Topic: Air lockers

[u887266]

What do you guys and girls think about Air Lockers.  I am thinking about putting them on the front and back of my truck.  What are the pros and cons, and do yall think they are worth the money?

[superyota]

if you have the money, they are well worth it.  the only disadvantage i see to air lockers is you have air lines, seals, air pump, etc. that you have to keep in good working order for them to work right.  it's probably not as crutual to have one in the back than it is the front.  If funds are tight, go with a detroit in the back and an arb up front so you can unlock it and take some pressure off your axles when you don't need it.  like i said though, if you have the money to do it, it is probably the best setup you can do.  just my   

[rockin86runner]

i like the arb, in front but mine seems to not disengage all the time im not sure why some time it will but most the time it dosnt not a big deal at least it engages

[bigarms23]

there a littlw pricey but i just one for my front axle and seems to work great

[Snowtoy]

Nothing better you can buy, and the best thing for a street driven rig.  Yes the air lines can be tricky, but if you use common sense when running them, you wont have any issues.  I have them in both of of my rigs, and other than the diff housing fitting(changed design from conventional screw to compression), I haven't had any issues.  The compression style diff housing fitting can be problematic, if over/under tightened.  I didn't tighten it up enough and it came loose on the trail the first time out, but hasn't been an issue now in over 3yrs.

As mentioned if you have the money for them, buy both.  If you have already re-geared the diffs and are now adding lockers, you could just do the rear now, see how it wheels, and then decide if you need to do the front.  My buddies who run them front and rear rarely use the front.

[Rocksurfer]

Pros: You will have the advantage of having both open and "spooled" axles at the flip of a switch.

Cons: One day when you need them the most they will let you down due to a hole in the line, pump failure, relief valve failure, etc, etc, etc, as you can guess I'm not a real fan of air lockers.

If I were to go that route it would be an e-locker, less things to fail and put you in a bad spot.

Honestly I'd go Detroit, spool, welded, etc, etc, etc, or even limited-slip Auburns. I enjoy knowing that my locker is working properly before I actually need it. I hate it when in a tough spot flipping a switch and nothing happens.

[joey0712]

I run a high pinion arb in the front of my truck and let me tell u, its the only way to go. If you route the lines right you wont have any problems. I know people that have been using them for years with no problems what so ever. I have an elocker in tha rear of my truck also. Its not bad its just SLOW... They are both good lockers but ide just like the arb for the speed. Im also worried about smashing the motor off my e locker.

[germ]

I've run ARB's front and rear since '04, and have never had a real problem with them. They have worked each and every time without fail or complaint. If you take your time and do it right, it's set it and forget it. I just check the fittings once in a while and that is it. Having the selectability is amazing. Electrics are probably just as good, but I have no personal experience with them so IDK. I'd worry about smashing the housing.

Bottom line, if you've got the $$, just do it. You won't be disappointed. It was worth every $ I paid.

Erik

[Snowtoy]

The cons mentioned above can easily be avoided.  I don't use the ARB comp., so any issues with them I can't comment on.  I run a small self fab'd 3" diameter 6" long tank, w/a cheap MV50 Superflow comp., and since I carry a spare comp, as well as another one for tires, if one comp. fails, I can have another one wired/plumbed in in less than 5 minutes.  I use standard 3/8" air lines to run the air to the valve, then the ARB blue line to the tank.  Any issue w/the blue line can be resolved w/some quick fix connectors from ARB, and the switch is simple to replace.  As with any wheeling component, you should/need to carry a spare.  I think I have less than $100 invested in spare parts for my ARB's.

You do have to be able to spin the tires to get the ARB to engage, which could be an issue for the way some people wheel, i.e. wedge yourself against a rock then kick on the ARB, you aren't likely to get it to engage.  For hard sections where you know you are going to need a locker, you just engage them before hitting the section.  When wheeling in snow I usually wheel w/them off, and only engage them to get unstuck.

Being able to operate the diffs as open or locked makes it a lot easier turning when on tight trails, as well as allowing the axles to operate independently of each other when you don't need them locked.  This reduces the amount of wear and tear on drivetrain components on/off trail, as well as reducing tire wear while on the street.

[u887266 [OP]]

Thanks for all the input guys.  I think I am going to go ahead and spend the money and do ARB on front and back.