Front and rear locker?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 871
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From: Kenner LA
Front and rear locker?
Looking at getting front and rear lockers for the ex sometime in the near future. Should I go with an air locker, Detroit locker, or?????? I do mostly street driving but every so often I get the truck a lil muddy.
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From: Central Coast of CA
Stewart
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Joined: Jan 2011
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Yeah truetrac, nice diff. can go in the front, back or both. I agree, regular lockers should only go in the rear, while selectable lockers (e-locker, air locker) can go in the front. I don't like regular LS diffs. Clutches go bad, they create more heat and sediment in your diff fluid which increases maintenance intervals.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 11
From: West Virginia
on the other hand, if you have manual hubs you can run a cheaper detroit in the front and when you lock in your hubs you'll have real 4wd instead of 3 wheel drive... thats what I'd do if I wanted to save money and used my ex off road a lot. If its anything street driven where you need to keep your ability to go 55 mph in 4 hi on slippery roads and stuff, I think I wouldn't consider anything but an ARB or E locker. Anything more than a limited slip in the rear will suck on pavement and can be downright dangerous on wet or icy roads. The best compromise for on/off road do it all vehicle is selectable diffs front and rear. But the parts alone will be $1400 or more. If I was going to do that I think I'd also upgrade to a dana 60 up front. Having a locked front end is a LOT harder on axles than a lot of people think. Open diffs are nice and friendly.
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Brett Foote
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Rancho Cucamonga USA
I have had ARB's F/R for years. I have climbed hills that gave dirt bikers pause, driven deep into the sand dunes to recover my son's siezed KX85, plowed through deep snow, etc. Then when I'm done I just unlock.
It is an expensive proposition but not really that much more than doing any type of LS or locker unless you can do all the labor yourself. A quick search of Summit Racing showed a Detroit locker at $549. I paid $750 for my ARBs. I don't think $400 difference is enough to change my mind considering labor cost, how long they last and what they do. I am in So. Cal though so I don't need traction on the street, that was another reason I didn't look at a gear type locker or LS.
The ARB's are incredibly strong and I haven't had a single problem with them. In the sand I am dragging a 10,000lb toy hauler. I agree that you could break the front axle when locked but I use care when I have it locked, especially when climbing hills with deep ruts and whoops in them.
Michael
It is an expensive proposition but not really that much more than doing any type of LS or locker unless you can do all the labor yourself. A quick search of Summit Racing showed a Detroit locker at $549. I paid $750 for my ARBs. I don't think $400 difference is enough to change my mind considering labor cost, how long they last and what they do. I am in So. Cal though so I don't need traction on the street, that was another reason I didn't look at a gear type locker or LS.
The ARB's are incredibly strong and I haven't had a single problem with them. In the sand I am dragging a 10,000lb toy hauler. I agree that you could break the front axle when locked but I use care when I have it locked, especially when climbing hills with deep ruts and whoops in them.
Michael
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 11
From: West Virginia
curious, do you still have your rear limited slip with your arb's? Or maybe yours didn't have ls from the factory. My truck still has the LS working pretty well... I wish I could keep it that way and add an ARB or e locker to the front for times when I'm stuck.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,790
Likes: 24
From: Mount Royal, NJ
I have had ARB's F/R for years. I have climbed hills that gave dirt bikers pause, driven deep into the sand dunes to recover my son's siezed KX85, plowed through deep snow, etc. Then when I'm done I just unlock.
It is an expensive proposition but not really that much more than doing any type of LS or locker unless you can do all the labor yourself. A quick search of Summit Racing showed a Detroit locker at $549. I paid $750 for my ARBs. I don't think $400 difference is enough to change my mind considering labor cost, how long they last and what they do. I am in So. Cal though so I don't need traction on the street, that was another reason I didn't look at a gear type locker or LS.
The ARB's are incredibly strong and I haven't had a single problem with them. In the sand I am dragging a 10,000lb toy hauler. I agree that you could break the front axle when locked but I use care when I have it locked, especially when climbing hills with deep ruts and whoops in them.
Michael
It is an expensive proposition but not really that much more than doing any type of LS or locker unless you can do all the labor yourself. A quick search of Summit Racing showed a Detroit locker at $549. I paid $750 for my ARBs. I don't think $400 difference is enough to change my mind considering labor cost, how long they last and what they do. I am in So. Cal though so I don't need traction on the street, that was another reason I didn't look at a gear type locker or LS.
The ARB's are incredibly strong and I haven't had a single problem with them. In the sand I am dragging a 10,000lb toy hauler. I agree that you could break the front axle when locked but I use care when I have it locked, especially when climbing hills with deep ruts and whoops in them.
Michael
Been there and done that!!!
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 218
Likes: 1
From: Rancho Cucamonga USA
There would be no problem keeping the LS in the rear and adding an ARB to the front. I see a lot of people saying that if they could only have one locker they would go with a rear. I don't have massive experience off road but it is amazing how much pull I get when I lock the front. Especially when on uneven terrain where one front will is off the ground.
I haven't spent a lot of time experimenting but there have been times when the rear was spinning and I wasn't going anywhere until I locked the front. As I said above, they are expensive but I had the money (plus I was regearing so the axles were already apart) and was tired of getting stuck in my one wheel drive EX!
Michael
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 118
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From: Montana
Dont know what the weather is like where your from, but I prefer selecable lockers front and rear. My last truck had a mechanical locker in the rear that almost put me in the ditch a few times on the ice.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 11,798
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From: Mt. Shasta California
Mine just had an open diff. Kind of laughable in my opinion on a 4x4. I bought it used and had always planned on an ARB so it didn't matter. You can't use an LS with the ARB, it replaces the entire diff. I have both open diffs in a box if anyone needs them.
There would be no problem keeping the LS in the rear and adding an ARB to the front. I see a lot of people saying that if they could only have one locker they would go with a rear. I don't have massive experience off road but it is amazing how much pull I get when I lock the front. Especially when on uneven terrain where one front will is off the ground.
I haven't spent a lot of time experimenting but there have been times when the rear was spinning and I wasn't going anywhere until I locked the front. As I said above, they are expensive but I had the money (plus I was regearing so the axles were already apart) and was tired of getting stuck in my one wheel drive EX!
Michael
There would be no problem keeping the LS in the rear and adding an ARB to the front. I see a lot of people saying that if they could only have one locker they would go with a rear. I don't have massive experience off road but it is amazing how much pull I get when I lock the front. Especially when on uneven terrain where one front will is off the ground.
I haven't spent a lot of time experimenting but there have been times when the rear was spinning and I wasn't going anywhere until I locked the front. As I said above, they are expensive but I had the money (plus I was regearing so the axles were already apart) and was tired of getting stuck in my one wheel drive EX!
Michael