438 link=board=2;threadid=9929;start=msg88793#msg88793 date=1073884400]
So when you say lockers you're referring to the post 93' 80's with electric lockers? Not the ones before that with the center differential locks? ???
[/quote]

correct or you can also go the aftermarket route with ARB air lockers.
 
yes you will regret it :'( Trust me, i wish i would have waited, but i just had to have that one right now! :slap:

Now i think about it every day. Should have waited and got the locks :whoops:
 
you will regret it even if you don't need them or use them because others will have them.
 
yeah, especially since the folks on this forum will make sure you never forget you don't have any... (lockers I mean...)
:D
E
 
[quote author=e9999 link=board=2;threadid=9929;start=msg89102#msg89102 date=1073945426]
yeah, especially since the folks on this forum will make sure you never forget you don't have any... (lockers I mean...)
:D
E

[/quote]

Eric,

you know that we are a bunch of locked and loaded freaks. :D

Mike
 
Hey Steve,


An offical welcome to you :flipoff2:


Did the wulf get you hooked up with an 80 yet?

D-
 
[quote author=SteveLCetc link=board=2;threadid=9929;start=msg88815#msg88815 date=1073885466]
P.S. I'm in Albuquerque, and black's too hot here...[/quote]

Fawk! Not another one.

Steve, first :flipoff2: and welcome.

So like what country is that in? Can't we just ship you, Cbizkit and B off some where? :D
 
[quote author=landtoy80 link=board=2;threadid=9929;start=msg88615#msg88615 date=1073801692]
Christo. Would that be a bad VC in the t-case ???
I NEED to know.
[/quote]

Don't know yet. We pulled it and replaced with a working unit. Will investigate later.
 
SNIP: yes you will regret it :'( Trust me, i wish i would have waited, but i just had to have that one right now! :slap:

This is my experience as well.
My feeble justification was I'll get ARBs later, in the mean time I'll work on my driving skills by learning to drive without lockers. (I had ARBs in my 60 and was relying on them perhaps too much).
Well, that did not last too long (there is no hope in improving my off road skills) so the truck is now sittiing on jack stands in the garage getting ARBs.

In the long run I'll be better off having bought a truck without factory lockers because with the ARB install I'm regearing to 4.56 (I'm running 33 inch tires). I'm thinking this will be a big improvement both off road, and driving around town. With factory lockers there would have been less incentive to pull the diffs just to regear.

juane
 
Are the ARB aftermarket lockers worse than the factory ones? If so, why? How much to the ARB ones cost to buy and have installed (I'd never be able to do it myself)?
 
Ebod,
Not sure what you mean by “worse than the factory ones.” Having no experience with factory lockers I can only offer anecdotes. Others can provide more informative advice. Factory lockers can be finicky and fail to operate at inopportune times and there is something about having to do some sort of maneuver as driver to engage them (help me out here factory electric locker dudes).

With a pneumatic as well as electrical components ARBs can also be temperamental. Leaky airlines, toasted solenoids or worse, leaking internal locker o-rings can be a hassle. And they aren’t always as on-and-off as people say. I’ve had the front ARB in my FJ 60 decide to stay engaged for a bit after I had switched it off. Not a good thing on high traction Moab slickrock when you need to turn the vehicle NOW. (In case you are not aware, an engaged front locker pretty much negates the steering wheel).

Everything is spendy in this business. I’m gonna be out about two grand for the hardware (two lockers, the ARB compressor, two gear sets, new carrier bearings and installation in the third members only). I’m doing the differential installation as well as mounting the compressor, plumbing and wiring myself. I’m also rebuilding the axles (knuckles, bearings and seals) which is probably going to run 3 or 400 bucks more for parts.

Finally, don’t shortchange yourself when you say you could never do the install yourself. The only real skill or knowledge needed is setting up the gears. Otherwise, if I can do it, anyone can, especially if your do not intend to rebuild the axles at the same time.

juane
 
Juane,

>> (help me out here factory electric locker dudes). <<

OK, I'll try.

The factory front locking mechanism engages much easier than the rear. There's a picture of the front locking splines on IH8MUD somewhere but I couldn't find it. Here is a diagram from the parts manual. Look at part #41453A

mod_front_lock.jpeg



As you can see there are 20 or 30 splines in the locking mechanism allowing them to "line up" fairly easily. Like the situation Juane mentioned, these locks need to be "unloaded" to enable them to easily unlock. If there is a lot of stress on the lock, it will not release quickly.

The factory rear locking mechanism has 5 big dog clutch gears that have to align for the rear to lock. This requires the wheels to turn at different speeds, like driving in an arc, or if one wheel is in the air.

mod_rear_lock.jpeg


The above diagram shows the rear. Look at part #41453

Electric_Rear_Locker-1.jpeg


Like the front, the locks will release quickly if unloaded. If the drivetrain is under stress they may not unlock immediately. My high school geometry tells me the wheel may have to rotate as much as 72[sup]o[/sup] for the gears to align. If you're running 35" tyres you have a circumference of approximately 110" meaning you may have to rotate one wheel approximately 2' farther
than the other wheel for the locks to engage (worst case.)

-B-
 
You have visited the University of Beowulf and obtained a Master Degree. :D

Mike
 
[quote author=landtoy80 link=board=2;threadid=9929;start=msg89634#msg89634 date=1074006691]
Christo, what was it doing?
[/quote]

Driving like the center diff lock was locked on all the time. Might habe been the vc, but doubt it. I think the cdl was locked and struck.
 

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