Difflocks... Front vs rear... My comment...
Submitted: Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 00:08
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Voxson
I have never in my life had front and rear difflocks at my disposal to use at the same time ,,, but i did today and this is what i thought....
I went to a very steep but short hillclimb today,,,, one that i had completed in my last Patrol many times which only had a front difflock...
It could be around 50degrees at its worst but mainly around 40degrees with a loose shalely surface...
So i tried it slowly with no lockers engaged and got to the rocky overhang and my rear wheels could not go any further forward as my right hand side rear wheel was spinning with no hope of traction.......
So then i lock the rear diff,,, wait for it to engage properly and then go again with exactly the same problem but now both wheels are spinning with no hope of going forward at all but the car is starting to go a little sideways and my safe position is changing a little into a more angled position...
I lock the front diff and wait for it to engage,,, and then drive straight over the rocky outcrop like it wasnt even there.....
I spose my point is that my rear difflock didnt seem any more efficient than my last car with the LSD....
I am sure there are
places it may come in handy,,, but i was surprised it wasnt chalk and cheese today...
I have seen a lot of dudes saying about fitting a rear locker instead of a front.... I dont get why they would say that????
Just thought i would write my thoughts as i was thinking them...
The Automatic makes a hard days drive much more enjoyable over the rough stuff...
Reply By: Wayne-o - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 00:26
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 00:26
heya mate,
I've often wandered also.....
now i had a detroit lokka in the rear of the surf you can see flying through the air, and along wit the 33's she went anywhere, and usually in 2wd. I will be in the near future putting a lokka, most likely detroit, in the front of the gu, as i think that to have a lokd front and lsd rear is better than a lokd rear and open front. As for say running air lokka's front and rear, i think by removing the lsd, we might become very reliant on the lokkas....just my thoughts, but am intersted to see the results when i get the fron lokd....
cheers
the Wayne-o!MPG:3!
AnswerID:
215185
Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 14:43
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 14:43
I bet that landing hurt!!!
Did ya break anything?
FollowupID:
475531
Follow Up By: Wayne-o - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 17:20
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 17:20
nope nope nope, that surf was as solid as they come for some reason! oh but i tell a lil lie, the back window never was teh safe again after it......as for the rest,
suspension was fine, engine mounts etc, all ok....she was a brilliant truck wish i never sold it
FollowupID:
475543
Reply By: Kiwi Kia - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 06:24
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 06:24
Cross-axle situations can occur at the front or rear and either could stop forward progress. There is NO hard and fast answer as to which is better - front or back. Also, some vehicles have great limited slip diffs and others arn't much chop at all.
AnswerID:
215193
Reply By: Richard of NSW - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 11:23
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 11:23
G'Day Voxson, Im assuming you have a Patrol. Patrols are noted to have a great LSD, and for the majority of Patrols owners they will stick a front locker in. Ours has a front locker and it performed awesome in a recent trip to the Victorian High Country......................made some the more steeper sections look just so easy. No strain on the vehicle or damage to tracks in an effort to get up.
If you have a Patrol go front lockers if other type of 4by go rear as they just don't cut the mustard. Or if you got the cash go both.
Cheers
AnswerID:
215213
Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 14:47
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 14:47
And the whole perspective would have changed if you had perhaps locked both front and rear in from the beginning.
On very steep and rocky/shale type tracks I tend to do this and find that it allows to a very large degree constant traction and momentum to be maintained.
Every situation is different and no two vehicles will do the same track in the same way, lockers or not.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Wayne-o - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 17:23
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 17:23
what is the going price for front and rear air lockers installed these days
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - John (Vic) - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 17:30
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 17:30
Depends a bit of the vehicle and the deal you do but around the $3000- mark would be close for ARB Air Lockers.
FollowupID:
475545
Reply By: FZJ 80 - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 20:11
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 20:11
G'day Fellas,
Had my 80 series done prob 18 months ago, Frt and rear air lockers and compressor $3800, included rear diff carrier bearings being replaced and repack front wheel bearings (Incidently was charged for this but outer bearings repacked , not inners but i got charged for it!!). So probably without extras $3400 or so.
Regards
Greg
AnswerID:
215287
Reply By: Member - Shane D (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 21:12
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 21:12
lsd work a lot better if both wheels a kept turning.
If for instance your going up a steep
hill and one wheel gets loose the lsd tends to stop working,with a front locker you keep moving,the other wheel(lsd that has grip) keeps turning and the lsd puts up a much better fight.
IMO putting a front locker (with lsd rear) will give far greater gains than replacing lsd rear(if you can only afford one locker)
Shane
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Blaze - Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 21:40
Sunday, Jan 14, 2007 at 21:40
Finally someone along with the other posts here that is using comon sence when it comes to lockers. If ure LSD on the rear is any good at all the biggest benefit is by fitting a locked up front. All you are really doing fitting a rear locker is usually fixing a worn rear LSD. Of course they will all argue about steerage loss with with a front Locker, but if you are stuck and can't proceed whats the use of steerage LOL
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 11:45
Monday, Jan 15, 2007 at 11:45
AJ who does the SA 4wding mag did as comprehensve
test as you can with font vs rear lockers and proved by no small margin front lockers far outperform rear lockers (obviosy both are best)
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215397