Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I assume that there are hundreds of ARB Airlockers out there giving reliable service but at the 4WD and camping show the other day I was looking at ARB's sectioned demonstration airlocker and observed that the crownwheel (ring gear)mounting flange on the carrier is very thin, maybe about 6mm, and having rebuilt a few truck diffs over the years where the mounting flanges have sheared off their carriers I was wondering if there are many of you who have broken Airlockers in this way ? I know of at least 2 early Mcnamara LandCruiser lockers that have broken like this.
Bill.

they test them pritty well usealy the axels break first i think, there was a thing in 4wd monthly about it

Matt

they are stronger than the diff gears, axles and CV's. The Crownwheel mounting flange is in 2 pieces, the "outer" half of the flange is integral with the locking dog outer spline. It's a pretty bulletproof design, in most cases stronger than the factory carrier it replaces.

Thanks DumbDunce. That is the main difference then. The locking dog outer spline on the McNamara carrier is integral with the main part of the carrier ,not the top hat as on the ARB. The crownwheel mounting flange on the McNamara which is also relatively thin compared to standard, must transmit all the torque for both normal and locked drive without any contribution from the top hat. I have been told that Jacmac is or has redesigned their locker to strengthen this area.
Bill.

they arnt that strong,my gu parol ute broke this mounting flange, and its hardly done anything you would call extremely hard

I have just fitted a McNamara Hilux locker that I remachined to fit my Rangey diff and the thin mounting flange (unaltered) concerned me a bit.
I assembled the ring gear to the carrier with lashings of high strength Loctite on the locating diameter in an effort to releive some of the strain from the flange. I read a Loctite brochure a while back and it showed that on certain Renault cars they dont use bolts to hold the crownwheel on to the carrier, they just use Loctite.
Bill.

daddylonglegs wrote:...on certain Renault cars they dont use bolts to hold the crownwheel on to the carrier, they just use Loctite.

surely it must be an interference fit, or splined or keyed or something? that's freaky. but then renault have been known to do some weird stuff over the years.