Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Jeeps wrote:Yeah the volume thing is a good one. Take most small shops/servos/takeaways etc. They buy Coke/Fanta/Sprite or whatever directly from Coca Cola Amatil Aust. But they can always buy it cheaper at woolies than they can get it directly from the manufaturer (Coke).

don't let logic or common sense come into it, much easier for people to just whinge and moan about ARB and buying their stuff from the US cheaper

jessie928 wrote: Its going to be interesting watching vehilcles being sold with " front and rear AIR LOCKERS" from this point on.... can you really be SURE its an ARB???

This is exactly what I was thinking. Someone sells Car diff with "Air Locker" fitted. $900. Thats alright compared to $1200 for an ARB with whole diff and fitting taken into account. But thats them making a profit on a $500 "China locker". And you may not be able to tell the difference...

Gwagensteve wrote:It's most likely ARB have already bought one or more and have had a very good look at it.

ARB will now exactly what their products do on their own destructive rig. It woudn't surprise me if they've already ripped one apart on their rig.

If they have, and proven it to be "lesser" than their own, they may in future use this in their catalogues (etc) to help maintain strong sales against these chinese lockers.
Would actually be interesting to approach ARB and ask them if they do know, and willing to say if they have tested these to see if they are different in any mechanical way. They may not, which could mean anything, but if they do it would be interesting.
In fact do ARB even publish maximum torque or strength ratings for their lockers? Surely they would for at least the ford 9" diff as it would be very usefull to a certain market.

LOve the hoseclamp holding it all together!!!!!!!!

MMMMMMMMMMMMM

Matt

grimbo wrote:

Jeeps wrote:Yeah the volume thing is a good one. Take most small shops/servos/takeaways etc. They buy Coke/Fanta/Sprite or whatever directly from Coca Cola Amatil Aust. But they can always buy it cheaper at woolies than they can get it directly from the manufaturer (Coke).

don't let logic or common sense come into it, much easier for people to just whinge and moan about ARB and buying their stuff from the US cheaper

The 'Air Locker' trade mark is an interesting one as they could get them on that.

However it could also be argued that it is a descriptive name as it is an air opperated lock.

Probably cant stop the import of them with that but can probably force them to the change the name to Air Difflocka or similar.

Or ARB might just descide to let it run its course as most cheap knock offs dont last very well. If ARB do take up the fight it probably means they are made well enought to be a threat.

my offer as guinea pig is still open

grimbo wrote:

jessie928 wrote:FOR instance, HOW the hell can you import an ARB winch in from the USA and pay considerably LESS for the product shipped to your door, than for the same product bought from an arb shop over the counter?

because ARB don't make winches they resell other manufacturers winches and have to add their own costs ontop of the purchase price

MY BAd..heheheh i meant LOCKER, i'll amend that post

Jes

Can they be any worse than say, oh, i dunno... a factory toyota diff?

Haha I kid I kid. Well actually no thats a lie I don't. Someone had to bring it up.

I would be happy to trust chinese made gear but I'd want to see it in pieces first. As others have mentioned the chinse can make brilliant stuff, but they can also make terrrrrrible things.

all 4x4 owners can be 100% sure they are getting a genuine,AUSTRALIAN MADE ARB AIRLOCKER when they buy it from an authorised ARB STOCKIST.

if you choose to buy a locker from fleabay or any other online store or any other 4x4 store that does not have ARB on the front of there store,you will not get that guarantee.

its pretty simple.

good luck with parts backup on this locker when it fails or does not fit.
good luck finding a reputable shop that will fit this locker.

i can guarantee that no ARB store will ever fit one of these lockers for you.

4x4 guy wrote:all 4x4 owners can be 100% sure they are getting a genuine,AUSTRALIAN MADE ARB AIRLOCKER when they buy it from an authorised ARB STOCKIST.

if you choose to buy a locker from fleabay or any other online store or any other 4x4 store that does not have ARB on the front of there store,you will not get that guarantee.

its pretty simple.

good luck with parts backup on this locker when it fails or does not fit.
good luck finding a reputable shop that will fit this locker.

i can guarantee that no ARB store will ever fit one of these lockers for you.

mate, i think youll find most people who buy these will have no will to get arb to fit it for them when a mechanic will do it cheaper. they still have the same chance as rooting the oring as arb do, from my experience, ARB stuffed it on both my diffs... mechanic repaired it and still no problems 10,000kays down the track as opposed to 3,000 for the arb.

sorry, i have nothing against arb or tjm (or whatever they are called now) i use there product and am happy with it, but some times the cheaper products beat the worse price and worse service.

thehanko wrote:Or ARB might just descide to let it run its course as most cheap knock offs dont last very well.

yea, them chinese winches arent going anywhere.

grimbo wrote:

jessie928 wrote:FOR instance, HOW the hell can you import an ARB winch in from the USA and pay considerably LESS for the product shipped to your door, than for the same product bought from an arb shop over the counter?

because ARB don't make winches they resell other manufacturers winches and have to add their own costs ontop of the purchase price

I think he means air locker.
I agree with him, how can it be cheaper to buy from USA something made 30klms from here?

bogged wrote:

grimbo wrote:

jessie928 wrote:FOR instance, HOW the hell can you import an ARB winch in from the USA and pay considerably LESS for the product shipped to your door, than for the same product bought from an arb shop over the counter?

because ARB don't make winches they resell other manufacturers winches and have to add their own costs ontop of the purchase price

I think he means air locker.
I agree with him, how can it be cheaper to buy from USA something made 30klms from here?

Obviously sea freight is cheaper then road freight

just cruizin' wrote:Obviously sea freight is cheaper then road freight

pickup from head office - no freight
I see your and raise u

4x4 guy wrote:all 4x4 owners can be 100% sure they are getting a genuine,AUSTRALIAN MADE ARB AIRLOCKER when they buy it from an authorised ARB STOCKIST.

if you choose to buy a locker from fleabay or any other online store or any other 4x4 store that does not have ARB on the front of there store,you will not get that guarantee.

its pretty simple.

good luck with parts backup on this locker when it fails or does not fit.
good luck finding a reputable shop that will fit this locker.

i can guarantee that no ARB store will ever fit one of these lockers for you.

eeerm, ARB sub the work out usually anyway to a local diff specialist

if " any" diff or gearbox specialist can not properly fit a locker hemispehere ( air or otherwise) to a diff centre, they should just shoot themselves in the head and save the rest of the world greif and anguish.

JEs

bogged wrote:

thehanko wrote:Or ARB might just descide to let it run its course as most cheap knock offs dont last very well.

yea, them chinese winches arent going anywhere.

But how many people who buy a 200 dollar winch were ever going to buy a 2000 dollar warn. maybe a few %. probably not enough for warn to worry about, was more what i meant.

It might even be a case of - person goes and buys ebay shite. it works for 30 days, during which time the customer learns how good lockers are, then they break and they think i cant do without lockers, oh well i will go buy the real thing.

ARB's only real worry is if these lockers work ok.

unlike a winch if a locker is in the rear of a vehicle it is being used all the time, regardless of being engaged or not, will it last in this application too?

bogged wrote:

just cruizin' wrote:Obviously sea freight is cheaper then road freight

pickup from head office - no freight
I see your and raise u

So hand picked and deliveried to the desk - MEGA $$$$$ Raised again

I ask him what the locker and compressor with a second locker would cost and he wanted $1550.

I dont think I would pay that much for untested products which could be a can of worms. considering the number of problems found with both arb and tjb lockers, i think 1550 is too much for a no name one.

What is the ARB warranty period?

2 yr warrenty on materials

I have just ordered one for one for the front of my GQ for the price I will give it a shot

THE PIG wrote:I have just ordered one for one for the front of my GQ for the price I will give it a shot

What did it cost you delivered?

thehanko wrote:

THE PIG wrote:I have just ordered one for one for the front of my GQ for the price I will give it a shot

What did it cost you delivered?

I have ordered it with a heap of other gear direct from the manufact in china ( I import into WA) so the price was good

thehanko wrote:2 yr warrenty on materials

HA!

MAYBE if you only use standard size tyres ...

by the looks of all the guys in the my threadARB LOCKER DOESN"T WORK
maybe you all should buy the chinese locker at least when that lets you down you only got butt FARKED for one thrid to half the amount

YEAH those ARB are the CNC machined shit arnt they

Shoud email the guy on ebay he may be able to get you some reliable parts to fix all those ARB lockers that leak or won't engage.

thehanko wrote:I ask him what the locker and compressor with a second locker would cost and he wanted $1550.

I dont think I would pay that much for untested products which could be a can of worms. considering the number of problems found with both arb and tjb lockers, i think 1550 is too much for a no name one.

maybe you woulent, but do you know how many people bought a tjm pro-locker


Jes

RoldIT wrote:

thehanko wrote:2 yr warrenty on materials

HA!

MAYBE if you only use standard size tyres ...

yea who was it that had warranty turned down cause he used 35's that time?

Has anyone ever thought that these may just be the old design(which they are) and ARB sold the rights to a chinese company.

RUFF wrote:Has anyone ever thought that these may just be the old design(which they are) and ARB sold the rights to a chinese company.

This did cross my mind. Which If true would mean parts availablity would not be an issue.

However this still has no relevence WRT people's comments on Chinese quality control levels (though this may also be an incorrect assumption of poor quality). And this was the heart of the original posters question...

The real answer will only come in time, after people buy them and try them, which some people will do. This thread may have some real value if it gets dug up in a year or twos time and some people who have used them add to it.

just cruizin' wrote:

bogged wrote:

grimbo wrote:

jessie928 wrote:FOR instance, HOW the hell can you import an ARB winch in from the USA and pay considerably LESS for the product shipped to your door, than for the same product bought from an arb shop over the counter?

because ARB don't make winches they resell other manufacturers winches and have to add their own costs ontop of the purchase price

I think he means air locker.
I agree with him, how can it be cheaper to buy from USA something made 30klms from here?

Obviously sea freight is cheaper then road freight

Actually its a similar cost to road transport a 20ft container from Melbourne to Brisbane as it is to ship a 20ft from the US to AUS.

bogged wrote:

just cruizin' wrote:Obviously sea freight is cheaper then road freight

pickup from head office - no freight
I see your and raise u

Still cheaper to buy it from the states, ive done the research