So many lockers... So little time........

[chilidipper]

I have been investigating lockers. Not sure which one to choose.

2 Electric locker- flip of the switch and you are locked and ready>
3 Air Locker- comes with a compressor and can be modified for airing tires as well.

[pdw]

Personally, I like my Detroit! This is the second Detroit (I upgraded to a better axle) Other than the occasional unlocking clunk, it doesn't make any noise, and my tires don't wear funny.

[ECV Jeep]

I have been investigating lockers. Not sure which one to choose.

2 Electric locker- flip of the switch and you are locked and ready>
3 Air Locker- comes with a compressor and can be modified for airing tires as well.

For someone running a Jeep like your own on 37s, I would suggest you stick to either Detroit or ARB.....and forget about other options except a spool (I know others have had success with other good lockers, but the Detroit & ARB have withstood the test of time and abuse over the years). The question becomes whether or not you need a selectable locker, and your intended uses. Personally, I run a Detroit in the rear axle and an ARB up front. This lets me have the turning I need in tight spots, and the reliability of having a detroit rear locker.

As for using an ARB compressor to power your lockers and air up tires, I would advise against using the compressor on a regular basis to air up tires. You would be best served with an on board air system to air up your tires/tools, and the ARB compressor to run your lockers and act as a backup air system only.

I am too cheap to install an onboard air system, so I use a CO2 as my primary inflation system, knowing that I have the compressor as a means of last resort.

One thing that I have come to learn is that it does not pay to skimp up front.............if you keep pushing your Jeep you will keep replacing the parts you skimped on. Like most everyone..........I learned this the hard way and skimped way TOO many times.

[dirtman13]

I agree with Brian except he forgot to mention OX and a viable option.

[peteyg]

I have broken 3 Detroits. I still run one in the front, but I'm not anywhere near as gung-ho on the Detroit as I used to be. They are NOTORIOUS for breaking if you break an axle.

I have also seen broken ARBs, and OX lockers are strong, but they have always been plagued with problems in the cable shifter.

I wouldn't even consider an E-Locker.

You also have to look at where you are putting the locker. In the front, save some money and get a Lock-Right. That's plenty strong for your application, and they work great. Maybe a little noisy, but not horrible at all.

In the rear, I'd look at an ARB or a spool. If it's daily driven, the ARB will make for a more pleasant street ride, but I find that the spool behaves quite nicely on the street as long as I keep the air pressure up. I know all the arguments for having an ARB up front, but honestly, I've only rarely run into issues where I couldn't turn well enough to where I thought an ARB would have made a difference. If you do a lot of driving on icy roads, then that story changes.

As stated, an ARB compressor is NOT up to the task of airing up your tires. It takes forever, and you will eventually end up burning out your $200 ARB pump.

CO2 works well, but you have to remember to keep the tank full. The Kilby kit is expensive, but you can keep costs down by just buying the bracket and sourcing the other parts yourself. If you can justify the cost, the Kilby OBA system is the crown jewel of OBA. I have had engine-driven OBA for years, and I can't imagine not having it.

ViAir makes a nice kit, and it isn't horrible, but it draws a LOT of current. But at $350 - $400, you can get a complete kit that has everything you need. That's about a 3rd of what the Kilby kit costs to get a complete system.

Those are your options for OBA.

[inVERt'D]

I'm curious as to why peteyg wouldn't even think of an E-Locker. I've never heard of any problems with them. If it's a problem with trusting something electric, I'd point out that ARB compressors are electric, have moving parts, and there's an air line and fittings to leak and generally get screwed up.

If you're considering the lunchbox locker route, I'd recommend an Aussie Locker. It's not noisy, and I believe it's stronger than any of the other lunchbox lockers out there. Its 2-year warranty is good regardless of the size of tires or horsepower and torque of your vehicle; the only limitation is that you have to provide documentation of a few tolerances when it was installed.

[chilidipper]

What do you mean by selectable locker? An on or off switch? I do like the idea of being able to turn it off when on road

[peteyg]

I'm curious as to why peteyg wouldn't even think of an E-Locker. I've never heard of any problems with them. If it's a problem with trusting something electric, I'd point out that ARB compressors are electric, have moving parts, and there's an air line and fittings to leak and generally get screwed up.

If you're considering the lunchbox locker route, I'd recommend an Aussie Locker. It's not noisy, and I believe it's stronger than any of the other lunchbox lockers out there. Its 2-year warranty is good regardless of the size of tires or horsepower and torque of your vehicle; the only limitation is that you have to provide documentation of a few tolerances when it was installed.

I've installed 3 of them for people, and all 3 had electrical issues. A bad ground on one that could not be resolved, another had a defective locking ring, the third one we never could figure out what was wrong with it. On one of them, the locker would spontaneously disengage whenever he hit a bump.

3 failures in a row is enough for me to say it's not worth it when there are better-proven alternatives available. It's bad enough chasing down electrical gremlins in the garage. Who wants to do it on the trail?

Aussie lockers are quality units, and install easily. They are harder to get than a LockRight, due to sometimes iffy production runs and delayed shipping.

[dirtman13]

What do you mean by selectable locker? An on or off switch? I do like the idea of being able to turn it off when on road

That is correct. Having the ability to dis-engage the locker. I personally like having the ability of turning mine off. Especially the front when making tight turns.

Also, for the record I haven't had many problems with my OX cable.

[Dukes69]

What do you mean by selectable locker? An on or off switch? I do like the idea of being able to turn it off when on road

Thats what both of those are, selectables. I've run ARB's exclusively since I've had lockers. I've had a D44 and D30 ARB break, both were about 8-9 years old, and wheeled HARD. Mostly JV. I never had an air leak problem on either on of our rigs.

I've seen the e-locker, and unless they've changed it uses a proprietary cover and has a huge solenoid deal and cover hanging off of it.

[xjkevin]

i think i read yukon has a air locker now also...

[xjkevin]

it's actually called yukon zip locker...

[chilidipper]

I currently have a Eaton locker in front and welded rear spider gear. I do like the idea of being able to disenage when you want to. I turn on the fr locker only when I am in a climb that requires it (rarely). I should add that the "V" Notch at Cleghorn is the most dificult area I have been on to date. I am still in learning stage.
The cable locker sounds very appealing. Not much to go wrong with it besides a broken cable. Ever any trouble getting it to enagage?

[Guest]

What is the difference between the DETROIT TRUETRAC and DETROIT LOCKER? Sorry for caps "copy & paste".

-Ron

[peteyg]

A TrueTrac is a gear-driven limited slip, and a Detroit LOCKER is, well, a locker. Think of it this way:

With an open diff, ALL of the available torque is applied to the wheel with the least amount of traction.

With a limited slip, when one wheel loses traction, the LSD will transfer SOME of the available torque to the wheel with the most traction.

With a locker, when one wheel loses traction, all of the torque is applied the the wheel with the most amount of traction.

In cases where both wheels have equal traction, for ALL of the above, torque is divided 50/50 between the wheels. It's when a wheel loses traction that it starts to make a difference.