Thursday, Jul 31, 2014 at 23:26
Stuart and Gunny
I have had a 4WD Systems Lokka in the front of a Hilux for going on eight years. The first time I used it was on the first day of a 10 day trip in the Victorian High Country. The steering instantly felt ever so slightly heavier. Ten minutes later I was wheeling the car around steep hair pin bends, over huge rocks and through rivers and it was not causing me any concern at all.
I disagree with the suggestion that they are more like unlockers than lockers. They are almost always unlocked, or in the process of unlocking, because it is very rare for two wheels to turn at exactly the same speed in off road situations. One is always rolling up over a
rock or down through a hole etc.
The same thing occurs even on a freeway. I just did a few calculations with my size tyres. If one was as little as 1 mm smaller in diameter than the other due to wear or whatever and, assuming you were driving on a billiard table smooth road surface in a straight line, that wheel would do seven more turns than the other over a 10 k distance. The Lokka would allow that to happen. You would not hear the clicking as the teeth slid up and over each other because it would be happening very slowly but it would still be happening.
It is for that reason you can fit an auto locker in the rear and drive around town or on sealed highways all day without tearing your tyres to pieces. Try doing that with a manual locker engaged.
I have only had one experience of it causing problems with the steering and that was while I was climbing up a curved muddy slope about forty metres long. The wheels were obviously locked and the steering developed a mind of its own. Exactly the same thing would have happened if I had a manual locker.
The reason I put it in the front was I could not see the point in being content to loose the front axle when one wheel lost traction, particularly on steep hills, and then expect the rear axle to keep the car going. I had a few problems with that before I fitted the Lokka. The difference it has made is unbelievable.
I have also driven the car on desert sand hills. I have never had a problem on any of them but I don't know if the Lokka helped of not.
The same applies to mountain tracks. A driving front wheel on the inside of a steep corner could loose traction.The outside wheel, which would have been rolling ahead on a larger radius, would lock instantly and take over driving. The inside wheel could regain traction a few seconds later. The diff. would immediately start to unlock as the outside wheel started rolling ahead again and the driver would be none the wiser.
There is one point that you have to be careful of though if you have one fitted in the rear and are driving on sealed roads, especially wet ones. If you accelerate too quickly anywhere, particularly coming out of a sharp corner, the inside wheel could loose traction. If that happens the Lokka will instantly lock and you may experience some rear wheel steering. I think this is why car manufacturers do not use auto lockers. Far too many drivers would get into trouble with them.
AnswerID:
536928
Follow Up By: Lex M - Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 12:57
Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 12:57
Agrre totally with 671 except for:
"There is one point that you have to be careful of though if you have one fitted in the rear and are driving on sealed roads, especially wet ones. If you accelerate too quickly anywhere, particularly coming out of a sharp corner, the inside wheel could loose traction. If that happens the Lokka will instantly lock and you may experience some rear wheel steering. I think this is why car manufacturers do not use auto lockers. Far too many drivers would get into trouble with them."
Not unique to a lokka. The same thing happens with a LSD in the rear. And drivers get into trouble with that in the wet..
FollowupID:
821222