Question about lockers - when do you need them?

[Jackie]

I'd like to learn more about what "lockers" are all about. My Jeep has electronic lockers, front and rear, and I've only used them once. And I forgot to turn them off and had a hell of a time trying to make a sharp left switch-back turn. (It took me a second to figure out why)!... HUH??? 3-point turn on THIS??? Whah???!!! OK I figured it out and all was good. But when do use just the front... just the back.,.; or both?

Thanks!

[Rob]

I'm no expert but based on what you've said about your wheeling preferences on the site, you're not likely to get into a situation where you'd need both lockers. I have only a rear locker in the FJC and use it only when I absolutely have to. Otherwise, I run open. I like the rear locked for steep hills or on wet or snowy rocks where I'm sliding without the locker on.

And the 40's not locked at all, so it's not an issue.

You're likely to get better answers from those who are locked front and back.

[Jackie]

Thanks Dr. I'll take all the advise I can get!

[Pathrat]

I have used my lockers on steep and loose ascents, like DrOldUnit. When I have been on an uphill obstacle, be in this one spot on Elephant Hill or a dirt and mud bog here, and I could not go up or over without the lockers, hitting the lock switch has been the next step.

[Brody]

Well, I'll try to help clarify this, too as I have a lockers or lockers of some sort on just about every 4x4 I have had.

As both Stephanie and Rob mentioned, lockers, especially a rear locker, is very useful on ascents that are steep, muddy, loose, etc. Rear lockers are nice to have engaged when you get off the two track dirt and onto the actual trail. If you have to option, you will find that you can do a great many trails in 2WD with just the rear locker engaged. If you have to have the rig in 4WD to engage it, it will simply save wear and tear as the rig isn't working so hard and spinning tires to get up stuff. A rear locker will make climbing over rock obstacles much easier, too.

For me, I usually engage the front locker only when I hit a harder obstacle, like a rock pile, cliff, drift, or mud hole. This will give me the extra traction when I am going to need it most and will hopefully get me through, over, or around the obstacle without stopping. Best to have the lockers engaged before the obstacle, rather than finding out it would be nice to have the front locked part way through. I do try to nor use the front locker for anything but the harder obstacles as most of the time I don't need it. It does save a lot of wear and tear on drivetrain components doing harder stuff as nothing has to spin too fast or work too hard.

Oh....whereas you can drive quite fine on pavement with the rear locker engaged, driving on pavement with the front engaged is a sure fire way to blow your gears, an axle or hub. Something to watch out for....

[Jackie]

Thanks Brody! That explains a lot.

[Andrew]

You can drive on pavement fine with a rear locker, however it will chew through your tires a LOT quicker since instead of your wheels turning at different speeds through a turn, they turn at the same speed, meaning you're literally dragging one and you'll hear it chirp through turns when locked.

I have limited slip in the rear of my rig, which is supposed to allow some power transfer to the opposite wheel when one is spinning, however, it doesn't always work in practice.

You can "superpack" an LSD carrier which will pretty much have it locked all the time. People refer to something like this as being "spooled" in the rear sometimes, however a spool is somewhat different, though I don't know the specifics of it. Also you can do a "Lincoln Locker" which is where you weld your spider gears so that it is no longer possible for the differential to run both wheels at different speeds, so therefore it's also a full time locker.


Anyway, I like being open. It makes things more challenging, and also makes you better at picking lines vs. just using a locker all the time.

One thing you don't want to do is use a locker on hard packed snow/ice especially in the city. 4x4 is fine, but you will find that the locker can make you go wild easier than without it.

Also, it is important to be aware of "locker creep" - on very loose terrain if neither tire in the rear let's say can get any good traction, you have both tires spinning at the same time since you're locked, instead of just one spinning and one staying put. The problem here is that breaking the traction on both rear wheels while trying to climb something can make your rear end slide from left to right over loose terrain, and even move the rear of your vehicle into a hole or something you were trying to avoid which can cause dangerous situations such as a rollover or dropping off a ledge, damaging something, etc.

[Jackie]

Thanks Andrew. I have the limited slip feature as well. It has worked for me so far on dry pavement and in snow. When I have my sway bar disconnected though, it is disabled. DrOld Unit was right in his response that with the type of offroading I typically do at this point, I will rarely need it. But at least now I have a better understanding of what they can do for you and when I might consider using them.

[Brody]

You can "superpack" an LSD carrier which will pretty much have it locked all the time. People refer to something like this as being "spooled" in the rear sometimes, however a spool is somewhat different, though I don't know the specifics of it.

Also, it is important to be aware of "locker creep" - on very loose terrain if neither tire in the rear let's say can get any good traction, you have both tires spinning at the same time since you're locked, instead of just one spinning and one staying put. The problem here is that breaking the traction on both rear wheels while trying to climb something can make your rear end slide from left to right over loose terrain, and even move the rear of your vehicle into a hole or something you were trying to avoid which can cause dangerous situations such as a rollover or dropping off a ledge, damaging something, etc.

I have a spool in the V6 axle I am running in the rear of my heap right now. It is a steel sleeve that essentially connects both axles, making what amounts to a one piece axle. Both wheels turn at the same speed all the time with this set up. I have had either spools or lockers in 4x4s since I was 16, so the handling characteristics of either don't bother me.

Good points on the icy/snowy street driving as well as the off camber stuff. Nicer to be open in those situations.

[Rick]

Detroit slips to give you a somewhat open feel but not the same as open.

[Coonburger]

i love my detroits even though i blew one up this past year, i hear the yukon grizzlies are insane and have a lifetime warrenty

[Jim]

These threads from the dead flip me out (in a good way). I don't pay much attention to the dates and focus on the text. I start reading post after post and then I come across the BFD / Brody avatar. That makes me check the dates - and either chuckle or do the V-8 headsmack.

[Jim]

i love my detroits even though i blew one up this past year

I'm curious (not as to any brand vs. brand issue), how did you blow it up? Spinning axle and you engaged it? It was engaged and one wheel had total traction and the other zero and to get moving enough gas pedal toasted it? Fast whack on the gas or smooth increase until it cracked? Or something my mind hasn't tickled???

[Coonburger]

sitting still powerbraking it up did fine for a sec then it ate the the teeth off the locking mech of the detroit.

[glacierpaul]

The JK's have to be in 4low to either engage the lockers or disco the sway bar, then you have 18 mph as the top speed.

[Jeremy]

The JK's have to be in 4low to either engage the lockers or disco the sway bar, then you have 18 mph as the top speed.

The swaybar will disconnect in 4HI as well.

[ColoJeeper]

Is a link on JK-forum that shows how to do a bypass that will allow you to use your lockers on the JK's without having to be in 4-low. Think the same bypass allows for the swaybar to be disconnected without being in 4-low.

http://www.jk-forum.com/jk-write-ups-39/rubicon-locker-pass-off-road-engineerings-kit-250203/

[Java]

When to use lockers- the simple explaination at about 30 sec:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eHpd_aDxI8

[Rick]

the simple explaination at about 30 sec:that about sums it up!:thumb:

[Chris]

I'm thinking we'll never see Jackie do the notch :D

[carpenle]

I like the air (ARB) or selectable locker (OX). I had a CJ that had the lunch box style of locker and driving it on the streets was an experience. A selectable locker will give you the drivability back on the streets, but the benefits on the trails when you need it. A locker will transfer power to each wheel equally, so it makes it harder to turn. This because the inside wheel needs to turn slower than the outside when turning, with it locked, It is trying to turn at the same speed.

[Java]

I love Detroits. I ran a Spartan Locker on my current Jeep at first- I've always had Detroits but I was planning on 33s and figured it would hold up fine and save me some $$. You get what you pay for, it was basically a spool with bad manners. The Detroits are very streetable and I will probably eventually put one in the rear of my Jeep, but I started with a locker rear / truetrac front and came across another truetrac for the rear for a song so I sold the Spartan and put in the truetrac and have been nothing but happy with front / rear truetracs. way better than just one locker (I've run that in previous jeeps) and unless I lift one tire on both axles at the same time I keep moving. If I do lift, the e-brake locks the rear and the pedal locks the front, it's easy. No locker quirks whatsoever and it's all automatic. Before actually having it and experiencing it I never would have considered getting the rear one, but it was a good accidental find and so far so good.