There's a lot of "this is my opinion" and unlike almost all other locker comparison videos there was no "this locker is trash". Your opinion boiled down to "they all do something different, find one you like and use it". A very good and informative video!
I have a front Eaton locker and it works great except in northwest mud. The design makes it unlock when traveling forward and reverse till it will lock again, to get out of a mud pit. Most situations it works fine but not if you have to do short burst of forward and reverse. My brother runs an ox cable and I really like it. Just like a motorcycle throttle cable, the guys that dont maintain it have problems.
You know your an offroad addict when something that keeps you up at night is wondering if metal shavings will collect on the electromagnet on lockers lol :D
@@DirtLifestyle you can solve that issue by having a strong magnet on your plug for the diff housing - the electromagnet is only on when you have the locker actuated, and it shouldn't be strong enough to 'steal' the metal shavings from the magnet on your plug
@@DirtLifestyle I will test this theory out. I did the Eaton E-Locker in my D-35 last year along with new 4:88 gears and I'm about to do an inspection to see how the gears are wearing in.
I know this video is a little dated, but I feel you’ll love a cable ox locker, me and my dad have ran one on the front Dana on our cj7 for years (10+ same kit) no issues, definitely worth a try
Changed a Ford 9 inch at a racetrack On a long weekend race event. No good change of clothes smelled like gear oil all weekend. Oh to be young and stupid again LOL
Just saw your comment about smelling the oil and made my stomach turn. Ive spent the last few days rebuilding my front end. Smells so burnt im still smelling it.
Your line at end of video...."Just think about what works best for you and what works best for your trouble shooting abilities " great line doesnt get more to the whole point of a build then that. At the end of the day we have to be our own mechanics on the trail bcs that random guy in a video who told you what you liked was crap isnt gonna show up to fix your rig when you install what he preached. Your one of the good guys anyone at any skill level will benefit from your vids. Thanks for putting this out there.
I have an OX in my LJ. I opted for 35 spline. Moly shafts and trussed with a Tri-4. Wanted to keep it as strong as possible while keeping it narrow as I could without having to build a set of narrowed 60's (no time). I absolutely love it. Customer service is top notch and and the drive away lock made it for me.
Run what your buddies run and carry wear parts that be quickly fix on the trail. Each of us carry one essential part to get an ARB working again barring no major internal failures.
Agree what others have said - it's great to see a product review that's not about somebody selling something and that has an open mind. For what it's worth, my "it sees street use only" Xterra came factor with a rear electric locker. Never had any trouble with it. I do use it once in a while, mostly for fun, in deep snow. Works fantastic. As far as the metal shavings go, my take is that if you're making metal with your gears, that you've already got a problem going on...the magnet is only going to pick it up if it's in the fluid or flying around, it won't pick it up if it's just sitting in the bottom of the case. Can't be that strong.
CJ-5. D44 rear with a spool. It's extremely consistent (both wheels turn). Cheap compromise early in the build. Great offroad. Livable on pavement, but would like better. Selectable back there at some point. Have OBA (ARB?). But that slug for the Ox sounds nice. Heck, I'd love a slug and a plug with no cable. Aussie locker up front (D30). Love it. Actually, it's quiet (can't remember any clicking in 10 years besides installation time with cover off). Having twin sticks on the transfer case makes the front Aussie a perfect fit. Uncle's Detroit in the rear of his Jeep MB would move the vehicle 3' sideways on the street. Learned not to run anything spring/clutch releasing in the rear.
I recently upgraded my limited slip in a ten bolt to an eLocker in a Dana60. I always thought the posi was working good enough, but the eLocker performs amazing. Oh, and moved to a Yukon Grizzly out back. I do things in Rwd that I needed 4wd before. I should have locked up years ago. Thanks for a great video Nate, good content well delivered as usual. Be well.
I had an Ox locker in my TJ before I started my 1 ton build. It worked great. The only issue I had was exhaust melting the cable housing and binding it where it wouldn't engage. I went through two cables and finally ran radiator hose around it from the locker to the hole cut through the tub. No problems after that.
I have a 2000 to with Dana 44 f/r with electric locker they work great for me they been in for years with no problem it’s has 5.5 lift and 35” tires . Thank you for the video Don from Hope idaho
This is great information thank you. I know many years ago... emphasis on many lol... it was very popular to use a Detroit Locker in the rear. Providing a"true" positive locked differential.... which of course exhibited the things you spoke of when on the street and cornering, creating tire scuff ... then in the front guys would use a limited slip to allow for a little better control in turning but still have the power to both wheels. The hardcorps rigs were locked both front and rear... of course this was in the time before air lockers and those I remember were immediately loved for use in the front so you could turn them on and off. Of course two things, we didn't have many using tires larger than 32 or 33 in diameter, just wasn't any except for a few Tractor tires... and everyone used locking hubs... so now that I am looking to get back into the offroad world. I am really looking at this. A true locker in the rear and a selectable system in the front. Thank you for your insight and information.
I have been running an e-locker on an 8.8 rear axle in the XJ. 35’s, 456 ratio and until recently I had good luck with it. As it sits today the studs sheared off. I guess the good is that they fell to the bottom of the housing and I was able to drive home.
One other down side to the air locker is cold weather. I wheeled into snow, camped for the night. When we got up to to go the locker would not lock up and leaked non stop. The gear oil was too thick to get it to lock up until it warmed up. Other than that I thought it was an awesome locker.
Really like the way you share knowledge, I went with lunchbox lockers in my cruiser, l would say the worst with a manual, it would buck, chirp, and lock/unlock terribly, I switched to an auto (th350) and it’s awesome, I only hear a slight click in parking lots. Keep doing your thing man. If I had the money I’d do ARB front and cable locker rear.
Awesome vid thanks for sharing your experience. I will say that I daily my cherokee with a welded 8.25, 4,56 gears and I have no issues. Describe horrible on the street? A little chirping isn’t horrible while pulling into a parking spot IMO. That’s just me. I think it’s a myth personally
Dirt Lifestyle I’m saying it’s a myth that it’s HoRriBle. Of course it chirps. Also not saying everyone should weld everything but it is definitely reliable and daily drives me and great off-road
Good show! Your opinion is appreciated. Few years ago I purchased a Pro-Rock 44 front for my XJ, w/out outers. That got ordered with the Eaton. Sidenote: your last show on 20$ high steer was great to. However I just spent the last two days in the JY ankle deep in mud because I want that Damm WJ Swap with crossover, and Trumpf buying👍🇺🇸 Thanks for the shows!! 5 Star!!!
Fantastic music selection as always Nate! One of the best things that helps you stand out imo, the first video on BJ you made this was the first thing that sold me on your videos and one of the things that I loved the most! Keep up the good work!
The ox lockers use a fork that is anchored in the dif cover. All versions are actuated outside on the dif cover. I am going to use the OX air lockers. There are no internal air lines inside the pumpkin. If you have a cabled OX locker you can convert it to air by unscrewing the cable setup and screwing in the air cylinder to the outside of the dif cover. They are american made. I look at the failures on air lockers on youtube and it is the internals that go bad.
So many choices, so little money. I am leaning towards an E-locker for the simplicity of parts & install but really like the idea of an OX locker. Problem is I just don’t know anyone who has used one. Great vid brah 🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽🤙🏽
I used lunch box lockers in an XJ with 33's/4.56's for over 10 years D30 front and 8.25 29 spline back. They work great. I did lose the rear lb locker while turning at a light pulling about 4 tons. lol, I know overloaded. You do get a little push on the front in 4wd, manageable though. I don't wheel like Nate, though I did take it on some highly degraded trails. I ended up replacing the rear lb locker with a Detriot Locker, which is more temperamental than the lb locker. Hope this helps
the one thing that i have noticed in doing reading for e lockers is sealing the hole that you have to create for the wiring, and the fact that the cam design if you roll back a little bit it will disengage and rengage as you move forward. i know that its slight but it still could become a headache in some situations.
The issue with cables is that they stretch. Unless the cable is way heavier than the application calls for, it's going to stretch and you won't know it until your locker doesn't fully engage, and you will be grinding gear teeth. The only way to avoid that is to constantly check your adjustment.
What locker would you put in the front of an IFS truck (TACOMA) of course ???? I think i want one but I dont want to break CV's constantly. If its the price you pay with IFS I get it. Great stuff as usual man , when is the next axle project video coming ?
I have Personal Experience with some of these: I have ARB air lockers in my '93 Dodge 250, (F & R) and, in my '74 Ramcharger, I have an Eaton E-Locker up front, and a Yukon Grizzly locker in the rear. The ARB's are GREAT when they work. They also are completely 'locked' no matter which way you drive. (forward, or reverse, no slip) I've had hose issues with them though. Once the lines start getting old, (heat cycles) they get brittle, and start leaking. Any electrical issues will be compounded when running the electric air pump system. (Lotta wires between the switches, the pumps, and the solenoids) My E-locker is also great, BUT, I have the 'first gen', and, when you go to reverse, one wheel will spin almost one rotation before they lock again. Not a big deal, unless you're on something SERIOUSLY technical. Other than that? No issues so far. (I've heard the newer versions do not have this issue) I LOVE my Grizzly locker. As yet, I've had no mechanical issues. I have 'dailyed' my truck with no concerning issues. BUT... lazy/heavy foot driving WILL give you soiled shorts in fast corners, or on wet/loose traction. The truck will either resist turning, OR, the back will 'power slide' out. OR... you'll get a funky combo of it alternating back and forth between them. It's easy to learn what it takes not to get on their happy side, and cause a locked axle. Don't drive your lifted vehicle like a boob on the road, and you SHOULDN'T have any issues to worry about. (I sometimes drive like a boob. What can I say?) As for strength, I haven't had the displeasure of finding their tensile strength yet, (thank goodness) but hopefully, something further out, (and easier to repair) will 'circuit break' first, before any of these give up. I hope this info helps someone in their choice.
Absolutely nothing against any other selectable lockers but OX air lockers don't require 12v like all the others nor do they require plumbing special lines/tapping the diff housing. The switch is literally just a mechanical switch that allows air in and out and you connect your hose to the diff cover. I run my air lockers off a basic air tank that I can re-inflate with a 12v tire inflator after using the lockers a couple hundred times. I think all the OX cable problems are installation and adjustment issues like said in the video and unfortunately, it gives OX a bad rep because a friend of a friend has a bad experience after installing it improperly. One big drawback with cable that is often overlooked is you need a sturdy place to mount the lever(s) and that huge cable has to be run into the cab. The OX electric version has so much potential but really a half baked design. The electric version runs an electric actuator in your cab to move the mechanical cable which seems like the worst of both worlds in my mind but I've never used one.
Sup Nate! I like the video most deff. But so you know the oc locker can commonly have stretched cable issues or fraying cable issues from customer trying to force it in most the times, it's kind of like you have to push on the lever and spin the tires at slightly different speeds for it to pop into locked mode easy, and yes the cable adjustment can be annoying but If you didnt know they sell air conversion kits and electric actuators that work alot better for longevity! And my only reason I can ever push people away from air is just from what I've heard about if you live in cold climates that some of the condensation that could build up in the line will freeze and locker wont work. And fyi have you ever heard about an Auburn ected locker,🤟 it's a limited slip and electric locker. Lol
Enjoying your videos. What do you think of electronic traction systems in snow or muddy trails. My XJ on 32s had to take the back seat to a stock Tacoma recently simply because I couldn't get traction on a snowy trail. Could have been a lot of variables that day but I'm interested in what you think of those systems.
I really enjoy your channel. Great, straight forward info and experienced opinion. I really appreciate your opinion using your experiences. I’ve been trying to decide between an electric, air, or OX lockers. I definitely think, after watching this video, that I will go with OX lockers. I do have a question though. I have an 1987 MJ pickup, because the rear axle being farther from the driver seat, should I use a different locker in the rear vs the front?
Toyota used to have lockers in the glove box it was cable operated...I'm pretty sure 80s I think dont remember seeing them in the 90s...I want the E lockers not worried about power if I dont have power I'm probably walking anyway right?
How well would a 4.88 Axle Ratio work with 40" tall tires on a relatively high horsepower (500HP+) Truck/Jeep/SUV? Would it be okay? What about acceleration and mpg? Thanks
I'm wanting to but a some type of locking diff in my 03 Chevy 1500 2x4. When I back my boat down the ramp an try to pull back up some times i can't go anywhere because 1 tire is spinning.. what kinda locker do I need to put in it
So I have a dana 44 rear im putting under my xj with 35" BFG krawlers with LSD now. I'm regearing to 4:56 gears and have lunchbox in a HPdana30 front . I trailer and avoid the street and thinking about using a spool in it. Whats your opinion
Problem with lunchbox is they don’t hold up with big or heavy tires.. yeah they are jerky and unpredictable more so then say a Detroit but they don’t last with heavy use. The teeth round over pretty easy and when they do they are to loose in the carrier to lock up properly. If you want to go in a reshim then every so often they will hold up for a while. Honestly anything over a 33 they will just tear themselves apart though. The most reliable is a Detroit or spool. Anytime you have something hanging around the axel is can get snagged and ripped out.. selectable are nice and all but eventually you’re gonna catch the line on something and rip it out. Ox with the slug idea is really the best option for selectable cause at least you can finish wheeling and then remove it and still drive home. I like simple though. Give me a shaved 14 with a Lincoln all day!
Hi nate, im going to be getting an 04' rubicon dana 44 front with the OEM locker, but no compressor for it. ive been told you cant run more than about 5psi to them or youll blow it. got any suggestions? i like your air tank idea but dont know if that would work with that OEM 44 locker
I am building a 2003 FORD Explorer, I want some auto lockers, as I am old, and don't do extreme anymore. where can I get the lockers for this rig? thanks
I was thinking of running a Detroit locker in front on my Dana 30 and running a Torsen or truetrac in the rear Dana 44 on my 2014 JK, do you think this is a good setup or is the 30 too weak for that. Plan on mostly overland set up on 35’s with some occasional crawling. Is the 30 ok or do I really need at least a 44 in front. I plan to do the truss and c gusset upgrade and probably an axle upgrade. Am I wasting money going this route?
Dirt Lifestyle just looking for an opinion from someone that has run all kinds of setups. Worried that the automatic might cause undue stress but trying to be budget friendly. I don’t want to do it if it will cost me an axle down the road and should just spend a little extra now and be done with that
I have 3.73 in my 86 monte and trying to decide which locker should i get or should i change the whole unit for a torsen zexel.Anybody got any ideas I'm only running between 300 to 350 hp
My god dude you were meant for this YT stuff. Simple straight to the point with a production quality better than some of the bigger offroad names on YT. Hats off to you man. I am digging the content.
@@DirtLifestyle Hey man I tell it how it is. You Channel is one of a few I can stand. No BS filler, and on point with facts. on top of that you are Honest.
@@mikehancho5286 100% I learn something in every video. It may be how to approach a line or how you can probably afford to suck a little at welding, as you figure it out.
@@donewhiskey Same here. I lost a lot of my wheeling skills when the wife,and I started to have kids. They are 6,and 3 now. My JKUR is finally to the point I would trust it taking the family out on the local trails. These vids especially the slow motion me remember how to pic lines, and technique. Also the fabrication is extremely helpful since I am 100% self taught , and just picked up a Omnie Pro 220 welder to learn. I have a truss kit, LCA skids, and track bar brackets waiting to get burn on. his vids help alot. I share most of his vids my Jeep club since we are predicated on the beginner level side here in WA.
A good friend of mine ran the manual ox locker for years. Never had any issues. He wheeled that thing hard. Hes snapped ring and pinnions and chromoly axle shafts and the locker held up. Then again he's also a mountain biker and knows how to set up cables.
I've been running a Detroit for a few years in the rear with an ARB front. Just in the process of changing it for an Ashcroft (air) now for a couple reasons. First, the Detroit really made me push the front in tight turns to the point where last year on the Dusy (very tight trail) a friend in a similar truck with 10" more wheelbase was making turns I couldn't. Second, I've broken a couple axle shafts in it and it always seems to shock load the remaining axle and twist it in the process. I can't categorically state that's due to the Detroit - it could be both shafts were twisting splines and I only saw it when tearing down to repair, though I've had several other people tell me they've seen the same thing with a Detroit.
Once my Corona virus stimulus sponsored axle swap is finished, I'll be running a lunchbox locker in my front dana 44 and a limited slip in my ford 8.8 rear. Just keeping everything fairly budget oriented. Samurai guys do everything the cheap way after all
@@jasonandrewz2214 selectable rear locker is the planned upgrade path. It's just that the 8.8 already has an lsd, and the lsd in it is better for the amount of street driving I do than any locker I could currently hope to afford for it.
@@SirEpsidufus basically the lsd is because I have one in the 8.8 already and is overall better for the amount of street driving I do since you don't get the noise of a lunchbox, you don't have to have an open diff when it's off like with a selectable, and since I already have it, it's free. Lunchbox in the front just because it's better than open it would be a fair bit of time before I could buy anything better as I'm cutting the budget fairly close as it is
Great video. However I think it would've been also good to discuss the different lockers pros/cons for a steering axle and also how having locking hubs can affect locker selection. Some thoughts for another video 😊
I run E-lockers front and rear on my rig and in general I like them. The only two downsides to an E-Locker is rotation to engage and having an electric wire which is relatively exposed to water and mud at the diff pumpkin. I’ve not had the wire fail but I figure it’s a matter time if you go threw wet terrain. Engagement rotation just forces you to plan ahead and engage your lockers before you hit an obstacle otherwise you’ll have to back up, engage and re-approach. If you engage once you’re stuck you risk a bit of stress on the axle when one tire is spinning and the other isn’t when suddenly the rotation is complete and both shafts lock. Always best to lock when stopped and get the engagement with both tires rotating at the same rpm
I love ox lockers because you can shift them cable manual, electric, or air. also, they have a little plug that you can screw in on the diff cover and it will lock your diff and bypass everything past the diff cover. I also think the Eaton electric lockers are reliable because all jk and Jl rubicon up to this date have run them. you don't here that many issues with them.
I have had an issue with my front locker on my JK Rubi. It would not disengage. I had to pull the diff cover and pry it apart. Other than that they have been ok. Driving on the road with the front locked is much harder than I would have thought.
I kind of love that you have so many carriers just laying around for your examples.... I HAVE WANTED TO TRY AN OX FOR YEARS!! Eeeeeeeveryones all like, "ARBS OR NOTHING". That settles it. When I lock up the LJ, im getting OX. For the same reasons you listed, the cable seems like such a simple straightforward solution. I've thought so for years. Thanks for the video man. Great stuff.
Only locker i've ever owned was a detroit "soft locker" (what a horrible name for that locker). Always worked great! Man it had some squirly road manners sometimes. I'd run one again, but ive heard the in coil suspensions they're even worse (i had it on my YJ, on leaves). That thing scared the hell out of me the first time in unloaded. KLANG! and practically sent me into another lane of traffic. Ya get used to it though. :P
I have ox lockers. They offer a air actuation cover and retrofit cylinder. I had a cable I linked and my rear never worked. But like you said my fault. The front was a bit difficult to get rite. On my d30 with 18 inch of flex doen on drivers side it would disengage the locker just a limit of the cable. Once I put the air solenoid on never had a problem
Well Nate speaking from years of running Eaton E lockers I can say that the metal shaving thing is a myth my lockers have NEVER let my down never failed to engage and never got plugged with metal shavings take it to the bank!!! never go wrong with EATON E LOCKER
The thing that has always confused me is why there are no hydraulic lockers, I mean we have power steering that is hydraulic, we have hydraulic brakes and we used to have hydraulic windows. It is a system that is already in place and taping off the power steering pump is easy to do. Great video thank you .
It is a good idea. However if you snag or air line with arb, oh well. You snag your electric line for the locker, oh well.. You snag your hydraulic line.. damn it i lost my lockers, power steering, and power brakes..
@@muds17 I thought about that but the same can be said about the brakes, steering and clutch on a lot of rigs. I would think it would be easy enough to have an auto-shutoff disconnect like the ones on gas pumps, or make it a master/slave system like on a clutch so it would be independent of the rest of the rig.
@@muds17 I've seen plenty of dudes rip a brake line on the trail, it's not a hard fix and most of the time it's not usually a life threatening situation (it could be though if you're in a sticky spot and manage to do that) We usually run with extra lines and fluid for that very reason though, so it wouldn't be that much harder to keep spares for a hydraulic locker imo.
@@c4onmylip I watched a 97 XJ break a line descending a very large hill. Trail went down, turned for 15' or so then Curved back down. Without brakes he tried to make the turn, but the momentum carried it right into a roll. Went over the side, rolled 3 times, and was stopped, incredibly, by a little 4-5" thick Aspen. Had it not stopped him, he would have rolled another 10-12 times before reaching the bottom of the hill.
Also running the Torq Locker in the D30 front. Yes some ratcheting in turns and will also bind up a bit sometimes in very tight parking lot maneuvers. Off road its a beast.
The fail safe method works with all the OX lockers. The air and electric ox lockers are probably the most reliable on the market. They all use a shift fork and use the same 100% mechanical carrier.
Good comparison video, tons of good information. The only major thing I would add is that welding a diff or using a lunchbox locker does not require replacing the carrier. Putting a tru-trac, auto locker or selectable requires knowing how to setup the gears again after you replace the carrier. Personally, I would never pull a diff to put anything that isn't a true locker inside an axle
Another fantastic channel! You guys rocked at the full size invasion videos. I sat down and showed those videos to my coworkers in Norway, Sweden, Turkey and Greece. And with my brothers back home in Ireland. Great content guys, that all of us have enjoyed, thank you for making the effort to share it. Respect.
I have dual manual cable lockers in mine. You hit the nail on the head, only issues you're ever going to see is something with adjustment. I've had them for years and never a single issue...after adjusted right.
Nate! I run a Detroit Tru Trac in my rear and an eaton e locker in my front. 2001 Jeep XJ on 35s (with upgraded axles) My dad has an 86 cj7, I suggested a tru trac for the rear. Have you heard of anyone running one in the front?
