Which locker to get
- Thread starter Jeremed
- Start date
rondo
rondo
- Location
- Boise Idaho
ARBs have a lot of moving parts. This is near the top of a google search. http://www.cruiseroutfitters.com/tech_ARB_troubleshoot.html
To say inproper installation is the cause of ARB issues is just an "old tired phrase" to me. My experience with them in 2 dana 44s and 2 dana 60s over 12 years is that over time things go wrong, things dry out, things go bad. I'm not sayin' i'm totally surprised it's just a PITA 'cause when you want a locker, you want a locker. I'm not a big fan of the sorry a$$ blue tube they come with which easily melts, cracks etc. My Detroit has never failed to lock, nor has my lockright, nor my spools
ARBs, compressors,and professional installation is big coin no matter how you pay for it.
Of course bagging on ARBs get a lot of folks worked up on RME i noticed haha I also don't care for Ford superduty Diesels
To say inproper installation is the cause of ARB issues is just an "old tired phrase" to me. My experience with them in 2 dana 44s and 2 dana 60s over 12 years is that over time things go wrong, things dry out, things go bad. I'm not sayin' i'm totally surprised it's just a PITA 'cause when you want a locker, you want a locker. I'm not a big fan of the sorry a$$ blue tube they come with which easily melts, cracks etc. My Detroit has never failed to lock, nor has my lockright, nor my spools
ARBs, compressors,and professional installation is big coin no matter how you pay for it.
Of course bagging on ARBs get a lot of folks worked up on RME i noticed haha I also don't care for Ford superduty Diesels
that only works if you can coast through a turn. if you drive on road you almost always need to a) stop at the turn and make sure you are clear to tur, then b) under power drive through the turn1) for those whining about tire wear and such with a Detroit locker they havent figured out how to a) turn a hub out, b) shift out of front/4wheel drive, or c) coast through a turn.
i wouldn't reccomend a spool in the front for off road use either. what is your turning radius when locked? a mile? at the very least run an auto locker up front
and it seems like every time i go out with a group of guys somebody has one kind of arb failure or another, it's usually when they try 3 times to get up something before they realize that they now have an open diff. and go "oh, __________! my arb isn't working" i know guys with e-lockers and they don't seem to have the issues that arb guys have. but i usually refrain from saying "e-locker" on a forum because everyone has an opinion on them. guys with post counts of "1" even come out of the wood work to bash e-lockers
^^this is why i said "screw it, i'm welding my spiders" i didn't want to have to worry about failure on the trail. a bit of on-pavement tire wear is worth that to me
spools in the front are awesome, Just front dig your way around the corner
you can do that with a selectable locker too, and the times that you don't want to fight your front-end around something you can just unlock the locker. i had a spool in the front once, and i took it right back out
Jinx
when in doubt, upgrade!
- Location
- So Jordan, Utah
I also don't care for Ford superduty Diesels
upcoming ban.... jk...
always have to stir it up don't you...
mombobuggy
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Highland
The day I got my arb was like christmas until I discovered that turning in mud while its on is not likely. in the front end of course. In my humble opinion selectable lockers are best for the rear of mostly street driven rigs. for the rockwell at least its hard to tell the grizzly and the detroit apart both in looks and performance. However if you break your grizzly Randys is a lot faster on Thier warranty and they unlike detroit will cover collateral damage so if you break your grizz locker and take out the ring and pinion as a result they make it right. Detroit will not do this. I love my front grizz locker and will never regret selling my 60 front with the arb. just my opinion of course some people love them. But to me simple things that do the job well are favored. and the no air line to plug up with a piece of debris the size of a pepper corn preventing the locker from working or to be ripped out of the housing by a branch. both unpleasant experiences that contributed to my dislike of arb,s . again just my opinion.
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
And of the 6 air leak scenarios discussed, 5+ are directly related to install error no? I go on to say in that thread "To date this is the ONLY locker I have dealt with that has experienced issues as such, we have literally sold and installed hundreds of lockers over the past 10+ years, and while we have had some isolated issues with o-rings, nothing like this case. While o-rings have failed in the past, I am convinced this unit has some issue besides the o-rings. All things considered I'm still 100% sold on the Air Lockers!"
Your proving my point.
Sounds like you should quite installing them
I'll include my standard disclaimer: 99% of my ARB experience are with their Toyota product line which is also their oldest product line (over 25 years). Its entirely possibly there are some issues with their other applications but as I don't work with them, I really don't even care to learn about them
That is just it, my blue line is over 10 years old and still holds air like day one. Even if I did have to replace it every 4-5 years I'd still be content with that. There are quite a few different options to eliminate the blue-line if that is ones gripe, there would be more if it were the issue some let it be.
But plenty of people have had failures, entirely my point. I've sold 1/4 as many LockRights as ARB's but have easily has 5x's as many warranty claims via the manufacture not to mention sold hundreds of replacement pin sets. Its about like griping that tires wear.
Thankfully I market to the "buy-once cry-once" crowd
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rondo
rondo
- Location
- Boise Idaho
Kurt
"Your proving my point" I'm not trying to disprove your point or change your mind. Simply attempting to make a point of my own which is my own.
"sounds like you should quite installing them" how dare you insult my ARB locker install experience! haha joking i've never installed one. I'm not a shop owner i'm talking about my own experience. My thing is folks will say it's an install issue...what 2 years down the road you start having all these issues and it's an install issue? Ja ok
There are many of us who haven't drank the Toyota Koolaid. I do wish i'd taken my business to you since you stand behind ARB. Maybe you don't care to do dana 44s or dana 60s though.
Hey B2Bomber if you weld your gears then its just like a spool. Turning can be a pain but you get used to it.
"Your proving my point" I'm not trying to disprove your point or change your mind. Simply attempting to make a point of my own which is my own.
"sounds like you should quite installing them" how dare you insult my ARB locker install experience! haha joking i've never installed one. I'm not a shop owner i'm talking about my own experience. My thing is folks will say it's an install issue...what 2 years down the road you start having all these issues and it's an install issue? Ja ok
There are many of us who haven't drank the Toyota Koolaid. I do wish i'd taken my business to you since you stand behind ARB. Maybe you don't care to do dana 44s or dana 60s though.
Hey B2Bomber if you weld your gears then its just like a spool. Turning can be a pain but you get used to it.
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- Location
- Stinkwater
You should, though. Once you drive a Toyota you get to act elitist and oppressed at the same time, it's great!
I am going to be ditching the lock-rite in my front 60 for a selectable, either, ARB, ZIP, OX, or e-locker. I am surprised that there is only one mention of the e-locker. I was under the impression that they hold up about as good as the others.
I am only running 37's with 4.0l so I think any will hold up.
The OX "air" or "electric" is interesting, they just put a short cable on it then either an air or electric actuator. The OX also comes with a heavy diff cover and the ability to engage by wrench.
I don't think the OX will work for me though because I just don't have space to cram the cable/cover down there.
I was avoiding the ARB and zip just due to air. (although my np231 doubler is air shifted and been working fine.)
I was leaning toward the e-locker due to simplicity and fitment concerns.
nathan
99 xj
build thread
http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?83436-Nathan-and-Tanja-s-99-XJ-Build-up
I wouldn't hesitate to install an E-locker. (and haven't--I've installed several) My only complaint about them is how the wires run through the housing. I've always thought it was a little hokey, but it seems to work just fine. Plus, I don't know how to change it to make me like it better anyway.
I also don't really like the way they use 1/4 turn of differentiation to engage the locker--but again, it doesn't seem to cause problems.Having said that, my choice would be ARB or Zip, especially where you already have the air source.
I wouldn't hesitate to install an E-locker. (and haven't--I've installed several) My only complaint about them is how the wires run through the housing. I've always thought it was a little hokey, but it seems to work just fine. Plus, I don't know how to change it to make me like it better anyway.
Having said that, my choice would be ARB or Zip, especially where you already have the air source.
I wish you would have seen my face as I read that, the first bit I was like "oh Carl approves of the e-locker" then I got sad with the last line...
Really what would do it for me is if there was a real world comparison of how quickly/smoothly they all will engage and dis-engage while bound up on an obstacle. (of course now that I have hydro-ram-assist steering the dis-engage is less of an issue)
Nathan
The fact that you got sad when I mentioned ARB means you really have your heart set on an E-locker--so there's your choice, made for you.