Selectable Locker ???

rpraterxj

rpraterxj

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lake Forest, CA
Hey gang,

I am looking at getting lockers really soon. I am leaning more towards a selectable, but I have not made up my mind yet. I know they cost more. I am looking for 1st or 2nd hand experience with ARB and Electric lockers. I am not sure I want to go ARB, but I do not know enough about the electric lockers.

Any help is appreciated.

By the way, here are the specs for my XJ:
2000 4.0, Automatic
5" lift, 33" tires
4.56 gears
D44 rear
D30 HP front

Thanks,
 
Well are you asking about lockers in general or selecteable lockers?
Anyways, I think that for rear you might want to consider an automatic (Detroit) and look at a selecteable for the front. One reason being is that it's less, another that there are less things to go wrong and worry about with a detroit vs a selecteable.

For the front on the other hand, you've got a choice of the electrac which from what I hear is supposed to have all the bugs worked out by now. Appart from the engagement mechanism the difference between the electrac and arb is that the electrac is a limited slip when disengaged while arb is fully open.
 
Thanks Remi.

I have not made up my mind. Cost and availabillity says don't go selectable. I know there a ton of options available and that each person has their ideal "package". Like most people, this is still my daily driver. I do a fair amount of freeway driving. In the future, I may concider flat towing the XJ (far future).

THanks again.

RP
 
rpraterxj said:
Thanks Remi.

I have not made up my mind. Cost and availabillity says don't go selectable. I know there a ton of options available and that each person has their ideal "package". Like most people, this is still my daily driver. I do a fair amount of freeway driving. In the future, I may concider flat towing the XJ (far future).

THanks again.

RP
Click to expand...

OK, freeway driving/daily driver in socal should have nothing to do with your decision: until the gas prices rocketed and I got the hybrid for a DD, I used to drive my jeep every day and the front and rear selecteable have been invisible. As a matter of fact, whenever it rains I take the jeep out as I don't want to be driving that tiny sardine can with all the idiots trying to race each other in the rain. Anyways I drove the jeep yesterday and today to work (60 miles each way) and I didn't feel the lockers at all (ok, yesterday the rear end "kicked" twice, but that was cause I didn't have even air pressure).

Oh and speaking about that far future, don't flat tow, trailer: cause what if you brake something that lets it be flat towed? Isn't the idea of towing it to the trail related to the idea that no matter what breaks you scoop it up, drop it on the trailer and call it a day?
 
Electrac has been out fro about 2 years.

One thing to consider for an autolocker in the rear and DD'ing is if you;re like me, and you like to accellerate around corners, you will wear through tires pretty fast :)
 
basalt51 said:
One thing to consider for an autolocker in the rear and DD'ing is if you;re like me, and you like to accellerate around corners, you will wear through tires pretty fast :)
Click to expand...
I call SPOBI :bs: I go fast around the corners and haven't had any problems with tire wear.
 
I call SPOBI on you Remi.

The locker played hell on me with Ron's Jeep with tight cornering, even slowly I was chirping tires.

Daily driver and full detroit? Thank you, no.

Electrac looks sexy if I can find somebody to buy it from.
 
first hand experience ARB's have run in different rigs for 5 years no problems

Usual problems are from improper installation and running too high or too low of air pressure
 
another vote for ARB...

i wouldn't even consider non-selectable lockers on a rig that isn't a trailer queen.

before going ARB i looked at OX and electrac and the t-locker from tera-- i'm not saying those are bad choices, but someone (i think from superior axle if i recall) summed it up well: ARB has been making that locker for like 20 years, and has the patent. all the others have to design around that patent.

fwiw, i've got a similar setup to yours and have had no regrets about going ARB. it works.

$.02
 
formatt said:
and why is that?
Click to expand...

Because after driving Ron's Jeep to Moab (well, most of the way :gag:) and back I don't much like locker pull.

Granted from what I've heard it doesn't always happen; it could have something to do with wear or an error the last time it was apart. In a word I want my Jeep to drive predictably to anybody that is driving it. If I had a full time locker and had locker pull and tight parking lot turn chirping (the most annoying thing to me!) I'd get used to it however I couldn't throw the keys to others and let them use it without warning them, dig?

Basically with ARB's or similar I'd have a drivetrain that acts 100% stock on the road and 100% locked when necessary. I'd just have to get used to flipping them switches.

All I gotta do now is find deals on ARB's ;)

Sequoia

PS - Matt, I've got a full size picture of this if you want it. I can retouch it a bit for clarity as well.
wipeout_tuesday_001.jpg


Worked out quite well in Moab - My impact wrench was used more than a blonde cheerleader with low self esteem.
 
GSequoia said:
Because after driving Ron's Jeep to Moab (well, most of the way :gag:) and back I don't much like locker pull.

Granted from what I've heard it doesn't always happen; it could have something to do with wear or an error the last time it was apart. In a word I want my Jeep to drive predictably to anybody that is driving it. If I had a full time locker and had locker pull and tight parking lot turn chirping (the most annoying thing to me!) I'd get used to it however I couldn't throw the keys to others and let them use it without warning them, dig?

Basically with ARB's or similar I'd have a drivetrain that acts 100% stock on the road and 100% locked when necessary. I'd just have to get used to flipping them switches.

All I gotta do now is find deals on ARB's ;)

Sequoia

PS - Matt, I've got a full size picture of this if you want it. I can retouch it a bit for clarity as well.
wipeout_tuesday_001.jpg


Worked out quite well in Moab - My impact wrench was used more than a blonde cheerleader with low self esteem.
Click to expand...
Well, IIRC Ron doesn't have a detroit in the back, just in the front so you can't be making comparisons. Also I think Avery mentioned Ron said that something is wrong with the rear locker (he was @ Ron's on Sat)

Oh yeah..... You want a rig that behaves predictably? ;)
 
formatt said:
i guess i can *kinda* see your point.... it takes a little getting used to. I guess the way I see it, drive it like a lifted rig and not like a honda...
Click to expand...

I understand that part of it - it's just the pulling can really screw with somebody else driving it.

Besides after all the trouble that I'm going through to get rid of bump steer, brake steer, and death wobble I don't want to add another pull to it!!
 
GSequoia said:
Because after driving Ron's Jeep to Moab (well, most of the way :gag:) and back I don't much like locker pull.

Granted from what I've heard it doesn't always happen; it could have something to do with wear or an error the last time it was apart.
...
Click to expand...

It scared the crap outta me too when I drove it for the first time the other day.

It does not drive like that normally, both the Lockrite and the Detroit up front are quite invisible on the street...

Like I mentioned G, the trackbar had a bunch of play, and the Lockrite in the rear did need new springs. All good now.

The Barnacle Bucket's getting ARB's, but I have this sneaking suspicion that it's going to see problems under the use it'll be seeing. First time the air line gets fraptured, the seals leak, a ring bolt backs out, or when I just get tired of flicking switches, in goes the Detroits.

--ron
 
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