Hi again,
As you can see I am a new-B to this 4x thing. I ran a search for the lockers and read a lot. I am still confused though. Some say lock it all the way and others like the LS. I am getting a 96 bronco with a 6" lift with 35's on it. What kind of lock do you recommend. I plan on doing 4X4 but not to extreme. I like to mud and climb but not into the rock climbing stuff. Please help!

thanks

Ben

 

If you plan on installing it yourself or don't have a whole lot of loot, go for an insertable locker like the lock-rite or no-slip. these units are very effective and street friendly. Personally, i went for detroit lockers front and rear in my F350., but i wouldn't recommend a locker in the front of any street rig. limited slips are alright, but they cost more and are more difficult to install, unless you are a seasoned mechanic, i would recommend you not set up the ring and pinion yourself. also, limited slips will sometimes chatter and make noise when the rear end grease gets too dirty. some require an additive.

 

Your options are very diverse here. Depending upon budget, mechanical skills you can keep it very cost effective and road worthy. Or you can spend a lot of money and make it ready for anything.

If you want to peace of mind that comes with knowing that if you end up in a slippery situation you won't sit and spin one wheel, then an LS will be fine. They do wear and they will need periodic service. Automatic lockers can be road friendly to a point. Ice and snow can get tricky as they may lock up when you least expect or need them to. A selectable locker is ideal for the rear axle giving you, the driver, the control over when and where the axle locks.

Many maufacturers are represented here..too many to list them all. Auburn Gear, ARB, Eaton, Detroit Locker, Dana, Truetrac are just a few. Most all of them make some sort of LS and automatic locker. ARB, Eaton, Detroit, and I think at least one more that I am not recalling righ now because the product is so new, make a selectable locker. The ARB and the Eaton units are open when disengaged and locked while engeged, the Detroit version remains an LS even when the locking portion is disengaged.

I personally would recommend a selectable locker for the rear axle if you can swing it financially. They are typically more expensive but worth having the ability to completely unlock in adverse conditions that call for a more "predictable" response from the truck. I am thinking of the icy night that the wife has to drive home on the highway and isn't expecting the sudden sideways slip that occurs when an automatic locker engages in the middle of an ice patch. At any rate, being able to positively disengage the lock just makes more sense to me. As for the front, its up to you. Typically you are only using the front axle when you need the added traction of 4WD anyway with a part-time 4x4 system. So, a selectable locker in front or an LS will work just fine. Again, my personal preference would be to avoid automatic lockers for a truck used on the streets. Not that they don't work and perfrom very well because they do. You may want to look at www.ringpinion.com and www.reiderracing.com Neither of these sites will list pricing but they will give you a good list of what is available. They often run specials that are complete package setups for a particular vehicle.