To Lock or Not to Lock? ... or, rather, are you Regeared and not Locked? (1 Viewer)

[bigredmachine]

if you decide to regar id do an auto locker, lower cost and easy install. I have one on my truck and I haven't had any issues with it yet. occasionally itll make a bang or some noise when the drive line is really bound up but other than that its been very quiet and I haven't really noticed any poor road handling with it

 

[REKCUT]

I would check to see that your truck is running top notch first. I can run up big hills with plenty of power at 3k rpms. One of my trial mates couldn't keep up and ended up having a clogged cat. I can easily make the truck perform with 35's as long as i stay in power band. I have drive trucks that are regeared and i personally don't see the cost to results benefit. If i had both my diffs open for some reason then i would probably go ahead and do gears while i was in there.

 

[tpizza01]

On the AWD '80, having the CDL switch/pin 7 mod and auto locker is almost the same, kinda select-able, works well.

That's a good point lol

 

[LINUS]

As a followup, I’ve never regretted the pin 7 mod - what negatives were you told?

Worst case scenario- 2 butt splices, 2’ of wire & terminals for a rocker switch, you could mount down on the kickpanel.
Let you manually select stock/pin 7 mod if it’s really of some concern to you.

 

[surfpig]

Perhaps a good compromise would be a 10% high range underdrive kit for the transfer case and a lunchbox locker for the rear. Plenty capable for the use you describe and significantly less expensive.

^THIS^

 

[Pin_Head]

Lock.

You will be glad you did.

 

[OffRoadScott]

I looked into the 10% underdrive for the high side and at 4.10 gears that would put you right around 4.51. If you are happy with that go ahead.

I am running 315s as well. I am definitely going to regear myself more then likely I am going to run 4.88s. My question to myself is to lock or not.

ZUK of gearinstalls.com has quoted me some great prices. I would check with him as far as pricing.

 

[tpizza01]

I looked into the 10% underdrive for the high side and at 4.10 gears that would put you right around 4.51. If you are happy with that go ahead.

I am running 315s as well. I am definitely going to regear myself more then likely I am going to run 4.88s. My question to myself is to lock or not.

ZUK of gearinstalls.com has quoted me some great prices. I would check with him as far as pricing.

You and I are basically asking the same question. My intention was to regear at least, but not sure if I needed to lock. There are some nice options on here, but I still lean toward locking - even if it is at a later date.

 

[OffRoadScott]

You and I are basically asking the same question. My intention was to regear at least, but not sure if I needed to lock. There are some nice options on here, but I still lean toward locking - even if it is at a later date.

I honestly am going to lock, it is 90% that I will. ZUK quoted me 4200 with 4.88 and Harrop lockers front and rear. Gears were 980 and I believe 700 for install.

If you do lock look into using the factory locker switch. There is a write up in this forum. It is a great idea if you wanna keep it as much stock looking as possible.

 

[decoco]

T-Case Gear Sets

Is there a transfer case gear for idiots write up? This is beyond my limited knowledge. I’ve read the part numbers but don’t understand the advantages

 

[Corbet]

As someone who has driven on 315's with both stock and 4.88 gears your not going to remove the fact your in 2nd gear on long uphill grades. Only change the speed slightly. Lower gearing whether in the T-case or diffs will help you off the line and while wheeling with control. I don't see them as a night and day difference on the HWY. Maybe its my altitude in Colorado? Others may have a different opinion. But I'm still at 4500+ RPM anytime I have to climb a pass. I'm also heavy and that IMO makes a much larger difference than gears.

Given your description of use, I'd skip selectable lockers and throw a lunchbox locker in sometime if you end up wanting one. As long as you keep the AWD you won't have much negative feedback coming from the rear as most trucks experience in 2WD with auto lockers.

 

[ewillis]

I made the opposite mistake. I locked (harrop using Zuk) and didn't re-gear at the same time. Locking and regearing at the same time is worth it. I didn't have the $$ to regear at the time and should've just waited to do it all at once. So lessons learned: do both at the same time...use Zuk for the install, no regerts.

 

[lumbee1]

I am factory locked with a CDL, 4.88 gears, and 315's. The CDL switch and 7pin mod is a no brainer. All it requires is a switch and an hour worth of time. The lockers have also helped out in some tough muddy climbs and put significantly less stress on the drivetrain rather the other option of just slamming the skinny pedal. Would I pay $1500 for lockers? Nope. A winch and Aussie locker would be a more effective combination.

For the regear, I spoke to a co-worker with a regeared 80 series. He said that the gears were the best mod he's ever done. However like many posted here, I read that axle gears are expensive and do not have huge impact. We took a family trip from NC to the Grand Canyon in 2017 and the long ascents really taxed the engine. The transmission was shifting often and we struggled to stay with traffic. I did not downshift manually like what has been recommended but rather left it in drive. After that I was determined to get gears.

Last year, I pulled the axles apart and sent my 3rds to East Coast Gear Supply in Raleigh NC. This also gave me the opportunity to redo all the seals, bearings, and grease in the axles. With the regear and axles buttoned up, the first drive was uninspiring to say the least. The engine maintained high revs on the highway and didn't seem to accelerate all that different. Initially I was a bit disappointed and so was my wallet.

Upon further reflection and time behind the wheel, the regear has been the best mod to date. I can keep up with traffic, the engine doesn't struggle with daily driving, acceleration is much better than before, while climbing hills the tranny doesn't shift, and best of all the offroad performance is drastically improved. Low range crawls are fun and I often find myself doing the local trails in high range now. I wouldn't hesitate to regear again.

 

[subzali]

I don't know why you are running 35s with your description of usage. If your only real complaint is lack of power on the highway I would think you would be a perfect candidate for dropping to 33s and/or a turbo. Here is the recipe to DIY: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/so-are-there-any-trd-superchargers-left.831374/page-5#post-9546362

 

[baldilocks]

Statement #2 of the original post speaks the answer very loudly. Considering that you almost never used the locker in your fjcruiser and then factoring in the 80 series off road superiority to that vehicle which Toyota mistakenly applied the FJ designation to, I’d have to say, a locker isn’t a wise investment for you.

 

[80t0ylc]

@tpizza01 Since you have a '95, your t-case contains a VC (viscous coupler). If you decide to crack open the t-case and regear it instead of the diffs, I would pull out the VC while you're in there. It doesn't add any expense to the project. When the VC goes bad (seizes up), it is like the CDL is locked permanently and removing it while you're in there would save you having to go back in when the damn thing fails. The VC adds very little to performance and IMHO, the more it is used, the shorter it's life is. It kicks in automatically when your front and rear drive shaft speeds differ, which happens a lot on low traction surfaces. The CDL button and pin 7 mod is a much better setup and virtually negates having the VC anyway.

 

[mudgudgeon]

I don't know why you are running 35s with your description of usage.

I know right! Should be on 40s at least!

 

[auttiman]

My previous 80 was unlocked when I bought it. I ran 33's and installed an ARB in the rear. It went just about anywhere I pointed it, but having always wanted (yearned) for 35's I would do the following if I was in your shoes. Install the 10% UD and 3:1 in the transfer case and an automatic locker in the rear. You would end up with an extremely capable rig at a portion of the price.

^^this^^

I put a Spartan locker in my rear. To my surprise the road manners are the same as with open diff (no binding while in high range.)

And rather than spending money on lower axle gears, the underdrive options for transfer case gearing is the route I’m going to take. 10% lower in high range is the equivalent of 4.56:1 axle gears and 3.3:1 low range vs 2.48:1 is “the tits.”

 

[ZackR]

To summarize - sell the 35's, install some 33's and leave the gearing and everything else stock and you'll be good to go.

 

[Marco Lau]

I don't know why you are running 35s with your description of usage. If your only real complaint is lack of power on the highway I would think you would be a perfect candidate for dropping to 33s and/or a turbo. Here is the recipe to DIY: https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/so-are-there-any-trd-superchargers-left.831374/page-5#post-9546362

I know guys run 35s and truck never sees anything outside of asphalt.