Front Diff Locks and Rear LSD - verses - Both Front Locks and Rear Locks

The mail I have read is that if you have an effective LSD, fit a locker to the front. Note, they apparently have a substantial (negative) effect on steering.

I can't say with any confidence as I don't have one. I will only state, and may be howled down, a bloke at ARB suggested, when I enquired about them, that they get you into more trouble than they get you out of. That is to say if you get stuck with lockers, you are really stuck. Better to not use them until you get into strife?

As I said, I can't comment from experience, there are others that know much more than me.

G'day mate,
Jimbo is right I reckon.
My truck has a air locker on the front and the standard (ie: excellent) LSD at the back.
We've just come back from a weekend away with other EO members and I found my rig was able to go over all the same obstacles the troopy with 2 air lockers went.
Being a 9 year old Patrol, yours may need the LSD checked.....I understand they do wear after a while. If it is past it's best, I would be replacing it with another air locker if i was you.
Before i bought my locker, I used to justify not having one by saying things like "a locker will only serve to get you 100 metres further into the shyte. Now that I have one and have used it to climb out of creek crossings on Cape York, where lesser vehicles (with no trailer) were struggling and had to have several attempts, I am now convinced as to their merits.
I like to think i still drive sensibly and won't tackle anything I don't believe i can get through (or over) etc. They are a very very important item to have IMHO.
Cheers, mate

And just for the hell of a comment.............. Last weekend i found a Clay Hill in the Flinders, raining heavily that i could not make it up for the life of me... (Front air locker and rear lsd).. my mate in his 3litre gq blasted up it with speed on his side.... I had to admit the petrol was better suited on the day which killed me...

Seems to me from a lot of posts I have read about front lockers is that they are a very good way to chew up expensive CV joints/shafts.
The wheels on a turn revolve at vastly different speeds but with a locker they
cannot so "snap", something has to give, maybe on sloppy surfaces you get away with it. Also the steering effect of want to pull forwards when a corner approaches
is a bit spooky & dangerous.

you can get a lockright in the rear , this gives good LSD in the rear , and great locker for off road . I run one in my Cruiser

Interesting positive points of view on this post. Just goes to show with 10 different vehicles, 10 different drivers and countless aftermarket options to fit you will get a thousand scinarios that are right or wrong. I have and still do procrastinate over my need for lockers, I tend not to throw options onto the 4by unless I can see the real "need", it's not a matter of "want". I'm primarily interested in safety and a degree of comfort in my pursuit of adventure and can't see the point in fitting items that just hang on the vehicle day after day and only get used once in 5 years. But that's for the individual to decide what's right for him and where he wants to go.

Here's my little story which adds another dimension to this debate. Three time I have had situations where I thought it smart to give my MTRs some added "balls". I carry chains for such situations, which are left stowed in the garage if I'm not in the bush, as is the winch. Two occasions the chains were fitted to the rear wheels for a long uphill greasy and once to the front for a down hill. It takes 5 mins /wheel, but what's the big hurry I say. At the down hill occasion, two other vehicles (one with front lockers) lost it on the slide and had substantial damage, one finished up on it's side. We made the decent in a more orderly manner and did less damage to the track.

So what's right ? Was it the drivers fault or their option and application. I might have been the smartie on this occasion but next time who knows, I might have yolk all over my dial. Hope not.

I do know that I don't place stress with a rip-tear-bust approach and spinning wheels, on my vehicle.

One point that seems to be lost in most posts here, is that drive to all wheels is equal when on reasonably level ground, betweent he wheels, and drive is only transmitted to the tyre[s] with the least traction, when the suspension travel of the vehicle prevents close to equal traction being achieved on all wheels.

This being the case, an LSD wont be a saviour either, given it requires both wheels to have some traction, and only transmits drive across the diff when under power.

A rear locker is a great solution, especially on slippery hills, for going down, where it stops opposite wheels front to back becoming undriven, free wheeling through the spider gears as the car takes off down hill, something an LSD will not prevent, as it isnt under power in this situation. When you are climbing something, the rear also has the weight situated apon it, which makes for better traction with a rear locker, where unequal traction prevents drive going to both rear wheels.

Now if you had a front locker to prevent this, then you would be unable to steer the vehicle in these conditions, and a front locker will bind up the cv joints across the axle, and if having locker in and wheels on the lock, keep your tools for changing front cv's handy, as you may need them to get home.

Now as with all things, there are also down sides to lockers, one being, if you have your locker in, and you need to turn, you need one wheel to break traction, for the car to turn, where as spider gears in a normal diff will still transmit drive across the axle when turning.

Driving in snow is also very difficult with lockers, and given the snow compresses, when you drive over it, the vehicle will go much better with lockers out, rather than digging in if trying to drive with lockers engaged, and I only put the locker in as I drive over an uneven section, like a snow drift, or in/out of the main wheel ruts.

Lockers will also prevent the engine from revving or picking up in the gear you require to climb some things, if all the wheels are locked at the same speed, and some drive cant be transmitted through the spider gears, to help keep engine revs up. [like a standard diesel/petrol patrol/cruiser trying to hold 3rd low on a slippery hill, and needing to slow down for a rock ledge, or woopdy do, and need to accelerate again once over it]

I have found running 2 lockers, with rear being used when required, [you will be amazed where the car will go before you need to engage it] and the front for the rare time you may need it [probably used a front locker 5-10 times in all my cars, over 20 years] and my current car I havent bothered to fit a front locker, just the rear.

If I had the choice of fitting only one locker it would be in the front, as that's the first bit to get over the hard stuff, plus I already have an LSD in the rear, it's better than nothing (like in the front).

I have a 95 GQ.... they have arguably the best LSD in the business... but sooner or later it will probably wear and need re conditioning. I have already given this much thought! As most of us probably do at some stage or another, I originally had front and rear air lockers on my "wish" list. These days, after seeing how good my LSD is, I have moved the lockers right to the bottom of the list! And then I would probably only buy a front one! Why??? The LSD usually has us rolling again before my sorry addled brain figures out we're stuck...... :-( And the front locker, IF I ever buy one, would simply be to compliment the LSD anyway, that is, if the LSD doesn't get us going, I'd have one more trick up my sleeve!

How do you know if your LSD is ok ? (GQ)
is there a definate way of testing them?
You would then be able to know when for sure to buy the locker
or shim the LSD!

you know your lsd isnt working any more when your rear tyres start lasting longer, and they dont "chirp" on the bitumen when doing a U turn or sharp right hand turn with power down ;-)