Tight LSD or Lockright for GQ front??

[Wozza244]

Im up in the air as to what i want.
I cant warrant all the cash for Air or E lockers, as i have a winch and the tracks i like to do dont really require lockers, so if need be, the winch gets me the rest of the way.

If i take a spare centre i have to the diff shop and have it shimmed up nice and tight and serviced bearings etc, how much am i looking at??

The lockrite is $425 delivered, but im worried about losing some steering ability.

I used to have a lockright in rear of an old cruiser and they are magic in rear..

[SIM79]

I have a Lockrite, its made the steering slightly heavier but its still light enough to turn the the wheel with just two fingers. It make zero noises either some auto lockers can be little noisey, I wish Lockrite made rear GQ lockers.

Mine was cheaper through here
http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/supporti ... ore-55878/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[A*D*A*M]

Hi SIM79,

I'm thinking of going the lockrite myself but I'm worried about losing steering when touring high range 4x4 on dirt roads, etc. Do you do much of that? Is cornering and steering effected on corregations and bumps?

Cheers,
Adam.

[SIM79]

Hi SIM79,

I'm thinking of going the lockrite myself but I'm worried about losing steering when touring high range 4x4 on dirt roads, etc. Do you do much of that? Is cornering and steering effected on corregations and bumps?

Cheers,
Adam.

So far I have hardly noticed the locker but I have only done a max speed of 40klm/h in low range 4x4. If I let you drive my car and I hadn't told you about the locker I doubt that you would have noticed anthing different untill you drove through a hard section and wondered why it was so easy.

I'll take my 4x4 for spin on the weekend at 100klm/h and get back to you.

[Wozza244]

I wish Lockrite made rear GQ lockers.

Correct me if im wrong, the reason they dont make rear lockrite is because GQ's came out with a LSD rear. So if you want to have a lockrite in the rear, just find an open centre front GQ diff centre with the same ratio, fit the lockrite to it, then take your LSD centre out of the rear and install the new open centre with lockrite in it to the rear diff housing.

[SIM79]

I wish Lockrite made rear GQ lockers.

Correct me if im wrong, the reason they dont make rear lockrite is because GQ's came out with a LSD rear. So if you want to have a lockrite in the rear, just find an open centre front GQ diff centre with the same ratio, fit the lockrite to it, then take your LSD centre out of the rear and install the new open centre with lockrite in it to the rear diff housing.

The think the front and rear axel splines are different, one is 31 and the other is 33.

[Wozza244]

I wish Lockrite made rear GQ lockers.

Correct me if im wrong, the reason they dont make rear lockrite is because GQ's came out with a LSD rear. So if you want to have a lockrite in the rear, just find an open centre front GQ diff centre with the same ratio, fit the lockrite to it, then take your LSD centre out of the rear and install the new open centre with lockrite in it to the rear diff housing.

The think the front and rear axel splines are different, one is 31 and the other is 33.

I hope someone can confirm this as im interested..

[blacklion]

That is right the front and rear have a differant no. of splines, othwise there would b a puck load of gq's running around with the rear lsd in the front. There is a navara/ pathfinder lsd that bolts straight into the front diff though. Do a search through the pages of this site, i remember seeing it on here myself.

[thehanko]

yep different spline and axle diameter...


but you could swap over the side gears as well maybe???


im not a diff expert, but i know from experience that with and arb locker in you can put the rear gears in the front and the fronts in the rear

[SIM79]

I'm thinking of going the lockrite myself but I'm worried about losing steering when touring high range 4x4 on dirt roads, etc. Do you do much of that? Is cornering and steering effected on corregations and bumps?

I went for a spin to day in H4 to test the auto lockers handling out at high speeds. The auto locker was a lot more noticeable over +40klm/h, the faster you go the heavier/stiffer the steering gets and the more the steering wants recentre itself. At 80-100klm/h the steering was still light enough to turn the steering wheel with one hand but the gerneral handling is still way too annoying.
I hit lot big bumps unintentionally as the road was way rougher than last time and I found the corregations and bumps just as annoying with or without the locker, it didn't seem to affect the handling.
If you do a lot of H4 driving I wouldn't recommend an auto locker a manual locker is a better option.
Luckily for me I rarely use H4 so this won't cause me any issues.

[dazgq1]

I have a 4wd systems lokka in front diff and its not nice to drive in 4h as it wants to tourque steer
when power is applied ! great for low range though ...simple and reliable ! no air lines to rip off , no o rings that fail !
love my lokka!!
cheers
Daz

[A*D*A*M]

SIM79, Daz,

Thanks for the advice, that's what I was afraid of. I don't want to lose high range 4x4 steering. Got a quote today for ARB & TJM front diff locks installed. Both plus of $2,500 (TJM Slightly more) by the time you buy the lockers, compressors, wiring looms and pay for installation. Will get a quote for an e-locker over the next couple of days, but I'm thinking it will be pretty pricey also. The e-locker itself is a bit more but you don't have to buy a compressor. The cynic in me thinks that it will also come in around the same price as the other two installed. A bit like the banks really, no real competition, just different advertising.

I guess I've been pretty happy with the rear LSD so far. Maybe it would be better spending $2.5K on a winch or getting the suspension working a bit better.

Cheers guys,
Adam.

[A*D*A*M]

OL E-locker, $1999.40 fitted with new bearings and a 3 year warranty. More expensive than lockrite but I need high range 4x4 steering. $5-700 cheaper than ARB or TJM from quotes in the last couple of days.

Will probably go this way.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Wozza244]

Might have to end up spending the cash and going a manual locker. I already have an ARB compressor and full locker loom, but i wont be buying ARB lockers, the choice is between TJM and Eaton.
Not real high on the need list right now, but i will need some sort of locker or two before the high country trip late this year and the cape trip next yr.

[Yom]

money is better spent on a winch, people have done high country and cape trips for many years without lockers and on 33" tyres and smaller and not to mention standard vehicles! +35" tyres and lockers for touring/trek style trips is an internet sensationalist thing - you're not going to these places to drive your vehicle hard, you're there for a holiday and you're going to be gentle with it so you don't break it.

[Wozza244]

money is better spent on a winch, people have done high country and cape trips for many years without lockers and on 33" tyres and smaller and not to mention standard vehicles! +35" tyres and lockers for touring/trek style trips is an internet sensationalist thing - you're not going to these places to drive your vehicle hard, you're there for a holiday and you're going to be gentle with it so you don't break it.

I already have a winch. Lockers is basically the last thing on the list, i have everything else set up on the ute.
Lockers make things easier, i have had twin ARB before and watch mates revving and momentum etc to get over stuff i used to just crawl over with ease.
When im away on a trip id rather be able to crawl something than rev over it and stress everything out, that puts the breakage risk higher, as you said.

[GUte]

The auto locker is hard to steer with the power applied. If you were running down the road in 4, coming up to a corner and felt it didn't want to turn into the corner, back off the power and it will turn into the corner like an unlocked centre. After awhile you'll get feeling the auto locker isn't working as your driving style changes to suit the locker. They are one of the best bangs for your buck. Pull your rear LSD out and reshim it for a total of $50 and one afternoon. Doing the auto front, shim rear can be done by anyone with reasonable mechanical skills over an easy weekend.