Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Im a bit of a newb to all this performance stuff...

But what exactly are "lockers" that i hear so much about.. like rear lockers and stuff

what do they actually do, and what is the advantage of them...and the disadvantages...

What is the price involved?

cheers

lockers are a traction aid and go inside the diff housing, either replacing inside gears, or the centre altogether. allows for the left and right wheels on a particular diff to be locked together.

normal diff, unlocked = the wheel with least traction will spin while other will be stationary.

lsd = limited slip diff, allows for a certain degree of slippage before a locking action. sometimes does not lock 100%
these may not be available for some vehicles, if it doesnt come factory with one, dont worry about it. or if you insist, its expensive.

locker/locking diff, detroit, lockright auto lockers =
this is a ratchet and cam design, allowing one wheel to spin faster than the other but never slower than the pinion. will lock 100%
from $500 and up in aus. can be as much as $800 for a lockright. you can get some from the states for about $300 AUD landed.

arb air locker = air locker is selectable from 100% unlocked to 100% locked.
about $1500 for the 1st one, as you need the air compressor too. and maybe around $900 for the next one

front and rear unlocked diffs = 2wd in 4wd
front unlocked rear locked/rear unlocked front locked = 3wd in 4wd
front and rear locked = 4wd in 4wd (real 4wd)

and there has recently been a few threads on CIG lockers, or welding centres. cheap if you know how to weld or know of someone else who can weld

there are also spools (less common) and mini-spools (more common) these replace the spider and side gears in a centre.
spools are used more in race cars.
mini spools can be a bit, you can get one from the states for $99 USD no post

do a search on each if you need more info. (watch out for search nazis)

if you lock your rear... will you be better offroad? but couldnt you break something if you strain it to much?

just edited the post. what 4by do you have?

nice description

1987 suzuki sierra.. pretty much stock

What is my best option?

some things are irreversable eh? can they make it worse? Goes nice on sand at moment dont know how it could get any bette.r. maybe it make it up bigger dunes?

Crawford wrote:1987 suzuki sierra.. pretty much stock

What is my best option?

some things are irreversable eh? can they make it worse? Goes nice on sand at moment dont know how it could get any bette.r. maybe it make it up bigger dunes?

dude, all mods you do depend on where and what you'll be driving, some mods are best suited for particular things where others are not.

if you mainly do sand, maybe invest in some slightly bigger A/T tyres and rims to suit, with maybe a 2" sus lift too. sometimes lockers aren't the best for sand driving, due to the fact that you will end up digging more tyres into the sand than need be.

you said front and rear unlocked is 2wd in 4wd..
i dont gte that..

4 wheels do drive.. :|

If you have front and rear locked? when you put it into 2wd wont you still be 4wding?

im a bit confused sorry

yeh i got BFG A/T tyres there a decent size..

car looks lowered because of bigger tyres and it hasnt been lifted?

How much is it for a suspension lift?...

someone was selling blocks for $200 is that any good? or suspension lift better?

ok, if you jack one of the rear tyres off the ground, you will be able to spin it freely (with gearbox in neutral and no hand brake)

this is an open, or unlocked diff. found pretty much on all stock cars, except for those already equipped with a lsd.

now if you jack one front wheel off the ground, it should be the same, it should spin freely.

leave the gear box in neutral, and put the transfer in 4wd hi or lo. spin the rear wheel which is in the air and the front one in the air should spin too.

your transfer in now in 4wd, but yet, only 2 of the 4 wheels are spinning.

even with an open diff, you are still able to spin both wheels on the same axle is there is a very low traction situation, like gravel, or sand. this may seem like it all the time, but may not be the case.

Crawford wrote:you said front and rear unlocked is 2wd in 4wd..
i dont gte that..

4 wheels do drive.. :|

If you have front and rear locked? when you put it into 2wd wont you still be 4wding?

im a bit confused sorry

have you ever seen a car do a burn out and only one wheel spin thats what your 4wd will do with a unlocker diff. If you have seen a car do a burnout and both wheels spin it means they have a locked diff.

Crawford wrote:yeh i got BFG A/T tyres there a decent size..

car looks lowered because of bigger tyres and it hasnt been lifted?

How much is it for a suspension lift?...

someone was selling blocks for $200 is that any good? or suspension lift better?

body lift will not improve performance, although some may think it does. anyway, simply putting in a body lift with blocks will only give you more clearance to run larger tyres. if your tyres dont touch the body now, then you should look into suspension lift 1st. anything will be better than stock.

if you have suspension mods, it usually means the zook is lifted a bit, and should flex a lot more than stock. now with the added flexibility, the tyres may now touch the body, so a body lift will be the fix.

i am not sure on any prices of sierra mods. i have a vitara.

whats this cig locker?? just welding it?

that cant be to expensive? just as effective?

Crawford wrote:whats this cig locker?? just welding it?

that cant be to expensive? just as effective?

CIG is the brand of the welding machine welding your diff. if you have a lincoln welder, then it is simply a LINCOLN locker. (mostly american) you may also name the welded diff after the bloke who welded it if you really want to.

some people accept a carton of something alcoholic as payment for welding.

100% locked 100% of the time! like a spool, only a welded centre is not reversable and a spool is easily removed as easily as it was put in.

and if you weld it your tyres will wear faster on the road and it will become intresting to drive in the wet.

So locking rear diff, should get me more places?? or not nessacarily on sand?

I think it might help on dunes.. cause i find one wheel is spinning while the other is stationary? what woul dhappen in this situation? might get me up or just get me bogged?

cheers

I think the spool locker is the way to go for me... as its reversable..

Can you get these from suzuki dealers or what?
and there a big range of prices?

cheers

What is a spring over axel lift? someone is selling a 4" lift for suzuki samurai (american)

also
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... %3AIT&rd=1

would that be any good? guy offered me a payin off optino if i want it..

be better then stock or it just shit stuff?

a locker would make both wheels spin and may get you bogged deeper though it may give you enough traction to make the dune.

You can buy lockers from pretty much any suzuki dealer or 4wd shop just ring around for prices. I think lockright is cheaper than detroit but you will just have to ring around.

i dont think Suzuki will ever make lockers.

for a MINI spool, you'll have to shop around to see if its even available in aus. maybe about $200 when landed in aus from the states.

with sand driving, momentum is your best buddy ol pal. not a locker, but sometimes a locker helps.

what is lockright? just a brand?

want to know what im lookin for before i go in

What is a spring over axel lift? someone is selling a 4" lift for suzuki samurai (american)

dude, i dont mean to be harsh or offensive, but if you're asking what this is, i dont think it'll be good for you to get one done.

seeing as you drive a stock sierra, you may not even like the way it will drive with some simple extended shackles, let alone a 4" lift, or a SPOA.

take it slow, and learn more about the mods you want 1st.

Crawford wrote:what is lockright? just a brand?

want to know what im lookin for before i go in

locker/locking diff, detroit, lockright auto lockers =
this is a ratchet and cam design, allowing one wheel to spin faster than the other but never slower than the pinion. will lock 100%

Lock Right is a brand, i think made by power trax in the US. i have one of these.

here is a short vid, turn up sound. this is of it unlocking, and it is NOT broken.

locker.wmv

yeh its just it has its limits.. like the size of dunes it can get up etc..

so i want to be able to go a few more places..

hrm sounds like somethin is cracking.. or more like a coke can stuck in a bike tyre hahha:)

that shit didnt look to hard to get through?.. :(

thanks for ur help fellas it is greatly appreciated

its the ratcheting of the locker, goes click click, clickety click.

right tyre was on some mud, left tyre was not. this was in 2wd, so no one say my vit is poo.

no worries crawford. anytime

ah k that explains it i just couldnt understand why none of ur tyres had any traction at all

I find even on soft sand i dont need to let my tyres down most of time.. but ive started to.. as it doesnt cut the sand up as much etc.. even though i have to make my own tracks.. as everyone elses tracks are double the size haha

sorry for so many questions.. but only way i can understand something, u guys assume knowledge when you talked about certain things in these forums

Cheers

If you are after info on lockers, hit the search button at the top of the page and look, these topics have been covered millions of times before. Also google for some info on the how each style of locker works. There is heaps around. I run a detroit ezlocker in the rear of my zook, and have no problem with it. It takes a bit of adjustment in your driving style though. I imported mine from the states, and it cost me bit under $400 from go to whoa. Note though i installed it myself, but i am a mechanic by trade. Most diff places will charge bout $100 to fit it, but deppending on the condition of your rear centre you might need to budget for more $$ too. If you only want to drive on sand, more power and better tyres would me more useful IMHO. The only advantage my locker has on the sand is the ability do do better doughnuts.

Whenever you think of a question, search first, and then if you dont get an answer or have more questions create a thread and ask away. Will make it easier to answer you this way.

Layto....

I had lockers once..... in my high school. I used to keep books and crap in them....

What are axles? I keep hearing people talk about them, and i've been thinking about getting some for my sidekick, but i just don't know if i really need them. I think my truck runs just fine without them, but i'm just not sure what to do. What do you guys think?

Drinks kicked in about 10 minutes before i wrote this.... Ignore if it sounds silly.

mtzook wrote:I had lockers once..... in my high school. I used to keep books and crap in them....

What are axles? I keep hearing people talk about them, and i've been thinking about getting some for my sidekick, but i just don't know if i really need them. I think my truck runs just fine without them, but i'm just not sure what to do. What do you guys think?

Drinks kicked in about 10 minutes before i wrote this.... Ignore if it sounds silly.

are you a super hero or action star? i wish i had a sidekick to help me battle crime and enemies.

TBD....