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Thoughts on a Eaton E-Locker

Which would you choose?

  • ARB

    Votes: 29 35.4%
  • OX

    Votes: 7 8.5%
  • Eaton E-Locker

    Votes: 37 45.1%
  • Other

    Votes: 9 11.0%

  • Total voters
    82
So going with an E-Locker, how much draw will this have on the battery? I have a red top now and even using my winch it seems to bog it down a little.
 
yea i cant see more than a couple amps going through those wires. I got one waiting to go in a d44, excited to try it out!
 
Ok take it for what it is.

You can Not order a Dynatrac Prorock 60 with a E-Locker. Reason being is that they are not strong enough for Dynatrac to feel comfortable with thier no questions asked warranty on the whole assembly, with a E-Locker. That should tell you Something?

E-Locker warranty does not cover installs on D30/35 and I think it may even be on the D44 also, if larger then stock tires are installed. At one time it was valid warranty only with 32" tires and smaller only.

Maybe this will help you understand what the manufacture as well as a Leading axle builder thinks.

I think you would do alot better, with a Yukon Zip air locker. at about 300$ less then a ARB, and a HUGE AWESOME warranty, mixed with forged internals and case and Yukon quality, you cant go wrong.

The Zip now has a one year warranty, AND UP TO 2000$ COLATERAL damage coverage. So, if you somehow are one of the only people I ever seen so far, to blow it up or damage it etc. And it cost you 500$ in labor to get it pulled out and set in, and 100$ in a new master kit due to bearings getting the metal in them from it failing, and say a piece got in the ring gear and destroyed it (150$), and maybe the cover got damaged (20-100$). IT ALL IS COVERED!

Then get a ARB compressor.

And then since the locker or air line doesnt fail, the INSTALL fails. Make sure its installed by someone that understands the air lines, and also ask them to sleeve the entire under jeep Zip air line with 5/16" fuel hose (20-30$), and you will never have a air line issue with it.

Again, keep in mind its not the air line that failed it was the installer, If the air line gets cut, or blows out due to the proximity to exhaust, etc. Its like putting trans fluid in the engine and saying the engine failed, when it siezes or what ever that does to it.


PS, I DO LIKE THE E-LOCKER ALSO. But they have their place. If you want something strong, then maybe not for you. Want something convenient, then maybe it is
 
Reason being is that they are not strong enough for Dynatrac to feel comfortable with thier no questions asked warranty on the whole assembly, with a E-Locker. That should tell you Something?

I've heard a multitude of things about their strength as well.

Again, all hearsay, but it swayed me.

If I had heard of someone running them in KOH/ECORS/RCRocs or something similar then it would open up my mind a little more.

But for now I'll be closed minded :D
 
I've wheeled my XJ on 35's with Elockers all over Colorado and out in Moab.
No problems at all. They've locked when I needed them to and unlocked when I turned them off. They haven't exploded, leaked electrons, or likked any Nuns and Orphans....

That tells me all I need to know.

I don't race or compete with anyone. I built my rig to suit my needs and expectations. I never even considered an airleaker.

The vast majority of people that frequent this site aren't rock-racers, they are folks building budget minded rigs that they can wheel to and from the trail. I would venture to guess that there are a relatively small group of hardcore racers that even know NAXJA exists, much less come here and ask about lockers.

One thing I've learned about XJ drivers is that they are frugal bunch, some are just down right cheap....not that that's a bad thing mind you (I sure am!). We drive a rig that hasn't been produced in over 10 years. We scour junk yards for the near mythical XJ Dan44 rear axle. We drive them till our floor boards rust away and then patch them back up.

If a guy is going to spend the money on a Dynatrac axle I'm sure he would take their advice. When you're building you're own axle on a shoestring budget for use under a DD/weekend Warrior, well who really cares about what Dynatrac says?

Early d60 e-Lockers were junk, Eaton redesigned them. I can't say I've heard any negatives about the redesigned ones. I'd run one if owned a D60.

Any locker can fail and generally do so at the least opportune time....regardless of brand.
 
I agree they are frugal.

A Zip locker and a compressor (even a air up compressor that does tires) and a air up kit and a switch panel, cost about 50$ less then just a E-Locker. And it comes with the carrier bearings it needs, the E-locker cost about 30$ more then what you pay cause you ahve to buy those separetly.
 
I've been running an ELocker in my D44 for about 7 years now. I've loved it and it's been very reliable. I've never had a problem with how quickly it engages (maybe a quarter rotation max required). The only complaint I've had is that it takes too long to fully disengage after switching off. If I disengage it in dirt/slippery road conditions it can take over a hundred yards to fully unlock. And on the pavement it easily takes up to a mile or more, although to be fair the manual states it should only be engaged/disengaged in offroad conditions.

Unless I'm mistaken I purchased my ELocker right when they were first available for the D44, so my issues could just be related with the earlier versions. Anyone else have similar problems? Or it could be an issue with the installation, as I installed it myself. Although the gear tooth contact pattern is absolutely perfect even after 80+ K. I'm running 4.56 gears with 32 inch tires, btw.
 
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I've been running an ELocker in my D44 for about 7 years now. I've loved it and it's been very reliable. I've never had a problem with how quickly it engages (maybe a quarter rotation max required). The only complaint I've had is that it takes too long to fully disengage after switching off. If I disengage it in dirt/slippery road conditions it can take over a hundred yards to fully unlock. And on the pavement it easily takes up to a mile or more, although to be fair the manual states it should only be engaged/disengaged in offroad conditions.

Unless I'm mistaken I purchased my ELocker right when they were first available for the D44, so my issues could just be related with the earlier versions. Anyone else have similar problems? Or it could be an issue with the installation, as I installed it myself. Although the gear tooth contact pattern is absolutely perfect even after 80+ K. I'm running 4.56 gears with 32 inch tires, btw.

As fart as I know, all Electric lockers do that. The coil on the carries causes a magnectic pull when energenized. It could take awhile for everything to become de-magnetized. No biggie if you are awear of it.
 
Running around a year and a half on my elocker. Been trouble free and locks damn near instantly. Ripped the wire out of housing wheeling once, 2 minute trail fix, thats the best part of an elocker.
 
my elocker only works when it wants to, and that's never when i need it. i'm pulling that POS out as fast as i can afford it. on top of that, Eaton's customer service sucks. They are rude, unwilling to help, and simply dont care. I'll never buy another Eaton product again.
 
my elocker only works when it wants to, and that's never when i need it. i'm pulling that POS out as fast as i can afford it. on top of that, Eaton's customer service sucks. They are rude, unwilling to help, and simply dont care. I'll never buy another Eaton product again.

A friend of mine had a similar problem when he installed a brand new e-locker into his D-60. It wouldn't work from the start and Eaton basically said it wasn't their problem. He did get it fixed, I think it was the solenoid
 
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