I started this video, I was hopeful. I made it through the video, and I still don't have anywhere to keep my food safe on the trail. I guess I had no idea what a lunchbox locker was when I started the video.
We live up above the snow line in the NE Washington mountains. All 4x4. This is a really great presentation. I have a Comanche and Toyota stump jumper. Wife has a serious built lifted 95 Silverado blazer and a 91 Tracker ( 2;door) goes anywhere and want my wife to see this cause been telling her a set of lockers would be a game changer. Thanks for your work. Very well done. Dandahermit subbed😅
Sweet rig and I love the fact that you actually put it to good use. Iran lock right Lockers in the front end of multiple Jeeps that I own through the years and I am put installed them and multiple others for other people. We ran them in the front and it made for an excellent thing when you put it in 4-wheel drive the front would drag you along pretty effectively. We test it on a couple different rigs whether the front or the rear was the correct axle to lock first. We tended to lean towards the front axles because it seems like it would drag you around pretty effectively when needed
It amazes me that most folks don't realize that, without "posi's" or "lockers", a 4wd is really just a 2wd: one on each end. And a 2wd is really just a 1wd! My 2wd Dodge pickup, WITH a Sure Grip, went places that my Chevy "4x4" struggled!
this is a really helpful vid. i've been thinking about installing a locker in my f 150, but wasn't sure how well it would go on pavement after. this gives me an idea of what to expect and the drawbacks, which seem to be few. thanx!
I love a locker! My 3500HD Chevy has a locker, and it's pretty impressive in the snow here in Western MT! I want to get a rear locker for my 2003 v8 4runner eventually. That Sidekick is a beast! I love it.
I'm the guy with a pinzgauer. I owned a 1977 FJ40 (1991-2020) with an original lockrite in the front and rear axle. I could drive in 2wd low and get through 95 % of all obstacles. If I was by myself I would engage the passenger side hub and when needed shift into 3wd and tackle 99% of obstacles. Steering was manageable in this configuration. No good steering with everything engaged. If needed I would get out and lock the drivers side hub in for those really difficult obstacles. I pounded my FJ40 and when I took the lockrite out of the rear end it still looked new. I'm sure the front lockrite contributed to some bierfield failures. They were awsome. They do load and unload makeing noises you feel are damaging but usually not. Love your builds. Wish you were closer. I live in Virginia.
@@KendallPhillips89 I sold it to a very good friend who is doing a full restoration on it. Rolling chassis, engine, transmission, transfer case and newly installed pto have all been refurbished so far.
I have the same unit on my 91 sidekick. Only thing I’ve noticed is it’ll buck quite a bit when turning sharp while giving partial throttle. Nothing to complain about other than that! Great option for the price.
Thanks Dave 👍 I sure like this little Sidekick, I owned a Samurai a few years prior, liked the look of them but sold it off, it rode like a 1 ton 😂 I picked this Sidekick up a few years back for $1000 because it had a bad oil leak, after fixing it up, tires, lift, lockright it’s been a solid little vehicle. Yes most cars and trucks are rust free out on the west coast 👍 That’s especially good because I mostly drive older vehicles. Thanks for checking out my video and commenting!
that's a Suzuki Vitara here in the Philippines. I modify four wheel drives and race before. i welded my front diff on my first race as we, then, had no access to what you have their in your country
Have put them in 2 vans, 1990 G20 and 95 Astro AWD, they're AWESOME! Front tire wear is definitely a Lot more than with the open diffs on Both vehicles, especially the Astro, and there's occasional REALLY loud clunks, but have disassembled to inspect after those happened, with only a tiny chip in one of the faces of the assemblies. Will never have another soft-road vehicle without installing a lunchbox locker of some sort.
Thank you for this, I'm not really good on the technical side of things yet, i just bought a jeep xj and an building it into what i call a super stock daily driver. 3 inch lift, 31 inch pizza cutters from toyo that fit my grand cherokee rims, winch bumper, top rack with tire and tool kits inside. My over all goal is that since i ride motorcycle 90 percent of the time i want something that can do it all that the average guy could run into. Trails, snow storms, rescue recovery, ect. I've researched my lift kit tire size and diff regearing. The locker part has been a little confusing to figure out what i need. I put around town in the rain or haul my kids to places so i wasn't sure about the rear diff. I knew i wanted a front locker so when i do kick in 4×4 it works to the best of its ability and mine, but this convinced me that maybe i should budget to do both. The xj already corners in parking lots way tighter than it should honestly. And i know I'll have to adjust my turn limiter thing so i don't bite my walls with the 31s. I'm avoiding as much trimming as i can and plan on dropping the flares as low as i can to tuck my lift and tires just a bit for the street look. So really losing a tiny bit of cornering in parking lots is worth it to me. Seeing some guys have rear drift in 4×4 doesn't look fun for a new guy like me when that's going to be a high stress situation for me. I'm not building a rock crawler. I just want to be the guy that no snow storm stops me from getting somewhere safely and if i need to winch myself or somebody else back up into the road i can and with a rear locker i might not even need 4×4, to get out of ditches if i find myself in one. The most extreme thing I'll be doing is spotter driving for my brother after he builds his into a rock crawler. Same xj two years newer. I want to be and to fllow him take the service trails right next to the challenge trails and be there to pull him out, flip him over, fix him up or haul his xj back home. I have d30 front chrysler 8s in the back with a np231 transfer case and I've already got a high pinion reverse cut. From my understanding quality dual lockers installed in both front and back gives me a keep is simple stupid build that meets all my goals on a decent budget that even a oaf like me should be able to maintain and most importantly learn what I'm doing in a offroad vehicle.
If you want it to go where rock crawler’s will youll need better than 31s which will come as 6.5 inches and 40s buttttt. Lockers will help the xj a lot. They are already very capable for what they are.
this fall, around a year after you installed it, you should take the diff cover off at least and inspect the wear and give us another update, or if it's worth it, take it completely out and inspect the wear on those pins and everything else. I didn't know what a lunchbox locker was until a few days ago so your video comes with very amusing timing :P Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Thanks for checking out my new video! I post a new video every other Friday 👍 Some subscribers don’t get RU-vid notifications for some reason though. Take care 🙂
I have been running one in my Jeep for like 10 years now, no major issues yet but every once awhile when reversing and turning sharp at the same time it will make a big clank when it disengages. Great vid keep it up 👍🏻
Hi Mike, I have this locker front and rear on my Suzuki SJ LWB plus locking front hubs. Whilst I only use this vehicle off-road for wood management, the lockers are the best 4x4 improvement to the vehicle performance
I ran a lock right, for close to 170,000 miles on my 2000 Tacoma. Just beware in 2wd on ice, or slick apply too much skinny pedal , it’ll wanna spin ya. But overall lock rights are excellent traction mods for 35s and below. They will clang and bang, and you’ll have to clutch in parking lots, or you’ll be chirping tires, Karen’s will be eyeballin you. And just like any other full time locker, they will unload while going down the road at 60, and give you a wow, that didn’t sound good, but it’s ok.
Thank you for taking the time to make this video! I enjoyed it. Informative, humor, great job buddy!! Absolutely beautiful there definitely! Western Maryland here.😊✌️
I have a Spartan locker in a 1995 dodge Dakota and it was good in an automatic but pretty clunky with a manual. Then I got a lock rite for my 1985 dodge w100 with a 4 speed manual and I love it. Super smooth and I’ve beat the crap out if it and it just takes it. Pulled enough weight to break lug studs and it’s never slipped.
Nice video Mike some good All around demonstration between mud and hard dirt, hills and even snow and hard pavement nice locker working pretty well @Mike Festiva
Amazing little vehicles aren't they. I have a 4dr that I am setting up as a "pull behind" and 5 2drs in various states of operation or repair. They are really great in the desert where I am from. Really enjoyed watching you playing around with the new capabilities of your zuk. Be safe...
They are definitely fun little machines 👍 sounds like you have a nice collection of sidekicks! Thanks for checking out my video, you probably would enjoy my Sidekick front bumper build video, here’s a link to it 🙂 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-I53yEyE5Lp8.html
My 91 explorer was a turd. That thing needed 4wd for everything (sand, rocks). It became a whole different suv after I installed a spartan locker only needed 4wd for the really hard stuff.
Awesome vid! I have a 2019 wrangler with a Torq Lunchbox Locker in the front. Everyone said I would die immediately from driving with a lunchbox locker on snow. Not sure why all the lunchbox locker hate out here. I think they are great!
💯👍,, thanks Mike. Great info 👍. I would have suspected more severe noise/ lurching from a light vehicle. It obviously was very manageable. And your little Zuk has good wheel articulation. Happy Father's day weekend,, cheers 🍻, G.
Thanks for checking out my new video 👍 For basically stock suspension in the rear other then 2” lift blocks and longer rear shocks it definitely has fairly good articulation. It’s a fun little machine off road. Thanks and happy Father’s Day too 😊
lunchbox lockers aren't bad. I have an Detroit locker in my truck's rear axle but the front I'm running a spartan locker. After all most of the time I don't need 4wd, if I do then I'm in mud or snow and might as well have a front axle that locks up as well to help pull you out.
We live above the snow line in the NE mountains in the very NE corner of Washington state Waaay off grid up a trail. Snow in the winter and the bottomless moon dust in the summer. We got a premature early snow this season before the ground froze and we',re churning moon dust and snow. Worse case scenario. My Comanche buried itself plowing couple days ago in bout 4 ft of snow. Super tires and V bar chains just turned into a trencher. Woulda been cruising if ground was frozen. My Dana 44 trakLok rear axle needs fresh clutches. Groan. I'm appreciating the variety of conditions you're demonstrating. Excellent review Thumbs up and sub. Dandahermit
Thanks for taking the time to make this. I think these lockers are great if you want to give your rig more traction around the farm or only on dirt roads I am not so sure I want metal shavings in my diff as the clutches wear in these lockers.
@@spetsnaz892 The fact that they are disks that have ridges that let the disks slip and grab sounds like a definition of a clutch to me. Automatic transmissions have clutches that let the transmission slip and grab. This whole apparatus is a clutch.
@brbadventurer No. clutches engage with friction. an auto locker has solid steel gears that mesh, not friction material. a Limited Slip Differential uses clutch disks.
Mike I am eagerly waiting for your next video on fusion 360. I think I am becoming a slightly more competent drawer I just need to learn how to extrude and duplicate for production runs
Thanks for the video Mike. I'd been on the fence about the LockRite. I have a stretched 48 Willys for a daily driver that's also my hunting/camping/fishing rig. I've been wanting a rear locker for a few years, but couldn't find anything definitive on using one in the snow for 'street' driving. While I'd _love_ a Dana Tru-Track, it's an $800 limited slip unit, it would take a thousand dollars of upgrades to my rear Dana 44 to install it. It's the old style with 10 spline, two-piece axles. I'd have to upgrade to full floating 30-something spline parts that I just can't afford. So yeah, looks like a LockRite for me.
Thanks for checking out my video 👍 The previous owner installed a stainless steel header and larger exhaust for better flow, it had a body lift. I installed a 2” suspension lift and longer rear shocks, other then that I think everything else is stock, it does pretty good off-road 🙂👍
Cool video.I prefer welding.I have one Samurai with Toyota axles and fully welded diffs and another with samurai axles and "fozzy" locked diffs.Nothing wrong with auto lockers other than spending money.I also drive the one fozzy locked on the road all the time.
Last summer I drove a Samurai with permanent locker on the rear axle. It was okay on normal roads. Parking the car and tight turns were a pain. I feared the drive train would explode....
Haha definitely Sasquatch domain out here 👍 Never seen one but have had a few interesting experiences out in the woods that made me wonder. Take care Patrick
Great video sir. If you look up Zuki in Facebook you will see my little rig my wife also owns a little geotracker. Kind of weird seeing the roads that I was driving on hauling containers over that direction lol it is a very beautiful lake.
Ciao Mike, excellent description of the locker in all situations, I bought it too and I also installed a 1530 LR on a suzuki Jimny, but I have a problem when I turn left or right or park, it does not unlock and it does not you hear the classic tick tick tick tick tick, I'll have to take it apart and put it back together again. do you have any suggestions for me, thank you in advance for your reply. Thanks from southern Italy. Mauros
This may be a stupid question but is it locked the whole time or can you select when it is locked because if it is the former seems a bit silly on rig that is meant to drive on road for considerable distances...
@@ianmylab as I understand it, they work as an open diff generally, which allows you to go round corners without issues, if one of the drive wheels speed decreases to less than the input or drive shaft speed, the diff loads up and directs drive to that slow wheel, so eg one wheel in air, doesn't cause an issue spinning as , as soon as the other wheels speed reduces below the driveshaft speed, power is transferred to this wheel regardless what the wheel in the air is doing. This is a relatively simple , robust and cheap solution to an age old problem
The inner tire wants to go slower than the outer. With the locker your axles are almost as they were welded together. The inner tire tries to overcome the resistens in the ground therefor every time the outer wheel forces the inner tire to hold the same speed.
That’s what a locker does 👍 If you aren’t on the throttle or just lightly on the throttle then the Lockright will allow the wheels to turn at different speeds. Not sure if you got that.
@@Mikefestiva Well i now howe a locker works. But was you on the gas? Or no gas? I mae missed something, English is not my first language, when you explained. I thought you had even throttle when you turned. Nice video! I got one XL7 and two Vitara's. So its nice to follow what you do.
Excellent video. Do you think it'd be ok to use cruise on the highway with one? or do you think it'd wanna kick out from locking up unexpectedly? Planning on going with a spartan in the rear of my wj and an auburn select-a-loc lsd to locker up front
I run a spool in the rear(24/7 lock) and a Aussie lunchbox in the front of my daily driver/weekend warrior JK 2 door. You can hear the click of the locker when turning sharp below about 5mph(pulling into a parking spot) but outside of that I've never had it do anything weird. Been a wonderful modification
@@Catboy-hr2qp just like a welded diff. If you're easy on the throttle no issues even in snow. If you mash the throttle in a turn you'll burn rubber and drift the corner. Instant response that's super predictible. And offroad you don't notice anything weird at all. You just have traction 24/7. I actually went through pee wees crossing in 2 wheel drive the entire way 😆
Mike, "lunchbox locker" means it just replaces the spider gears, right? So you don't have to remove the ring and pinion? I'm thinkin' about gettin' one for my 98 Silverado, 3/4 ton, "2wd", 454, 14 bolt axle. Much more expensive than your Zuki locker.
Yes I removed the spider gears, I had to remove the ring to pull the pins that hold the top and bottom spider gears in, on my kit you actually use the side gears that fit onto the axle. I still needed to set the lash on the ring and pinion but that wasn’t bad with a dial indicator. Some kits come with different components depending on make and model 👍
Hey wondering if you are still on here? If so, are you still running the lock rite? If so, how are you getting on with it? Anything broken? Are you using uprated shafts? Thanks
I haven’t been driving my Suzuki for about a year now. The lockright is still working fine. The fuel tank starts to leak so I parked it. I’m hoping to install a new take this spring and start driving it again 👍
Your wheel base is longer than our 2 door Tracker and it has a tendency of doing unexpected 360s on ice. Yikes. My wife's buggy and it has startled her a couple times down the mountain where there's pavement.Haha
@@Mikefestiva I live in Graham WA. I bought a 1998 sidekick that I’m in the process putting a new motor in. I was wondering if I could have you call me. I have a few questions.
@@explosivemallard8038 Ironically, the Volvo AWD system is one of the oldest, but it works fantastic. It's been my experience that the newer systems don't work as well as the older systems. I had a 2013 Ford Escape with their newest gen AWD and it couldn't move from a frozen parking spot. Our 2014 Flex uses the AWD system between the Volvo and Escape, it works fantastic and is very stable in snow and ice.
@@eformance That’s interesting, but if you look at Honda’s earlier 2000s “Real-Time” AWD vs its successor, “Super Handling AWD”, there is no comparison.
@@explosivemallard8038 That's because Honda went a bizarre route with Real-Time, it has a hydraulic pump that locks up a clutch, not tried and true like their previous viscous AWD. Volvo used a viscous coupler with locker in the rear, no magic there.
I welded the diff in my S13, it drove great, just avoid small turns in a parking lot. I lived on a gravel road in Iowa &, the first winter, i passed many trucks that were stuck in the ditch! It might have been tough on tires, I was going through about 4 per month, but they were tires found in scrap piles (already under 4/32"s :p ), and the whole car usually smelled like rubber smoke.
@@donvalich49 yeah, 4 FREE tires (that had 4/32" of tread, or less), that I installed myself, for FREE. Changing tires doesn't take much time (unless you are a moron, like you claim to be).
Free junk tires, and it doesn't take long to change tires! I never timed myself, but probly 5 minutes to swap a pair. I only needed 2 at a time…rear ones, obviously.
Thanks for checking out my new video 👍 That definitely sounds good! Are you on Instagram? Are you still considering buying land up in BC? I’m down in western Washington.
@@Mikefestiva ya bud...just bought a camper to put on there to have a spot while I build...should come explore with me...trails and trails and trails out there...and ya I'm on Instagram...get ahold of me and we'll chat...
