Air lockers

[Dakota Rigs]

So My 91 Rodeo Has Open diffs on both front and back right. So would it be worth the $1000 per axle to get air lockers?

[Dakota Rigs]

Or any suggestions?

[ExplorerTom]

$1000 per axle?

i hope that installed with all new bearings.

Unless you're rock crawling, look into a Truetrac.

[redneck23ms]

lockers are definitely worth it. but it all comes down to how you plan to use the rig and your future build plans as to if its worth it or not now.

[Dakota Rigs]

No that's just the part that goes into the differential and the compressor and hose and wire. No install or anything. They are cool though they keep your diff open until you turn on the compressor from inside your truck then it locks them. So you don't have to change anything. Check them out .
https://youtu.be/bvOgneVbVnE

[Dakota Rigs]

lockers are definitely worth it. but it all comes down to how you plan to use the rig and your future build plans as to if its worth it or not now.

Well I want something that will go through almost anything with only about 5" above stock and will still be practical to drive on the road. And I get stuck to often in mud and it sucks just because one will isn't on the ground All the way

[Jim]

I have ARB's front & rear (and replaced both...). I'd say, do just the rear and then wheel for a couple years. Note how many times you use the rear and note how many of those times you would have wanted the front as well.

For me, the rear gets used somewhat frequently but of those times I have the rear locked, the front might only get locked 5 to 10% of those times. Now, if we had mud bogs the front might get locked just as much as the rear, but we don't. Out here, about the only time the front gets locked the same as the rear are on snow runs - but for me those are rare in itself (two runs per year perhaps).

As for cost - here's the breakdown when I did the rear on my YJ (08/2011 date)
$894 ARB RD116 Air Locker (just the diff part as I already had the air compressor & lines - this was a replacement of the broken ARB diff)
$34 ARB shipping
174 Dana 44 Ring & Pinion set
104 Dana 44 bearing set
37 U-Bolt set
300 Labor

[ExplorerTom]

I have Truetracs that I think we're about $1000 for both. They aren't lockers, but since I've got enough flex to always keep all 4 tires on the ground, they work great. If you don't have the flex and lift a tire, you might need to get creative if you start lifting tires.

With a locked front, you won't be able to steer. And does that Izuzu have CVs in the front? I don't know that I'd run a traction device on IFS.

[Robert B]

the big thing to consider is your final axle ...... if that is the axle you will end on then they work quite nicely for daily drivers but if you will be getting a bigger axle in the future save it for then

[Geno]

I have front and rear Air Lockers in my TJ, and this is my second 4X4 with this set up. I am very happy with them. Daily driving is great unless you need a little extra traction ,I use 4x4 before I would lock in my rear axle, I live on the north side of colorado springs, very hilly. With my first locked truck I had a detroit locker in the rear , went a lot of places in 2wd with ease, so , depends on where and how truck is used, detroit locker is hard on tires for daily driving, but, always working, air lockers, need truck to stop and air pressure up to engage then stop to dis-engage because the are like a spool ingaged. I think they are worth the extra $$ , my :2c:

[Squshiee1]

Im not a huge fan of lockers. I think a rear locker is fine, but im not a huge fan of front lockers. They just end up braking stuff if you don't know how or when to use them properly. Lift the rig, get some protection, buy some meaty tires, and install a winch. I promise that with enough skill, that rodeo will go places you would have never imagined. Ask me know I know...

[Squshiee1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkptK5S1154

[dieseldoc]

With a locked front, you won't be able to steer. And does that Izuzu have CVs in the front? I don't know that I'd run a traction device on IFS.[/QUOTE]

So the issue for the front is not that you be able to steer it just gets tough....like a no power assisted car. I know not mant folk remember them kinda cars.
The IFS will granaid anything and everything once locked.

Rear stret driving is funny.....mine is welded always on and no give at all.....chirp chirp chirp!

[Patrolman]

Personally, I run a locked rear on my IFS 4Runner. I had a locker for the front and got rid of it. I really didn't like the way it performed. It was a Lockrite since ARB did not make a version for my 4Runner. I never found a situation where I would "need" the front locker anyways.

My opinion is get a locker for the rear, even if it is something other than an ARB. A rear locker will give you more traction that you realize. I noticed you don't have a winch. I would put my money into a good winch long before I got a front locker. You would get much more use out of the winch.

[xaza]

I never found a situation where I would "need" the front locker anyways.

I would put my money into a good winch long before I got a front locker. You would get much more use out of the winch.
Couple weeks ago at Spring Creek I had to use my winch for the first time in a long while because my front locker was not working. Check out my clip of first obstacle and even with just the rear locking up I nearly put it on it's top when they grabbed traction. A vehicle does handle quite differently once the front is locked up which is why I think selectable is the way to go but for more difficult trails you want lockers. Sure you can just winch yourself over every obstacle and turn a 6 hour day into a 12 hour day for you and everyone with you but eventually you will tire of running a winch line and slowing down the group. I think lockers are a very important step for a rig but should be done well down the road after truck is armored, lifted and the driver is familiar with the rig. I wheeled mine for 8 years before putting in lockers and can attest that a good driver will get you farther than lockers by themselves.

[Serious Offroad]

Eaton Elockers FTW.

[FINOCJ]

Eaton Elockers FTW.

Just in case some clarification is needed, there are selectable lockers that are not ARB air lockers (such as Eaton and Ox). They all have some pluses and minuses, but the non air lockers are probably a bit cheaper as you don't need the compressor. Others can probably give you the exact price difference, but guessing you can save a couple hundred going without air activation. Make sure you have the gear ratio you want as after paying for the locker (and installation) it becomes much more expensive to change gear ratio as the locker may no longer work - they are designed for specific gear ratio ranges.

I am in the group that supports rear traction device much more than a front device. In many cases, a very aggressive limited slip (like a truetrac) with good low gears and some suspension flex will get you through A LOT at half the cost of a selectable locker. Of course, if money isn't an issue, then get the selectable!

[GPP33]

I have front and rear Air Lockers in my TJ, and this is my second 4X4 with this set up. I am very happy with them. Daily driving is great unless you need a little extra traction ,I use 4x4 before I would lock in my rear axle, I live on the north side of colorado springs, very hilly. With my first locked truck I had a detroit locker in the rear , went a lot of places in 2wd with ease, so , depends on where and how truck is used, detroit locker is hard on tires for daily driving, but, always working, air lockers, need truck to stop and air pressure up to engage then stop to dis-engage because the are like a spool ingaged. I think they are worth the extra $$ , my :2c:


Not it entirely true. Not only can you engage/disengage an ARB while driving you can do it at full throttle with one wheel spinning. It'll sound like hell but it'll survive.

For or a daily driver go selectable. There's plenty of people who drive rigs with auto lockers in the rear in snow but they'll tell you it's a white knuckle drive, either that or they have forgotten what it's like to drive it unlocked. The extra money for a selectable is well worth it if it keeps you out of a ditch even once. The other nice thing about selectable a is you can turn them off and still have some fun on easier trails.

As for a front, I'd say hold off. I'm glad I have one but it's probably only seen 20 feet of use in the past 5 years. It's a last resort (well, second to a winch) but there's times. If you only have money for one go with a winch. While mines seen less trail use than the front locker I know that anything a front locker would get me through a winch could have as well, the opposite can't be said. Plus, it'll come in handy for yard work.

[Geno]

Yes you can engage air lockers while moving, if you like replacing the engage gear and/or spider gears often , you can shift into 4 low at 20 mph also if you push shifter hard enough. ARB owners manual says to stop, engage, and move forward to engage locker,also engage locker BEORE driving into that deep mud hole or climbing that big hill. If you abuse things they will break, That's how MURPHY,S law works,I got my first ARB in 1985 and it is still in that Bronco and still works. Also if you follow the factory wiring option you have to engage the rear ARB before you can engage the front ARB. I would rather lock in the front axle in about 4 seconds and get through the hard spot and unlock the front about 4 seconds , my winch is my back-up system to get out of trail on ,not into the trail. So yes, I installed a winch on my son,s truck first, and my Trucks always got a winch first before I upgraded the axles.

[GPP33]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating engaging while a wheel is spinning however ARB does a test called "Harsh wheel spin engagement" which they use to ensure something other than the locker will break should you be dumb enough to do it. However, the unit has no idea if you are rolling without wheel spin or stopped. Glad to hear yours is still going strong, they are amazing units which get a bad rap all too often due to poor installation. I'll have check back in 20 years so we can compare results :D

[Brian]

I have a Detroit in the rear and an ARB in front. Having the ability to lock / unlock the front comes in handy, however as others have mentioned it's not needed as often as you might think. I generally use it only if attempts with the front unlocked have failed, or if it's obvious locking the front will get me past the obstacle with the least drama. If I have to lock the front I try to keep the line relatively straight and avoid an extreme left or right steering situation.

[JFjeld]

I have OX selectable lockers front and rear in my TJ. I absolutely love them and have run them for about 4 years. They use a really heavy-duty cable for actuation. They aren't really any cheaper than ARB, and they also have an air option. You can engage them at any speed, as long as there is no wheel spin.

Before I did my axle swaps and upgrades, I ran an automatic locker (Spartan) in my front diff, and kept my rear open. This was because I had the crappy D35 axle in the rear, which is already considered weak. I didn't want to put additional stress on the diff. That setup worked fairly well.

I'd suggest first determining the direction your build will take you, and plan for the long-term setup.

[Java]

I have Truetracs front and rear and love it. I had just a Detroit Soflocker in the rear of my last jeep and it did great, especially crawling, but two truetracs is a better overall trail-rig setup than just a rear locker, in my limited experience. It's also awesome on ice and snow, no locker quirks at all. You're also a lot less prone to breakage compared to lockers, and I have no steering feedback at all. If you want a crawler they're the wrong choice, but for trails they are perfect. I put them in myself, which gave me the chance to learn how to measure backlash and mark the pattern, and got good deals on both, it was affordable and educational. If all you're changing is the carrier it's actually pretty easy as long as your before and after measurements and pattern are the same. I had a shop lined up if they weren't, but they were on both axles. 3 years, no problems.


old thread about it with DIY video:

http://www.frontrange4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?21816-How-to-Install-a-Detroit-TrueTrac

[Dakota Rigs]

Personally, I run a locked rear on my IFS 4Runner. I had a locker for the front and got rid of it. I really didn't like the way it performed. It was a Lockrite since ARB did not make a version for my 4Runner. I never found a situation where I would "need" the front locker anyways.

My opinion is get a locker for the rear, even if it is something other than an ARB. A rear locker will give you more traction that you realize. I noticed you don't have a winch. I would put my money into a good winch long before I got a front locker. You would get much more use out of the winch.\


I have a smitty built rc8 8000ib winch but i need a relay or whatever for it, it stopped working. anyone know where i can get that?

[Dakota Rigs]

the solenoid not relay sorry

[Rick]

It'll sound like hell but it'll survive.Broke an axle that way....I wouldn't recommend it