Click, click click, click, click

I had one once.

Now I have 6 ARB's and 2 E-Lockers.

 

hahah i was kidding, pointing out that you spent tons of money on arb's

i dont think i know anyone who took a totally stock rig and added in a LR locker first... most people who add in lockers have built there trucks to a point where they are used to other compromises -- larger, louder tires... wind resistance from roof racks, COG change from lift, etc.

is it totally transparent -- no. no one has said that in fact.

there is clicking, and bucking at low speed turns in parking lots. but if you NEED the locker for wheeling, chances are you are used to compromises, and the compromises are small and relatively close to transparent in a built rig.

i have driven over 90mph on the highway with it, i have driven all over the place, wheeled really hard trails, etc etc etc... and it has been fantastic, much better than i was ever worried about.

i hear clicking very occaisonally, and i chirp rarely.

 

 

Who claimed they were totally 100% transparent?

I still think this is true, I drive a stripped down '85 (read: no sound insulation), with the radio on (using only the front two stock speakers) I don't even hear the clicking the majority of the time and since I take it pretty easy on the road, I don't remember the last time I chirped the tires. I have gotten so used to either giving it a little power around or pushing in the clutch on slow corners that I rarely get any bucking and I don't even think about it, I just do it, thus, once you are used to it, you don't even notice it is there.

Is a lockright the best? No, but it is well worth it. I would also take full detroits over ARB's any day.

 

My experience with automatic lockers ranges from mild mannered to completely frustrating on the street. Long wheelbase, auto trans, lot of weight/sticky tires, lots of torque lead to good street manners, something you could give to the wife to drive to the grocery store and not think twice. Other vehicles (like my 85 Runner) don't get along with lunchbox lockers so well.

For 'weekend warrior' type machines I'll put in a lunchbox locker BEFORE a lift or gnarly tires as it seems to have the least impact on day to day usability compared to any other mod that gives huge gains in offroad performance. Even on my vehicle that responded the worst to the auto-locker, a 85 Runner, I would rate BFG AT's with a locker to be a more potent off road combo with way better street manners than the same vehicle open diff with Super Swamper Radials. Same thing with lift kits... on the street I'd much rather live with the locker than a suspension lift that requires a climb into the seat.

A rough synopsis based on my experience:
Manual tranny + <110" wheelbase + <200 ft-lbs of torque = bad on road manners.
Auto trans + >110" wheelbase + >200 ft-lbs of torque = very streetable.

 

How are Lock-Rites in the snow?

 

I was never bothered by either my 85 4Runner or 93 1/2 ton driving in the snow with a locker. We just got our first "good" snow down here in the 2.5 years I've lived here and it was the first time in years I'd driven on snow without a lockright or limited slip as I'd stolen the rear lockright out of my 4Runner for use in my wheeling truck. I hated it because I was always spinning a rear tire, yet I really had to crank on the wheel to get good fishtails out of it. Boring... give me a locker anyday, more forward go, and nicer looking drifts

 

I installed my lock right about a week ago and i LOVE it. The amount of traction gained is ridiculous. The only thing i had to get you used to the skreetch of the tires in a parking lot turning or around a stop sign otherwise you really never know its there. Trails are soo much easier im doing harder stuff now and its running through it like a champ. This wrangler that had 35's couldn't do this off camber hill climb cuz his tire kept coming off the ground. I went up it had the same tire off the ground and kept on goin it was great to get a reaction off astonishment from a jeep guy hahaha. Anyway the install was really easy im only 18 and i did i by myself in a saturday afternoon. Definetly something to buy best mod i have done.

 

just fine for me. i kept it in awd all the time and it did great. when i took it out, the lockright more or less pushed me in certain directions here and there but wasnt undriveable. but in awd it was like it wasnt even there

so leave it in 4wd when its snowing.

 

Bump for a good thread and a great product, installed a Lock-Right in the rear of mine yesterday, and it's works perfectly... the 4x4Wire write-ups for disassembly and reassembly are very good and can be very helpful

 

If you wheel hard, do not buy a Lock-Rite .
I am very adament about this.
I have personally broken three of them and have seen at least two more break. The last time I tore down my front end I went ahead and welded up a LockRite so that it wouldnt break on me on the trail.

Is it better off road that open diffs? Yes, just like a ratchet strap is on a battery is. Its an accident waiting to happen.

If you have a DD and want traction on the weekends, go for it. If you have a trailer queen with one, just let me know what trails that you will be on so that I won't be there and have to let you borrow my extra 3rd member and tools

If you are serious about it, save up for a Detroit or be a cheap ass and weld it.

 

So I am about to regear my truck. I plan to use it as DD and occasional wheeler. Still IFS right now. The dileimia I am having is should I install this locker while I have it opened? The fact is I am low on funds and havent wheeled this truck yet, so I am not sure if I will ever need it but might as well throw it in while it is open?

What do you guys think? Just go for it and or hold off until I think/know I will need it?

 

I would... oh, wait, I did... seriously for $280 or so, it's a good idea... mine still works fine

 

okay i am sold. where is the cheapest place to purchase?

 

The 4cyl 8 inch units tend to destroy the differential carrier. The cross pin hogs out the hole in the softer cast iron differential carrier.

The 6v/turbo 8 inch works well. I ran one for about 5 years. I also ran one in the 7.5 inch front for about 3 years.

Tough to turn when you are pointed downhill with a lot of weight on the front tires and the front lockright.

Snow use (Denver) was sketchy in 4x4 with 2 lock-right lockers, and no big deal at all in 2x4. (The sketch factor was probably a result of my trashed out IFS)

I say lockright for a v6/turbo rear daily driver = good.
Lockrights front/rear on a Daily driver = fair.

selectable lockers (ARB for me) = BEST.

 

I just installed mine this weekend and I am wondering if there is a break in period seems my stays locked all the time every cornor even backing up stright I get that cherp sound of the rear tires spinning any reason for that being new and needs time to set in right or what??

 

Probably not. My landcruiser never "broke in" it was always making click noises or chirping or burping or thuding.

My favorite was on slick roads. FJ40 + 200hp V8+ short wheelbase + lock rite = easy do-nuts

 

Make sure you have you backlash set right.
The first time I put mine in, I had it set too tight and about 2 or 3 times a mile, one wheel would release and the whole truck would jerk to the side. Went back through it and presto! Worked great!

 

At first mine churped a lot around corners but now if you just let the gas off around the 90 degree turn it doesn't churp or lock up at all i still hate parking lots though hahaha all you have to do is adjust your driving pattern youll get used to it. OH and rotate your tires religously thats a huge key to keeping them in the 30K range haha

 

Just to keep things straight here.. someone mentioned earlier that the lockrite is virtually the same as the detroit. I just wanted to make sure my assumptions were correct. The LR is virtually the same as the Detroit EZ-Locker, am I correct?

I am trying to figure out what to put on my DD for now. I want ARB but it's spendy. I am looking for the Toyota Electronic Locker, but it's hard to find. I want to put in the Detroit EZ-Locker, but I live in a SNOWY part of Idaho. So I'm not sure if I'll be ok putting the Detroit in the rear of my 1990 T4R 4x4.