Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Gwagensteve wrote:Oh I agree, but this seller appears to be Aus based, and advertising the product as an Air Locker (A registered trade mark AFAIK?)

I'm more than aware ARB probably can't stop the production of these, but I bet they can stop the sale of them in aus.

Steve.

thehanko wrote:One bloke hs ordered one. will be curious to hear what he has to say once it arrives, regarding general build quality.

T_Diesel wrote:

bogged wrote:

T_Diesel wrote:IMHO I would not be using Chinese recovery gear of any kind purely because they don't have the same design and safety standards that western countries do. .

couldnt agree more. but its gettin to the point where more people are going to go to ARB, ask for price on Warn etc $1800, then see that at $30..
which will they go for?

Do you really think people could honestly trust a winch that is one third of the cost of a good quality snatch strap or about the price of a couple of good quality decent shackles? I personally couldn't do it.

Recovery equipment is only as good as the weakest link in your recovery operation. IMHO you can't put a price on safety and buying good quality recovery equipment is buying another layer of insurance for yourself and your vehicle.

whythef@#!not wrote:

T_Diesel wrote:

bogged wrote:

T_Diesel wrote:IMHO I would not be using Chinese recovery gear of any kind purely because they don't have the same design and safety standards that western countries do. .

couldnt agree more. but its gettin to the point where more people are going to go to ARB, ask for price on Warn etc $1800, then see that at $30..
which will they go for?

Do you really think people could honestly trust a winch that is one third of the cost of a good quality snatch strap or about the price of a couple of good quality decent shackles? I personally couldn't do it.

Recovery equipment is only as good as the weakest link in your recovery operation. IMHO you can't put a price on safety and buying good quality recovery equipment is buying another layer of insurance for yourself and your vehicle.

not saying these cheap winches arent shit. but for someone like me who gets out every so often and cant afford to spend 2000 on a winch, these cheap winches are great. rather have a cheap shit chinese winch than no winch.

adriand82 wrote:I thought this stuff had to be tested and built to Australian Standards anyway?

adriand82 wrote:I thought this stuff had to be tested and built to Australian Standards anyway?

crankycruiser wrote:Do u know how hard it is to get sencce outta sumone on msn who hardly speaks english!

Simo63 wrote:

crankycruiser wrote:Do u know how hard it is to get sencce outta sumone on msn who hardly speaks english!

about as hard as it is to get out of you???

HSV Rangie wrote:what you have to realise is that china wil make to what ever standard you want.

and having it made well is only slighly more expensive than made crap.

most liklythe steel that all your recovery gear is made from will be imported if not the whole product.

Bluescope can only supply about 50% of the materials required.

Michael.

jessie928 wrote:

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

sootygu wrote:

Highway-Star wrote:

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.

We deal with ARB HQ and while out there today asked them about this locker. This is what I was told.

Already purchased one for inspection and testing.

Bench tested against their equivalent - Theirs broke an axle. Chinese one broke side gears and plastic piston (both shattered), apparently the side gears are cast only not machined :shock: .

They have a video of it so you may eventually see it on youtube.

I understand there is no patent on the 3 piece locker, on all others there is some protection against copies.

Will be interesting to see what ARB do to get the message out there.

sootygu wrote:

Highway-Star wrote:

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.

We deal with ARB HQ and while out there today asked them about this locker. This is what I was told.

Already purchased one for inspection and testing.

Bench tested against their equivalent - Theirs broke an axle. Chinese one broke side gears and plastic piston (both shattered), apparently the side gears are cast only not machined .

They have a video of it so you may eventually see it on youtube.

I understand there is no patent on the 3 piece locker, on all others there is some protection against copies.

Will be interesting to see what ARB do to get the message out there.

ISUZUROVER wrote:

Highway-Star wrote:

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.

I understand there is no patent on the 3 piece locker, on all others there is some protection against copies.



But what torque load did both breakages occur at?

Most diff gears are cast them machined (hobbed, etc). I have never seen a diff gear that is just cast. Some high-end gears are machined from billet.

me3@neuralfibre.com wrote:I've got money this Daniel B reads this thread.

Could you break your normal polite silence policy on this one mate?

I'm sure everyone will be polite (*I wish*)

Paul

r0ck_m0nkey wrote:[