Locker for the big_dirt_e350

[Vanimal]

Yes sorry forgot about the ox. With the ox if the cable breaks you can crawl under and rig it to get you home.

[motovan_mn]

Originally Posted by Vanimal

Yes sorry forgot about the ox. With the ox if the cable breaks you can crawl under and rig it to get you home.

Oh interesting, I thought you were referring to the Ox when you said "mechanical." Were you thinking of something more like this?

https://www.eaton.com/content/dam/ea...re-2009-en.pdf

[Vanimal]

I meant a Detroit locker. Toughest on the market with zero maintenance.

[CDACamper]

I have been running ARB air lockers in 3 trucks over the past 20 years. I have never experienced a failure of any component in the system and have not seen issues on the trail. If the installer does a poor job of running the airline and it gets pinched or melted, that’s not the fault of the system.
For a dedicated off road rig, a mechanical Eaton Detroit locker is great and hard to beat outside of a permanently locked diff. Most of our vans spend far more time on pavement, fire roads, and moderate 4x4 trails where there is no use for a locked diff. For this reason, an electric or air locker will give the best of both worlds in terms of on-road characteristics (open diff ) but also provide a fully locked diff on the rare occasions it is needed. Personally, I always want a compressor for onboard air, so this is something I would buy anyway regardless. It makes sense in my case to get an air locker that can double as an air supply. If I didn’t need a compressor, I would opt for an elocker.
I spend most of my time in the backwoods of North Idaho and Montana. I stick to the dirt and rocks as much as I can, but the reality is that I’m still 98% of the time on terrain that doesn’t require a locker. When I think there is even a slight chance I might need it, I push a button and it’s there. If I had a dedicated off road rig for wheeling, I would consider a Detroit or if the rig is trailered to the trails, would go with permanently locked diffs. For my van and daily drivers that end up in the woods, I’ll take an elocker or air locker every time, followed by a mechanical limited slip (trutrac). Limited slips with a clutch will be useless after a couple of short years in our heavy vans, so they are not worth the investment.
One last thing to consider if you are running a semi float rear axle and considering a Detroit locker. Detroit lockers are known to explode if you break an axle (backlash snaps the gear teeth). If you have a built-out heavy van, I think your money is better spent upgrading to a full float axle before considering a locker, or do both at the same time if $$ permits. You will have a much safer van and a better starting point for adding better traction in the form of a locker or limited slip.

[Vanimal]

Until the day you push that button and air starts coming out of your rear diff vent tube. See in it heard it.

[CDACamper]

The only air I've heard over 20 years is going into my tires. I think I'll keep taking my chances.

[E-350]

The main thing I learn from this thread:
Everyone has his own opinion and all seem to work (+/- the 20% that had problems with any of them) ^^ [emoji23]

[Vanimal]

Absolutely opinions matter. Some do more extreme trails than others. Some go further into the outback than others. Some only hit the mall. My point is I'd rather have it fail at the mall than have it fail in the outback with no winch points to attach to. I mean even a LSD is a good choice if you know how to manage it. When requested to state an opinion by a new or even seasoned Wheeler it is good to have all versions of the possibilities. There is no right and wrong.