LOCKERS???

[Deerhunter30]

In an "open" differential which most all vehicles have from the factory when you apply power and a tire looses traction, all power goes to the tire that is without traction. This is what allows a car to go around a corner and the outside tire turn at a faster rate than the inside tire. This is also what allows you to get one tire down in some slippery stuff and one tire on solid ground and the tire down in the slippery stuff will spin and no power goes to the tire that is on solid ground.

Lockers send equal power to both wheels. There are four basic types of locking differentials:

1. Limited slip - As power is applied from the motor clutches attempt to equally distribute power to both wheels. They "lock" gradually and typically will never fully lock

2. Lockers - As power is applied special "gears" mesh and the differential locks. Once power is moved (let off gas or push in on clutch) they unlock. These are either locked or open...there is no in between.

3. Selectable lockers - These differentials use air or cables or magnets to lock and unlock the differentials on demand. They are either locked or open....there is no in between. You choose wheather they are locked or open and when they are locked or open.

4. Lincoln lockers - This is some welding in the spider gears that cause the differential to be locked at ALL times.

These help in off road because a 4WD vehicle with open differentials is really only sending power to two wheels most of the time in the mud, where with both differentials locked there are four wheels with power to them.

 

[LauraBoston]

Deerhunter30, Thanks so much, I always hear people talking about them...and I had an idea that they had something to do with slip differental (is that the right term?), but thats it. Now when people talk about them, i'll know what the hell their talking about.

So, when they say it has a limited slip differental, they are talking about distributing power equally to the wheels that are 'slipping'?

See, this is kinda all new to me, I guess I am learning as I go. I am sure some day I will wish I had lockers.

 

[rockwrangler]

H2 vs Stupidity... Stupidity wins!

It sounds like I might be the only one here that perfers the ARB, I have them in the front and the rear and have had no problem, and as far as repairing the air lines its a breeze if you do ever break one, most of thetime you splice them back togather. As far as the OX its not a bad unit but they have had problems with them not wanting to lock or unlock at times. If I'm not mistaken they didn't even offer them at SEMA this year because of these problems. Dont get me wrong here, the OX is a good locker but maybe not quite as great as every one makes it out to be. Just my 2 cents

 

[JeredYJ]

So I found the Aussie Lockers online for $199...
That is the cheapest price I've seen by far - any comments? Does anyone know anyone who has tried these before?
Being the poor college guy this seems like the best option yet and my scholarship money will be coming in within 2-3 weeks so I'll have a little bit to spend. Lock-right or Aussie?
Also with a lot of mudding should I go front or rear with my locker? (91 YJ with a 3" lift and 31's or 32's coming soon) Thanks - jered

 

[far_right]

i have read alot of good things about both aussie, and the LR, and the aussie is supodsully (sp) quiter.... i would go aussie in the rear

 

[dick_wilderness]

see what these guys said

http://www.bc4x4.com/pv/yj/detroit/detroit.cfm

 

[MudderChuck]

I always leave the front open, don´t know how many times I´ve heard a motor rev up RUMMM, RUMMMMMM BANGGGGG! There goes an axle or a U-joint. My philosophy is RUMMM. RUMMMMM squeak, as one or the other, front tires turns over.
I have had some trucks, with Auburn in the front (Dana 44), that seemed to work out OK. Usually needed a rebuild every five years or so.
I do a lot of snow and ice driving in the winter. Maybe it´s just my driving skills, but I´ve swapped ends a whole bunch of times, with a rear locker or ratchet type locker. At more than twenty/thirty miles an hour, on a curvy street or highway, they can flat be dangerous. If you hit the brakes your in trouble, if you gas it to straighten back up, your in trouble, all you can do is ride it out. Personnaly I´d rather have a limited slip (or open diff) in the rear, increases my options on ice and clay mud slopes.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

Well all I have to say now is thank the lord I put detroits into my rear end.
I was doing 4+ trials this weekend with an open front and a detroit in the rear. I was climbing some obstacles better than the ARB equiped YJ's and CJ's. I do believe that the tera-low package helped there alot as well.
There was only one obstacle that I needed a front locker and that was going up the "Double whammy" and the Moab hop didnt help. I chirped my way up but thought thank god I accepted the strap in the first place for saftey reasons but I was told that I kept slack in the winch line all the time and my Jeep made it up on my own.

Now as for snow and ice? well I have taken my Jeep through the worst of both and know I would rather have my rear end locked with a detroit than face Utah's worst in an open diff. No left or right start slidinging in traffic, easy down shifting in the 231 automatic to slow down on the freeways...