Types of lockers

[Guest]

Which type of locker do ther best. There are so many kinds.You have the E locker which would seem the simplest. The arb air lockers. Then the ox which comes in a straight cable system. Or the OX air type lockers. I wold like the OX its USA built. I have done searches but can't find much. Help!

[spunebil]

the best and simplest is an automatic locker ! .... like the Detroit ! .... and there are pocket lockers that cost less, but work about the same ! I run them front and rear, even in me daily drivers !

[Guest]

What will it go in? What is your true budget? Is this a DD?

Wally

[fatburg]

My jeep is a DD, I went with a Yukon mechanical in the rear and an Eaton e-locker up front. Couldn't be happier

[jagular7]

My jeep is a DD, I went with a Yukon mechanical in the rear and an Eaton e-locker up front. Couldn't be happier

Some prefer the locker (manual/auto) setup opposite than this. For wheeling purposes, having a manual controlled locker in the back end is more advantage to help maneuver on trails. For a street vehicle, manual open rear diffs act like stock.
The front locker (auto), has no input to steering, braking, or handling when in 2wd.

Do note, manual lockers are spools and do not act in any way like an automatic locker. Its either open or locked (spooled). Automatic lockers have the capability to 'release' when the vehicle turns. The inside tire on the turn does not follow the same amount of distance of travel as the outside tire. So the automatic locker releases (ratchets). Spools do not differentiate nor release during a turn, so you will hear the inside tire 'chirp'.

[mujeeper]

I've got automatic lockers front & rear on mine & there's days I like them, days I don't.

The days I do are when I'm in the mud or daily driving. The days I don't are when I'm on the rocks. Reason being, automatics don't engage until you slip. You can't really get slippage when crawling up rocks. That's when manual lockers come in handy. In the mud, however, you can mash the pedal & get plenty of slippage, thus engaging your lockers. You could also engage the lockers manually before going through the mud & be fine, but it's a manual switch as opposed to no switches with automatic engagement when you need it.

Then there's price. Automatics would typically be in the $400-700 range & manuals would be $800-1100 range. Pros & cons & more dependent on what you want &/or need.

Also, most modern cars/trucks have traction control which acts in a similar fashion as an automatic, but a lot more advance. Just saying in case you have a vehicle with traction control already in it.

My 2 cents!

[Guest]

quick reply

What will it go in? What is yourr true budget? Is this a DD?

Wally

yes it is a daily driver. I plan on spending a lot of money. I don't want posi or detroit because of noise . I want it to be more trail than street. I was trying to find out if any one had tried the OX lockers air operated. ARB is probably the most used but made in Australia.

[JeepN4kc]

yes it is a daily driver. I plan on spending a lot of money. I don't want posi or detroit because of noise . I want it to be more trail than street. I was trying to find out if any one had tried the OX lockers air operated. ARB is probably the most used but made in Australia.

If your build is more for trail than street why would noise from your locker be a concern?
And, FWIW, a Detroit locker is not noticeable relative to noise.

[4x4 LAND]

If cost is not a concern then I would suggest ARB front and rear. They clearly have the easiest operation as well as the best track record in the industry. We literally have installed hundreds of them. And if they are installed correctly they provide a lifetime of worry free service. It also can provide an onboard air supply with the proper compressor and a small reserve tank. Highly recomend the tank so that your compressor doesn't have to run every other time you engage your lockers. If we can be of further assistance just yell. Mike

[spunebil]

I am a hot rodder and love the "Chirp" of a Detroit locker during a turn ! :) ........and on the trails, they hard to beat ! .... an air locker can break a air line, or compressor shuts off, a Detroit is practicly indestuctable ! and I use them in me daily driver ! :) ..... even getting one for me Pickup truck ! which is only 2 wheel drive, but a hotrod too ! ;)

[rjh]

I plan on spending a lot of money.

ARB, no question.

[RoKn]

ARB AIR or EATON Electric

Just depends on your preference and $$$$
or you could just trade me your stock jeep and cash for mine :) I would love to build another jeep tj.
(pay that picture under my name no mind)

[spunebil]

what do you mean automatics don't lock till you slip ? ...... Mine and millions of other automatics are locked and only unlock in turns (usually) sometimes they are slow to unlock ( Chirp) or may not unlock at all (Rare)

[rjh]

Typically automatic lockers operate with clutch packs so when you build up enough wheel spin, they'll engage. Here's a video:

[Guest]

The ARB is arguably the strongest unit, but I know a dozen people over the years that have had them not work at inopportune times. That is my perception of them. I know they are raced, in the lab have awesome fatigue and catastrophic failure numbers, but it just seems like a lot of people that run them also dink with them!

If I were to do it again, I went with Detroit Lockers front and rear, I would go with an Eaton. Having had electric lockers in a Toyota, they were trouble free for the 125,000 miles that I had on the truck when I sold it, that was dozens of trips wheeling all over the midwest. I bent axle shafts, leaf springs, drive shafts but the locker always worked when I engaged it.

Detroits are simple and durable, they work great off road, BUT I wouldn't recommend them in the rear axle for a daily driver! They will torque steer, which can be minimized by dinking with your tire pressure, but its still there. If roads get slick, Detroit style lockers have a tendency to cause the rear end to fishtail. If your not aware of that handling characteristic, you can get into trouble really quick in a short wheelbased Jeep. These characteristics make me shy away from a Detroit in a daily driver.

Ox might be another locker to bird dog. I don't know much about them as far as reliability or if the shift cables are troublesome?

Something else to consider is that when the axle is locked, it allows the tires to put more torque on the U joints, axle shafts, steering components. If it "feels" like its binding, think about what your about to break before you hit the skinny pedal.

Things I think about.

Wally