Locking diffs

wallrat · 03-14-2008, 08:58 AM

Hi, all,

Pondering this upgrade, and would appreciate input.

ARB Air Lockers seem to be widely used; that's what I was thinking would be my choice. I spoke to a shop owner recently who dissueded from the ARB/AL direction and recommended Auburn Gear's posi equivalent. He recommended their "Pro" for the back and a "regular" unit for the front, saying these work as "90% and 80%" lockers respectively.

Anyone have knowledge of/experience with Auburn Gear's real-world applications, or can you reco an upgrade from my factory limited slip and open axles?

I'm not looking to build the end-all OHV, just want to confidently deal with loose surfaces (snow, sand) and steep trails on our outdoor adventures.

TIA!

NRL · 03-14-2008, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallrat

Hi, all,

Pondering this upgrade, and would appreciate input.

ARB Air Lockers seem to be widely used; that's what I was thinking would be my choice. I spoke to a shop owner recently who dissueded from the ARB/AL direction and recommended Auburn Gear's posi equivalent. He recommended their "Pro" for the back and a "regular" unit for the front, saying these work as "90% and 80%" lockers respectively.

Anyone have knowledge of/experience with Auburn Gear's real-world applications, or can you reco an upgrade from my factory limited slip and open axles?

I'm not looking to build the end-all OHV, just want to confidently deal with loose surfaces (snow, sand) and steep trails on our outdoor adventures.

TIA!

Here's what I'm doing:

I'm thinking of upgrading my gear rations from 3.73 to 4.10's and probably will get some other work done at the same time.

Good time to put in a locker in the front. Since the front's are used only in 4H or 4Low, I'm planning to go with a Detroit Locker in front. So it's only engaged when I'm in 4H or 4low.

The only disadvantages I see with the Detroit Locker is you can't turn it off when in 4H or 4Low like the ARB Air Lockers or an Electric Locker.. but it's a lot cheaper to do and doesn't depend on air or electromechanical switch to engage it.

I have an equivalent manual automatic locker in my Landcruisuer using the Powertrax No-Slip in the rear and it's been adequate for most everything I've encountered so far.. (I'm not Rock crawling, but I don't want to get stuck with a open diff setup front and rear only)

Depends I guess if you want a rock crawler, or just having good traction for most terrain versus crawling..

wallrat · 03-27-2008, 02:21 PM

Thanks for info, NRL.

Anyone have experience with Detroit Locker aftermarket diffs?

Any failures to report of ARB Air Locker?

Any experience with Auburn Gear products?

Again, not looking to build a rock crawler, just a reliable and effective rig for some sand, snow, and occasional steep terrain.

TIA!

scatter · 03-27-2008, 03:00 PM

I've never run an ARB air locker, but have friends who have. There have been several failures of the external air lines (a hassle, but easily fixed in the field) and one internally in the differential. I've also heard of other internal failures and they have been from the O-rings. Not expensive to fix assuming you do the labor yourself, but a major hassle.
Just my pesos worth....
I'm also interested in reports on the Auburn Gear setup.

Oni · 03-27-2008, 06:52 PM

I have a buddy with a highly modified Jeep. He does that crazy rock crawling stuff. He says lockers handle strange on the street, especially for tight turns. He says it crabs around, chirps tires and sometimes has a loud clacking noise from the gears.

My buddy Jeffrey has ARB's front and rear. Although he doesn't have a lot of miles on them...he has used and likes them.

jage · 03-27-2008, 08:13 PM

Spools definitly do that and lockers that are not selectable in the rear, however I've always heard that a front locker, even with dedicated hubs, is transparent on the street when in 2wd. Of course the van has hubs which disengage the front. The clacking is normal operation of a locker when the wheels are out of sync.

My Cherokee used to be locked front and rear with EZ Lockers. They definitly chirped the tires, especially if you were turning tight or giving it gas. The front was disconnected whenever I wasn't in 4wd so no issues there.

Lockers on both axles couldn't be beat, however they don't provide for side traction as- if one wheel slips, they both do- and there is no sideways control. This is especially bad on snow and ice. It also got a little boring at times as I couldn't turn the lockers off, meaning the medium hard stuff was boring... between being as expensive as they are heavy you want boring- but because of the operation on ice I would never go with a full time locker in the van, but definitly something selectable.

wallrat · 04-04-2008, 04:22 PM

Thanks for all the info. Much appreciated.

Currently I'm leaning toward an ARB/AL in front and just leaving the "stock" Quigley 4:10 limited slip in the rear. Currently, that is...

**daveb** · 04-05-2008, 02:04 PM

Has anybody looked into OX products? I have an ARB in front which has yet to have a problem but with some of the horror stories I have heard I stuck with the standard LS in the rear diff. That OX product looks nice, I just don't know how it would handle an 11,000 lb vehicle.
Dave