Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hey all. I finally got some pineapples and grenades to throw a set of lockers in my Gq, I was always planning on air lockers but now that eaton have thrown their E-locker in the mix I'm in two minds.
I like the idea of not having problems with air leaks but surely there has to be some downsides to the E-locker. Anyone tried and tester the two? I need opinions. Cheers

im interested
hows the pricing compare?

I can't speak from personal experience but 4wd action did a comparo a couple of months ago. As u said, there aren't any air leaks to worry about with the E locker but in the destruction test, they had an axle in the lockers and twisted it til something let go. The ARB and TJM lockers were undamaged after the axle let go. The splines on the side gears of the E locker were damaged when the axle let go.

91Mav wrote:I can't speak from personal experience but 4wd action did a comparo a couple of months ago. As u said, there aren't any air leaks to worry about with the E locker but in the destruction test, they had an axle in the lockers and twisted it til something let go. The ARB and TJM lockers were undamaged after the axle let go. The splines on the side gears of the E locker were damaged when the axle let go.

Well that's about all the convincing I need. A blown cv is always gonna be possibility and if the E-locker can't handle that then I'm sold on the Arb. Just got a quote on F&R Arb air lockers with compressor and hoses wireing etc. $3500 not fitted. Wow! Been owning the market long Arb. Bastards.

I was going to get air lockers but after wheeling trips with so many unreliable air lockers I went with an auto locker for reliablity and simplicity. My Lockrite was under $1000 fitted, no air leaks , still handles like stock just heaps more traction

morewheeldrive wrote:Well that's about all the convincing I need. A blown cv is always gonna be possibility and if the E-locker can't handle that then I'm sold on the Arb. Just got a quote on F&R Arb air lockers with compressor and hoses wireing etc. $3500 not fitted. Wow! Been owning the market long Arb. Bastards.

$3,500 is BS! Try: http://store.mitchellbros.com.au/arb-ai ... /patrol-gq" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. $1,200 each + $170 for the AL compressor. Snake sell em for $1,250 each end and Superior for a little more. Superior include new side carrier bearings though which I'd be installing at the same time (as a minimum). Pity Locktup4x4 don't do Patrol stuff. I'd be ringing around and seeing if a shop will throw in the air lines, switches and other gear for free if you get both front and rear at the same time. It's EOFY so you should get lucky.

I have air lockers in my gq for 5 year never had a problem the front one was second hand rear new .I have blown 4 cv's locker still good. I know the guy how designed the arb air locker and he has air lockers in all his 4wd his sons 80 does pump a small amount of oil back up the line caused from a machining fault from new. if you change your diff oil and keep water and shit out of your diff it will be fine.

I would go air locker any day of the week if you got the coin.
In the front especially. You can turn it off at the flick of a switch for turning or while winching under load to save your CV's.
Tried turning to get around a tree with an auto locker locked in lately??

morewheeldrive wrote:

91Mav wrote:I can't speak from personal experience but 4wd action did a comparo a couple of months ago. As u said, there aren't any air leaks to worry about with the E locker but in the destruction test, they had an axle in the lockers and twisted it til something let go. The ARB and TJM lockers were undamaged after the axle let go. The splines on the side gears of the E locker were damaged when the axle let go.

Well that's about all the convincing I need. A blown cv is always gonna be possibility and if the E-locker can't handle that then I'm sold on the Arb. Just got a quote on F&R Arb air lockers with compressor and hoses wireing etc. $3500 not fitted. Wow! Been owning the market long Arb. Bastards.

Did the test bust the CV or actually snap the axle though?

if they did it without a CV and what broke was the axle, its quite unlikely you will ever break an axle, as like you say CV's tend to let go long before hand, and if the CV goes, is it gonna break the E-locker?


cheers, andy

Nothing wrong with the E-Locker, we ran them in the 47 Series that competed in Tuff Truck, handled sticky 40 Treps no worries. As for being damaged when axles break. Load of bullshit. We broke 3 rear standard axles over the weekend and no damage to the E-Locker.

love ke70 wrote: Did the test bust the CV or actually snap the axle though?

if they did it without a CV and what broke was the axle, its quite unlikely you will ever break an axle, as like you say CV's tend to let go long before hand, and if the CV goes, is it gonna break the E-locker?


cheers, andy

I have a broken front axle somewhere. It was the short side. Long side smashed the CV.

OLRacing wrote:Nothing wrong with the E-Locker, we ran them in the 47 Series that competed in Tuff Truck, handled sticky 40 Treps no worries. As for being damaged when axles break. Load of bullshit. We broke 3 rear standard axles over the weekend and no damage to the E-Locker.

"OLRacing"... as in Opposite Lock Racing? The people who sell the E-locker?

I'm not trying to rat on what you sell, I'm just passing on info from what I read (as you can see in my post).

A blown CV shouldn't damage the locker. In the test, they twisted an axle til the axle (or locker) let go. The axle broke at the spline, which damaged the side gear spline on the E locker.

I'm sure OL offer some sort of warranty on the E-locker anyway? If they do, go with what is cheapest.

A workmate of mine has e lockers in his GQ patrol he has flogged if for a few months now, awesome!!
$3800 driven into the shop, and picked up all fitted.

Thats a good price if you add the cost of front seal kit, labour etc on top of the 2 lockers...

DanwinGQ wrote:I
Tried turning to get around a tree with an auto locker locked in lately??

Yes its heaps easier than a locked manual locker

Wozza244 wrote:A workmate of mine has e lockers in his GQ patrol he has flogged if for a few months now, awesome!!
$3800 driven into the shop, and picked up all fitted.

Thats a good price if you add the cost of front seal kit, labour etc on top of the 2 lockers...

who was that through?

is there a downside to the e lockers? troubles engaging or anything?

sound quite good to me...

91Mav wrote:

OLRacing wrote:Nothing wrong with the E-Locker, we ran them in the 47 Series that competed in Tuff Truck, handled sticky 40 Treps no worries. As for being damaged when axles break. Load of bullshit. We broke 3 rear standard axles over the weekend and no damage to the E-Locker.

"OLRacing"... as in Opposite Lock Racing? The people who sell the E-locker?

I'm not trying to rat on what you sell, I'm just passing on info from what I read (as you can see in my post).

A blown CV shouldn't damage the locker. In the test, they twisted an axle til the axle (or locker) let go. The axle broke at the spline, which damaged the side gear spline on the E locker.

I'm sure OL offer some sort of warranty on the E-locker anyway? If they do, go with what is cheapest.

Didn't say you were, but your going off one article which could have had numerous outcomes for many different reasons. Im just passing on real life experience, which is probably more useful to most people than a one off destruction test.

love ke70 wrote:who was that through?

is there a downside to the e lockers? troubles engaging or anything?

sound quite good to me...

Not sure who he had them fitted by, but he lives in Singleton NSW, so it would have been somewhere nearby, i will ask him wed nightshift.

No down side at all, if you have battery power, you have lockers!

Engages as quickly as an air locker would, except no leaky air seals, o rings failing, no oil going up the air line and stinking the cab out if you have a cab mounted compressor, no compressor issues, the list goes on.

R u kidding yourself sim 79.

What I was getting at is flick the switch and it turns off, giving you full steering ability. Then flick it back on again at the flick of a switch after the obstical (Tree) and your on again.

After having an air locker in my last wagon I wouldn't go any other way.

An auto locker in the rear will also catch you out on the wet road or roundabout if your not onto it, unlike an air locker.

Locked when you want, unlocked when you need!

DanwinGQ wrote:R u kidding yourself sim 79.

No, I can still turn my steering wheel with two fingers. Can you do that when your front is locked? Have you owned an auto locker or driven with one? What brand was it?

SIM79 wrote:

DanwinGQ wrote:R u kidding yourself sim 79.

No, I can still turn my steering wheel with two fingers. Can you do that when your front is locked? Have you owned an auto locker or driven with one?

yes, going down a hill, and while braking, the front wheels will be locked, which makes the car wants to plow straight forward

air locker air leaks are mainly due to the internal O ring wearing at the internai air actuater, this will cause blow back & send oil back up the line & out threw the solinoid.

The TJM PRO LOCKER has done away with the internal air actuater, & only have an external air actuater, so basicly no more internal air leeks.

AND DONT FORGET>>> FORUM MEMBERS GET SPECIAL PRICING AT TJM COOPERS PLAINS BRIZ STH
just ask for piglet

Ian McClenahan "piglet"
TJM Coopers Plains Briz Sth

I had an ARB airlocker in my old GQ wagon.
At the moment the front in my GU is open.

SIM79 wrote:

DanwinGQ wrote:R u kidding yourself sim 79.



No, I can still turn my steering wheel with two fingers. Can you do that when your front is locked? Have you owned an auto locker or driven with one?

Your two fingers must be huge!

Whether you have an AUTO locker or MANUAL operated air locker you will have stuff all in the way of steering when either of the two are locked.
What I'm trying to say is that an airlocker can be switched off at the flick of a switch. So when it comes to an obstical you can unlock an airlocker to turn (With ease) then turn it on again when needed. An auto locker will make this much harder as it will stay locked, unless you unlock your hubs.

DanwinGQ wrote:

Whether you have an AUTO locker or MANUAL operated air locker you will have stuff all in the way of steering when either of the two are locked.

Thats where you are WRONG mate, auto locker aren't 100% locked when turning corner so the steering nothing like a munual locker that is 100% locked.

Yes manual locker can be turned off, they have too be turned off when they aren't needed as they are painful to drive with when they aren't needed.

Auto lockers and munual lockers operate and handle very differently. If an auto locker handled like a locked manual locker it would be too unbearable to drive and they would have never been made.

Honestly if I didn't tell you that my patrol had an auto locker you took it for drive you won't have noticed much difference in the handling untill you came across some hard terrain and wonder why it was so easy.

If you know some that has auto locker ask them for spin and you will see that they steer only little stiffer than stock, I do all my 4x4ing with only one hand on wheel as the steering is still light enough to be turn will few fingers.

SIM79 wrote:

DanwinGQ wrote:

Whether you have an AUTO locker or MANUAL operated air locker you will have stuff all in the way of steering when either of the two are locked.

Thats where you are WRONG mate, auto locker aren't 100% locked when turning corner so the steering nothing like a munual locker that is 100% locked.

Yes manual locker can be turned off, they have too be turned off when they aren't needed as they are painful to drive with when they aren't needed.

Auto lockers and munual lockers operate and handle very differently. If an auto locker handled like a locked manual locker it would be too unbearable to drive and they would have never been made.

Honestly if I didn't tell you that my patrol had an auto locker you took it for drive you won't have noticed much difference in the handling untill you came across some hard terrain and wonder why it was so easy.

If you know some that has auto locker ask them for spin and you will see that they steer only little stiffer than stock, I do all my 4x4ing with only one hand on wheel as the steering is still light enough to be turn will few fingers.

but on a steep descent under brakes the bastard wont unlock when you try and turn a corner, surely you would have experienced this?
the way they work means it cant disengage when under braking

love ke70 wrote:
but on a steep descent under brakes the bastard wont unlock when you try and turn a corner, surely you would have experienced this?
the way they work means it cant disengage when under braking

No I haven't noticed that yet due to how I have always driven, I normally avoid braking going down hill just engine braking and I don't brake while cornering, I brake before the corners.

but on a steep descent under brakes the bastard wont unlock when you try and turn a corner, surely you would have experienced this?
the way they work means it cant disengage when under braking[/quote]

No different in principle to the way a manual locker won't disengage on hills or while still under load. DanwinGQ isn't actually correct in the fact that simply flicking the switch on an ARB locker disengages it, if the load on the locker isn't unloaded it wont disengage, hence you will struggle to turn around the tree in his example.

Don't fight on my thread people. I've read all of this and I've decided to go air locker. Thanks guys. Now let's all cuddle and say "YAY FOR LOCKERS" 1.2.3......go!

pigletracing wrote:air locker air leaks are mainly due to the internal O ring wearing at the internai air actuater, this will cause blow back & send oil back up the line & out threw the solinoid.

The TJM PRO LOCKER has done away with the internal air actuater, & only have an external air actuater, so basicly no more internal air leeks.

AND DONT FORGET>>> FORUM MEMBERS GET SPECIAL PRICING AT TJM COOPERS PLAINS BRIZ STH
just ask for piglet

Ian McClenahan "piglet"
TJM Coopers Plains Briz Sth

Mate, how are the Pro Lockers priced?
Just the normal list price would be good to know.

The background for my question is, both my front and rear air lockers have internally self destructed (Clutch gear has failed and shattered).
My GU is a TD42 and would be lucky to have 60hp at the wheels and has never been in a comp.

My lockers are currently at ARB to be fixed (under warranty so far) but if I have any issues with them, I have considered going to Pro Lockers instead.

Just interested in general pricing and availability.

normal RRP = $ 1295 per locker. but I give forum members a discount on all TJM products.
TJM hasnt tried to re-invent the wheel with the TJM PRO LOCKER, they just looked at what everyone has been doing for years, saw what minor faults they had & fixed them. They have put in stronger gear clusters & an external air actuater just as a start.

cheers Piggy

Ian McClenahan "PIGLET"
TJM COOPERS PLAINS & UNDERWOOD
Briz Sth
0411444897

$1295 for the locker only, how much for fitting?