Locker options
#1
Locker options
Ok so this started out as a question then I thought, "Hey! Let's make a guide to lockers and sticky it or something."
My question for me is this:
I will eventually get a locker for the rear. The only offroading I do is mud and trails. I don't do rock crawling and frankly I don't NEED a locker. I know this. But I want one. I have L/S and it works great but I want a locker. You don't dissuade me from this so please don't try :)
It's a down-the-road kinda deal and nowhere near the top of my list but I'd like suggestions one what would be my best choice. Obviously Detroit Lockers are among the best of the best, if not the top enchilada but given the amount of offroading I do I don't think I need that. I want a good product that's light on the wallet but will function when I need it to for years to come. Suggestions?
Now my idea for the sticky. I think TRS has something like this and maybe I'll check with Jim and see if he minds me stealing it and using it here but how about our members give their ideas on what lockers are good/junk etc... then it can be a sticky in the FAQ section?
Just thinking out loud here...
Thanx!
My question for me is this:
I will eventually get a locker for the rear. The only offroading I do is mud and trails. I don't do rock crawling and frankly I don't NEED a locker. I know this. But I want one. I have L/S and it works great but I want a locker. You don't dissuade me from this so please don't try :)
It's a down-the-road kinda deal and nowhere near the top of my list but I'd like suggestions one what would be my best choice. Obviously Detroit Lockers are among the best of the best, if not the top enchilada but given the amount of offroading I do I don't think I need that. I want a good product that's light on the wallet but will function when I need it to for years to come. Suggestions?
Now my idea for the sticky. I think TRS has something like this and maybe I'll check with Jim and see if he minds me stealing it and using it here but how about our members give their ideas on what lockers are good/junk etc... then it can be a sticky in the FAQ section?
Just thinking out loud here...
Thanx!
#2
I don't understand, you don't need a locker but you're going to tear out a perfectly good trac-loc to install one anyway AND you want one that's light on the wallet?? Sounds like keeping the trac-loc is the lightest on the wallet (for your needs) but if you really must install a locker (that you don't need) then a lockrite is going to be the cheapest and they're extremely durable. Next would be the no-slip which is made by the same company (Powertrax) but is quieter and unlocks more easily. For quite a bit more money, you could go with an ARB or the electronic one that N3ELZ has and in either case you just never turn it on since you don't need it.
I'm not trying to disuade you from this but I think that there are some things you need to consider about installing a locker when you stated that you don't need one. One of the big things to consider is tire wear. You will wear rear tires faster with the lockrite or no-slip, it's a part of life with a locker. You also need to consider how the locker will affect the on-road manners of the truck. If you're in an area that gets rain, you will need to re-learn how to drive when traction is reduced. You should also consider the chance of breaking parts. As we've seen in the past, you don't need to be rockcrawling to break an axle. It goes against one of your criteria (that it be easy on the wallet) but if you don't need the locker then you're probably not willing to sacrifice things like handling (on-road) and tire wear to have one so the best one for you would probably be the one N3ELZ put in his truck. It's expensive, but you will have a locker without the bad aspects of having a locker.
I'm not trying to disuade you from this but I think that there are some things you need to consider about installing a locker when you stated that you don't need one. One of the big things to consider is tire wear. You will wear rear tires faster with the lockrite or no-slip, it's a part of life with a locker. You also need to consider how the locker will affect the on-road manners of the truck. If you're in an area that gets rain, you will need to re-learn how to drive when traction is reduced. You should also consider the chance of breaking parts. As we've seen in the past, you don't need to be rockcrawling to break an axle. It goes against one of your criteria (that it be easy on the wallet) but if you don't need the locker then you're probably not willing to sacrifice things like handling (on-road) and tire wear to have one so the best one for you would probably be the one N3ELZ put in his truck. It's expensive, but you will have a locker without the bad aspects of having a locker.
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Originally Posted by TBarCYa
I don't understand, you don't need a locker but you're going to tear out a perfectly good trac-loc to install one anyway AND you want one that's light on the wallet?? Sounds like keeping the trac-loc is the lightest on the wallet (for your needs) but if you really must install a locker (that you don't need) then a lockrite is going to be the cheapest and they're extremely durable. Next would be the no-slip which is made by the same company (Powertrax) but is quieter and unlocks more easily. For quite a bit more money, you could go with an ARB or the electronic one that N3ELZ has and in either case you just never turn it on since you don't need it.
I'm not trying to disuade you from this but I think that there are some things you need to consider about installing a locker when you stated that you don't need one. One of the big things to consider is tire wear. You will wear rear tires faster with the lockrite or no-slip, it's a part of life with a locker. You also need to consider how the locker will affect the on-road manners of the truck. If you're in an area that gets rain, you will need to re-learn how to drive when traction is reduced. You should also consider the chance of breaking parts. As we've seen in the past, you don't need to be rockcrawling to break an axle. It goes against one of your criteria (that it be easy on the wallet) but if you don't need the locker then you're probably not willing to sacrifice things like handling (on-road) and tire wear to have one so the best one for you would probably be the one N3ELZ put in his truck. It's expensive, but you will have a locker without the bad aspects of having a locker.
I'm not trying to disuade you from this but I think that there are some things you need to consider about installing a locker when you stated that you don't need one. One of the big things to consider is tire wear. You will wear rear tires faster with the lockrite or no-slip, it's a part of life with a locker. You also need to consider how the locker will affect the on-road manners of the truck. If you're in an area that gets rain, you will need to re-learn how to drive when traction is reduced. You should also consider the chance of breaking parts. As we've seen in the past, you don't need to be rockcrawling to break an axle. It goes against one of your criteria (that it be easy on the wallet) but if you don't need the locker then you're probably not willing to sacrifice things like handling (on-road) and tire wear to have one so the best one for you would probably be the one N3ELZ put in his truck. It's expensive, but you will have a locker without the bad aspects of having a locker.
I like the one Daddy Griggs got a lot. I can lock it when I need it locked and it functions like a L/S when not engaged right? That would indeed be perfect so maybe I'll just save up some and go that route since I have a TON of time.
Thanx!
#6
Originally Posted by TBarCYa
An ARB is controlled by compressed air. There's a small compressor that is required to lock the differential. The main difference (other than air vs electricity) is that the ARB is open when unlocked (if I remember correctly) unlike the ECTED which is limited slip until locked.
How have you been doing Tom ? I haven't seen you on lately.
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I like my detroit, but yeah it can be a pain on teh road. The only real times I ***** are when i am doing a slow turn and sometimes it will get in a bind adn sound like somethign is breaking, but that is suposedly normal.
But for the $250 I paid for it with new gears, I coudlnt pass it up and NO i dont regret it.
But for the $250 I paid for it with new gears, I coudlnt pass it up and NO i dont regret it.
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You've seen my Lockright get me stuck at the River Ranch meets... That could be you! LOL, call me crazy but I kinda like driving with a locker on the street, it makes it feel more like a truck. In the rain you've gotta keep your foot off of the gas around turns, it'll spin you around on a dime if your not paying attention. I got my Lockright on Ebay for around $225 and installed it myself in about 3 hours, and I had never seen the inside of a differential before. I absolutely love it,lol...
#16
powertrax makes and electric locker that goes l/s when not in use. ive been researching it and its called the electrac. it seems like a very nice locker but (i havent found a price for it yet) i think its more then the ected. this one is controlled by a switch. with the ected you can wire it into your throttle and abs and all that. i think mr. griggs has his through a switch only though(correct me if im wrong)
i want to go the locked route after im lifted a bit this summer. for mudding, a front locker just isnt practical. 4 lo with l/s rear has gotten me out of anything i wanted to be in.
one other thing, i backed into a hole up to mid tire and had a friend with me. i asked if my right rear was spinning and he said it wasnt. only one wheel was spinning with l/s. why?
i want to go the locked route after im lifted a bit this summer. for mudding, a front locker just isnt practical. 4 lo with l/s rear has gotten me out of anything i wanted to be in.
one other thing, i backed into a hole up to mid tire and had a friend with me. i asked if my right rear was spinning and he said it wasnt. only one wheel was spinning with l/s. why?
#17
Originally Posted by loneFX4
one other thing, i backed into a hole up to mid tire and had a friend with me. i asked if my right rear was spinning and he said it wasnt. only one wheel was spinning with l/s. why?
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Although it CAN, there is no LOGIC in it for that. What they are saying is, that if you are designing a traction control system, you can integrate the rear locker into the system for additional traction control strategies.
The locker itself is interesting because if you modulate the current, you get various degrees of clutch lockup -- that is, you can make it behave like a limited slip with different amounts of torque bias.
I thought about doing that, but the LS was already so tight, I just ended up using it as an on/off locker.
So, don't let that text in the presentation fool you: it was targeted at automotive designers and not the average user. The locker does not come with, nor does Auburn have available, anything to implement the locker in a traction control system.
The locker itself is interesting because if you modulate the current, you get various degrees of clutch lockup -- that is, you can make it behave like a limited slip with different amounts of torque bias.
I thought about doing that, but the LS was already so tight, I just ended up using it as an on/off locker.
So, don't let that text in the presentation fool you: it was targeted at automotive designers and not the average user. The locker does not come with, nor does Auburn have available, anything to implement the locker in a traction control system.
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