Outer Limits 4x4 Board

hey all just serously thinking of locking up my diffs on my zook any one help me to what diff i should lock and what with?? its got the vitara motor and im about to install power steering
cheers

Which lockers do you mean?

"Air locker" is obvious, but, in fact, an Air locker is an "air activated mechanical diff lock"

There is at least one other mechanical diff lock - made by KAM in the UK (?) but there's no reason to use one - it's no real advance over the airlocker.

I think you mean an "automatic" diff lock like a Spartan or Lock-Right.

Airlockers are streets ahead of automatic lockers in drivability, but they are much more expensive.

If you have money for two airlockers, go with them.

If you only have the money for one locker of any type, but enough money for one airlocker, airlock the rear. This is especially true if you daily drive your car.

If you have a little bit more money than one airlocker, but not enough for two, and only drive your car offroad, mini spool the rear and use an airlocker in the front.

Automatic lockers are okay on road, but in a SWB, light car, they do mess with the handling, and not always in a good way.

From my experience, I'm not that impressed in the behaviour of a car with an auto locker in the front (off road - they have no effect on road). If you're on a strict budget and drive with other twin locked cars, by all means, but the first time you see a car with an airlocker in the front you'll want one... and you'll really want power steer.

Steve.

thanks a heap for the info i dont think i have enough money for airlock's on both diffs. but i could for at least one.

could you help me with what a mini spool is and how much they are and how i could get it??? the only thing is i also drive my car onroad
thanks again mate
joel.

G man is very to the point like always
A mini spool is the correct way to solidly lock up the diff. It puts a solid piece of metal between the axil in the middle of the diff. I would only run it if it was a weekend toy or a farm rig. If you google suzuki mini spool you will find it.
If it is going to be a daily driver and you are going to put power steering on it I would be putting the air locker in the rear and the auto locker in the front. But all honesty when you get a auto locker you are almost half way to getting your second air locker. Most ARB shops will give you your air compressor free when you get both air lockers at the same time. With that saving it is about the same price as one air locker and one auto locker.

And if your looking at locking the front you need to start thinking about cromo's as you will brake your CVs with anything bigger then 31s.

If you looking to stay with the stock cvs contact Zooktastic on here he has just finished taking his out and is about to sell it.

V.W.Dave wrote: And if your looking at locking the front you need to start thinking about cromo's as you will brake your CVs with anything bigger then 31s.

Thats a pretty blanket statement ... if he is a mud plugger or a driver with some mechanical sympathy stock CV's can live a long life .. I know a few local zuk's and several others that ran front and rear lockers for years without breakage ... it depends a huge amount on the terrain and driver.

I

haha thanks mates umm im only runin 31's and i see on ebay there selln stock cvs for like $40 if th ol ones break

anyone know of a place with good rates on lockers??

V.W.Dave wrote:
A mini spool is the correct way to solidly lock up the diff. It puts a solid piece of metal between the axil in the middle of the diff. I would only run it if it was a weekend toy or a farm rig. If you google suzuki mini spool you will find it.

why would you spool over weld?

shakes wrote:

V.W.Dave wrote:
A mini spool is the correct way to solidly lock up the diff. It puts a solid piece of metal between the axil in the middle of the diff. I would only run it if it was a weekend toy or a farm rig. If you google suzuki mini spool you will find it.

why would you spool over weld?

Mini spool is completely removable, so can return to open easyily enough. Also depending on how its welded i have seen the welds break.
As for cost, Dave you can get auto-lockers for about $200 from the states. If that is half an air locker then point me the way of the $400 air lockers


Layto....

zookster92 wrote:haha thanks mates umm im only runin 31's and i see on ebay there selln stock cvs for like $40 if th ol ones break

anyone know of a place with good rates on lockers??

me thinks the $40 cv's will not last as long as original ones.

My old zook was twin locked i broke 1 cv the day i got it, after i changed it for another stocker one i never broke another. I drove pretty much any terrain and drove hard.
Its all about how your drive you can destroy them in seconds if you want.

im a bit confused, im going twin air lockers, will i need chromolly cvs?

depends on how you drive, lots of gear reduction will give you the ability to snap cv's like toothpicks, if you drive sensible you wont have to many breakages if any on 31's. You also will not be able to steer very well offroad with the axles locked this is where the advantage of having an air locker is apparent.
I prefer a minispool over a lockrite in the rear although this significantly increases the chance of a diff/axle breakage, lockrites on the road are horrible things, i would go the airlockers if i was in your shoes.
chromo axle just mean you dont have to worry about front axle breakages
and can be brought dirt cheap now days, but in 4 years of extreme rock work i have had maybe ? 3 break but you learn to adjust your driving style to prevent this.

YoungIX wrote:im a bit confused, im going twin air lockers, will i need chromolly cvs?

No, you don't need chrome-moly CV's, but it's a great time to upgrade to them.

It's much easier to break stock CV's with a locker in the front, and if you want to run cro-mo CV's, you need to buy a rear airlocker for the front, so it's worth doing it once and upgrading the front CV's when the locker goes in.

If you want to run stock CV's, you obviously need a front sierra airlocker for the front. It's quite expensive to buy the parts to upgrade a front airlocker to match a rear, hence the reason to upgrade in one hit.

Hope that makes sense.

PS Cromo CV's are effectively unbreakable under normal circumstances. There's a bunch of cars running them in the Vic club with up to 35.5" tyres and 120:1 gearing. We have never had any trouble with them - hub bolts will fail before the CV"s.

Steve

lay80n wrote:

Mini spool is completely removable, so can return to open easyily enough. Also depending on how its welded i have seen the welds break.
As for cost, Dave you can get auto-lockers for about $200 from the states. If that is half an air locker then point me the way of the $400 air lockers


Layto....

$490 deliverd with a compressor

http://www.china4x4extreme.com/item.asp?Id=276" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ive orderd one so will se how it go's if it breaks I have a spaare center and axles and its only $490 + a couple of guys on auszookers have been runing the for a while with no probs