Air Lockers (ARB , TJM) V's Auto Lockers (Detroits , auto's)

[PAJ]

I'm running Jeep diffs under the Paj and I now have a Detroit in the rear and a ARB Air Leaker in the front, I've had problems with the front but that was due to the retard who installed it. I'm yet to test the Detroit off road yet but on road you get a little whirring noise around tight corners (guessing just the detroit unlocking) Other then that I can't seem to fault the detroit on road

[Mongrel Lux]

Originally Posted by PAJ

I'm running Jeep diffs under the Paj and I now have a Detroit in the rear and a ARB Air Leaker in the front, I've had problems with the front but that was due to the retard who installed it. I'm yet to test the Detroit off road yet but on road you get a little whirring noise around tight corners (guessing just the detroit unlocking) Other then that I can't seem to fault the detroit on road

That's great PAJ, I was wondering what ya thought of it. At least ya very helpfull " Navy " can't turn OFF ya rear locker when ya not looking

See ya when ya geyt back. Have a good one mate

Mal

[drifda]

Detroit Lockers are available for Prado, same diff's as Hilux

I have a Lokka "auto locker" in the rear of my Surf and it made a massive improvement to its off road capabilities. I also have a couple of mates with Lokka's in the front and rear of their Surfs and they go pretty much anywhere.

[Mongrel Lux]

Originally Posted by drifda

Detroit Lockers are available for Prado, same diff's as Hilux

I have a Lokka "auto locker" in the rear of my Surf and it made a massive improvement to its off road capabilities. I also have a couple of mates with Lokka's in the front and rear of their Surfs and they go pretty much anywhere.

I've heared great reports from people who have the Lokka lockers. What are they like to drive on the bitumen?

[offroadjack]

i have a lokka in the front of my GQ,
you'll only feel the thing workin when 4wd engaged and the hubs in...
in offroad conditions i only engage 4wd when i really need to or think i need to..
when not engaged you don't even know it's there! but as soon as you need it?...flick the short stubby in 4wd and point!!
they really are hassle free with no need of any pumps or electricals that can fail and leave you without a locker..
i love the thing and with the famous nissan LSD in the rear this thing goes where i send it!
and they are virtually indestrucktable!!

[offroadjack]

Originally Posted by Mongrel Lux

I've heared great reports from people who have the Lokka lockers. What are they like to drive on the bitumen?

you won't even no it's there. apart from some clicking noises when sharp cornering.
but with freewheelin hubs everything goes to sleep in the front diff

[Evan]

Originally Posted by croozza

Hey Matt
I can give you the story that I have experienced from both sides of the fence.
I have Air lockers (F&R) in my current vehicle and swear by them, Turn them on when needed and turn them off when it is not needed, the vehicle drives heaps better on road now that the LSD is gone, it actually turns better into corners. Any locker you put in the front that is activated, will give you heavy steering and tend to drive you straight ahead, instead of turning, the beauty of the Air Locker is you can turn it off, Auto lockers you can't.
In regards to getting stuck then turning the Air Locker on, you should be thinking ahead and picking your line and knowing what will be required out of the vehicle and turn the Air Locker on before you need it. Auto lockers are on all the time, infact they really should be called Un-Lockers, when I had my last vehicle it had a auto locker in the rear, the vehicle would understeer wildly in the wet, even at low speeds, as you need to get off the power for the locker to unlock. As for the compressor, you will find they are very reliable as long as you get a good one, many people out there try to retro fit a cheap compressor for Air Lockers, that is where you would come undone. If you do the job properly first time and not try to cut corners and do things on the cheap, you will have trouble free operation.

Crooza you got it right mate just what you said i agree on all of above

[Rick42TD]

It all comes down to cost really, or rather what you can afford. You also need to look at how often and how hard you go offroad.
I have a Powertrax auto locker in the rear of my Cruiser. When it was constant 4wd you would not even know it was even fitted. Now I have a part time kit, I can feel it operating but only when cornering hard and accelerating hard, actually one tyre does a little chirp if I give it too much! The only disadvantage to fitting it was I had to source a standard open diff to fit the locker to as it doesn't fit into the LSD housing. I ended up selling the LSD centre for the same money it cost for the open centre and the locker combined so I'm not sure it was a disadvantage at all!
Previously, I had a front Lokka in my BJ74. Again, you would only know it was fitted when the front hubs were locked in and it was in 4wd. For an all-up cost of under $500 and it literally took me just over an hour to fit. If I were to do it again I would have put the locker into the rear and the standard LSD into the front as the Toyota LSD was not much use in the rear. Better yet would have been front and rear Lokka's but at the time I lacked the funds and it was never challenged off-road anyway.
Sure, by all means if you can afford the $3500+ for a twin air locker setup, go for it. You may never need the front locker and you will have to have the rear one in anytime you go off-road. If your compressor plays up during a trip you may find getting out hard!
Most of the mechanical failures I have seen with air lockers, especially in the front is where there has been a loss of traction (mud or wheel up) and the driver has then engaged the locker with the wheels spinning. Not good for the axles or CV's. Something to think about.
Personally, I couldn't justify the cost of the air lockers for the amount of time I get to go off-road. My old man (RIP) always taught me a 4wd is there to get you out of trouble, not into it. I always take the easy line if I can and as a result I have never had a mechanical failure off road. I know if I had twin air lockers I would be more and more temped to challenge the car, especially if I had paid so much to have them fitted!
PS, In the early 90's my dad made it to the tip of Cape York in a completely stock 2wd LWB petrol Rodeo, and did the same trip 2 years later in his newer 4x4 petrol Rodeo, also completely stock (apart from tyres). Not a locker or lift in sight. Makes me wonder sometimes why some people think they need every accessory known to man to make the trip.

[Big Matt]

Thanks for the input Rick
Personally ill be getting air lockers (next week actually) as we constantly push past the limits or our trucks, thats what we enjoy doing. I do agree that for the most part all a 4wd needs (if in good nic) is a decent set of rubber

[Evan]

Originally Posted by Big Matt

Thanks for the input Rick
Personally ill be getting air lockers (next week actually) as we constantly push past the limits or our trucks, thats what we enjoy doing. I do agree that for the most part all a 4wd needs (if in good nic) is a decent set of rubber

For guys that like going HARD offroading you cant beat air lockers i can climb over nasty ground and not scuff my tyres and bunny hope which is alot nicer for my axles cvs and tyres ,,i choose my line and and crawl no need to have to ram my vehicle over stuff ,with the air locker in the front you can unlock it to turn tight on mud decents and steer with ease,, a auto locker it can become hard to steer in steep turns or climbs in mud, a arb airlocker is rated to about 23000 foot pounds of energy ,a hilux axle is rates to about 7000ftlbs so they are very tuff check the youtube arb add..