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07-11-2013, 01:07 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Arcata, CA
Posts: 623
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Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
I'm thinking of getting locking diffs, on the rear at least. Should I be looking at air (ARBs) or electric (Eaton)?
Electric seems to win on cost, ease of instillation and use. What am I missing?
__________________
2002 E350 7.3 PSD
Quigley 4x4, EB50 floorplan
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07-11-2013, 01:42 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Sacramento Delta, CA
Posts: 1,024
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
IIRC, you will be limited by your rear axle. If you have a semi-floating axle, I believe, that only the ARB will work. If you have full-floating axle, all options are available to you.
__________________
2002 E350 ext.; 160K; 7.3L; 4R100 (w/4x4 deep pan & filter); 4x4 conv. w/2007 F250/F350 coil frnt axle (oppos. dual Bilstein press. shocks cured DW) diff chg from 3.55 to 3.73 (bad!); BW1356 t.c. (bad!); LT265/70R17/E Michelin LTX M/S2; Engel MT60 Combi Fridge-Freezer; 4 BP 380J pv panels; Auragen 5kw AC gen. in top alt. position; Webasto Dual-Top; Voyager top. 1995 5.8L EB Bronco, bone stock.
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07-11-2013, 01:47 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Corvallis, OR
Posts: 5,300
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
My observation has been electric lockers are very reliable, while air lockers occasionally have leaks. Also, electric lockers are self-contained (moot point if you already have on-board air). But air lockers are available for many more applications.
__________________
2000 E450 dually V10 wagon
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07-11-2013, 04:23 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Rancho Nuevo (Cabo/Todos Santos) B.C.S. and San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,952
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
Why? Where do you go that you need one?
__________________
Four time Baja 1000 winner, four time Baja 500 winner. Solo'ed the Baja 1000 to LaPaz/Cabo twice.
4-Wheeling since 1972, Desert Racing since 1989.
AgileOffRoad.com
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07-11-2013, 05:03 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Corvallis, OR
Posts: 5,300
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
Quote:
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Originally Posted by BajaSportsmobile
Why? Where do you go that you need one?
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Since when is anything on our vans driven by "need" 
__________________
2000 E450 dually V10 wagon
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07-11-2013, 06:56 PM
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#6
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Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Salt Lake City
Posts: 51
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
I was advised by John as SMB West (2006) to go with limited slip diff in the rear, and a locker in the front. I don't do heavy duty boulder scrambling, but wanted to get up over ledges, and better pulling power in snow and mud. I wend with the ARB Air Lockers.
__________________
2006 EB 6.0 Diesel, custom gaucho,
Espar hydronic and heat, 2 Solara panels,
Trojan F&R, ARB lockers, Warn winch.
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07-11-2013, 07:20 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Southern New Mexico
Posts: 10,178
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
I always lusted after an Ox locker, but I don't think they make one that would work for an E350. Cable actuated, but I think they offer electric and air actuated options.
http://www.ox-usa.com/ox/
Herb
__________________
SMB-less as of 02/04/2012. Our savings account is richer, but our adventures are poorer.
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07-11-2013, 08:51 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 533
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
Hell, it doesn't have to be that bad to make a locker a pretty nice thing to have. Sand, snow, gravel, mud... anything that gets the wrong two wheels slipping can mean digging or pulling out where a locker would keep you going.
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07-11-2013, 09:34 PM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Posts: 1,202
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
We chose front lockers on the advice of a friend who was part of the company that brought G-Wagons to the US before Mercedes bought them out. His example was crossing a stream w/rear wheels on slippery rocks and a rocky exit. The added pull we'd get from the front end would help get out.
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Fresno's 1st 2012 Ford van.
RB E350 6.8L V-10 4WD w/Front Air Lockers
PH Top, Kyocera solar with Zamp portable unit
(If we'd bought the winch, we'd make a fortune pulling cars out of the snow.)
__________________
-Don-
Life and baseball both sometimes are not fair, but it is how you play the hops that counts. —Scott Miller, NYT Sports
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07-11-2013, 11:06 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: California
Posts: 1,012
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Re: Locking Diff - air or electric? ... and why?
Went with front and rear ARB. A compressor is a must have so it was an easy decision for me. Nothing exceeds like excess.
__________________
2006 E350 6.0PSD 5R110, SMB 4X4, RB-50, ARB lockers front/rear, Aluminess galore, AMP steps.
Callsign KK6GIY
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