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Lockright Front

Tech Talk for Nissan owners.

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JK
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Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2002 9:00 am

Lockright Front

Post by JK »

Has anyone run or had experience with a Lockright in the front of a GQ?

I am seriously considering this option rather than an ARB.
JK
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Post by JK »

OK, call me guilty of "cut n paste"... but this is an interesting article.

Any comments?

++++++++++++++++++++++++

http://www.pps.net.au/4wdencounter/askus/askus.html

A friend had an Auto locker in the rear of his 80 series (part-time 4WD model) for about 4 weeks. That was as long as he could stand it on on-road driving. While it significantly improved his off-road ability (almost as good in 2wd as 4wd previously was), the on-road characteristics were impossible to live with. Whenever he turned a corner, the inside wheel screeched as it wouldn’t unlock unless virtually no power was applied. When driving around a roundabout, if he changed gear, it would leap sideways about a metre as he was compensating in the steering for the "straight ahead" effect and pushing the clutch in took that away. Even turning in a carpark would evoke screeching from a rear wheel and have bystanders looking for the "hoon". However, none of this is noticeable at all off-road and only improved 4WD ability is present.

Another words, while I swear by an auto locker in the front (of a part time 4WD) I DO NOT recommend them for rear fitment. I would only recommend an ARB air locker for the rear. However, I believe that a front diff lock is more effective than a rear fitment in virtually all circumstances. But you cannot fit an auto locker to the front diff of a permanent 4WD, only part-time 4WD’s like your 60 series. Any GXL 80 series ( or other permanent 4WD) can only have ARB lockers in the front and that brings in another problem.

It is difficult to steer anything but straight ahead with an air locker in the front diff on. This presents problems for steep rocky hill climbs where you want your front lock on, but find it very difficult to steer. This is why ARB recommend a rear fitting before a front fitting whereas auto lockers recommend a front fitting first due to its better 4WD ability.

I believe the ideal setup (for a part-time 4WD) is an auto locker in the front and an ARB in the rear. However I haven’t been anywhere where I needed a rear locker to get me through hence I haven’t fitted one. 3 ½ wheels driving (LSD rear) is more than enough to either get me through or hopelessly bogged. About the only time you need twin difflocks is when towing off-road, then you need all the help you can get.

When considering cost, a lockright autolocker is significantly cheaper than a Detroit autolocker, which in turn is cheaper than an ARB airlocker (unless you already have a compressor).
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Post by big red »

well, let me just say this, everyone with a lockrite in our club with a gq has got rid of it, lots of c.v's went.
theres still a couple of detroits and lots of airlockers.
Another problem i noticed with autolockers was when trying to turn on slippery down hill sections, they wanted to keep going straight ahead, to turn they had to get someone to unlock a hub until they cleared the corner.
I've only had a front airlocker in the past and didnt have any problems with it.
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Post by Carl Coight »

I don't have a front locker myself yet but i have herd that the auto lockers are a bit harsh on cv's.
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Post by thunder »

ive got the air locker in the front and u can still turn a fair bit....
dont compromise on quality..my 2 cents worth ...
might cost a bit extra but its worth it in the long run....
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Post by Carl Coight »

Yeah, for the extra few hundred bucks you are way better off with an air locker. :wink:
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Post by Juzza »

The ONLY reason for not going Arb is $$$.
Is the drama associated with other products worth the saving in the long run???
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JK
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Post by JK »

Thanks for the feedback guys.

No $$$ isn't the only reason. I have been talking to a couple of guys who have lockrights in the front, one who has had it for over 6 years and another other for over 2. Both drive offroad a lot and not just softcore driving either (like winch challenge style assaults on hills, rock crawling etc).

Big Red, it is interesting about the broken CVs. I would have thought that airlockers and detroits would have caused more broken CVs than lockrights. How did these guys bust CVs? Hammering up a hill climb with all wheels spinning?

From what I gather, lockrights will let a tyre spin faster than the other allowing differential action and softening the stresses on the diff and axles. Also much better for turning than ARBs whilst still providing the advantage of lockers.

I know that ARBs don't always release when the button is pressed, especially when under load like on high friction surfaces / turning sharply.

I had a test drive of a GQ with a lockright in the front yesterday and there was a particular climb that always gets my truck crossed up and opposites spinning. This truck with the lockright in the front crawled straight up it with one wheel about a foot off the ground. The Lockright was very subtle, the only way I could tell it was there is that the truck kept on driving up stuff that would have stopped my truck. I could turn easily in 4Lo.

Anyway, I'm not rushing into anything and I really have no bias towards one or the other, I just want what will work best for me in the scrub.

Cheers,
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Post by duncan »

Go the locrite ive had 2 in a sixty series that ran 35bfg muds and a 6.2 diesal gave it heaps the guy i sold it too has bent the front diff twice and broken only one cv and he absaulutly canes it every were also had one in the front of my GQ for the last two years on all different terrains running centapeeds never had a problem and thats launching the front end quite a few times 4 other guys all with GQs never a broken cv or diff one of the guys has just fitted a 6.5 turboed motor broke a front hub by splitting the alloy housing in 8 places were the bolts go through the housing but locker and axles and cvs all ok to many problems with air locker air supply side as in faulyt presure swiches broken diff fittings or lines or failed compressors no air no locker just something to think of Dont fit a locrite to the rear diff they do work ok but when they unlock under load going round a corner you think something has just exploded
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Post by big red »

the cv's appeared to go when scrabbling up loose hills at full noise, it seems like there is a fair bit of play before it locks back up and that allows the cv to get shock loads .
probably a change in driving style could improve this.
i usually drive fairly gentle but when i nail it i dont want to worry about breaking things and so i will go for airlockers when the time comes. besides, i like to control when the diff is locked but a lot of people want "set and forget".
Everybody is different so get what suits you , theres a lot of different opinions on lockers so just read them all and then decide.
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JK
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Post by JK »

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Much appreciated. :D
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