rear locker

[stump jumper 85]

I have a 85 truck with  488 gears.  What is the best locker to get for off road and highway use.

[jimbo74]

detroit.... but there are tradeoffs, the detroit can be loud and clunky, some people don't liek that... also... it is not selectable..... some people want the ability to turn it on and off..... this is a really loaded question, i suggest you do some searching here, for what a locker is, what it does, and why it is desirable, or not desirable

[93REDCRAWLER]

detroit.... but there are tradeoffs, the detroit can be loud and clunky, some people don't liek that... also... it is not selectable..... some people want the ability to turn it on and off..... this is a really loaded question, i suggest you do some searching here, for what a locker is, what it does, and why it is desirable, or not desirable

X2

[ajordan1975]

Depends on where you live. If it snows a lot a selectable locker might be best for you. If it don't snow a lot then go w/ a Detroit.

[brainlessfool]

good advice so far.  I like me detroit, butt it does clunk.

[Snowtoy]

The best overall locker for trail and street is either an ARB or Toyota electric selectable locker.  A selectable locker will allow you to have an open diff on the street, so no noise, handling, or poor tire wear issues.  On the trail you only engage it when you need the extra traction, and once it is engaged both axles are locked together, until you disengage the locker.

The real issue between auto lockers and selectable is the price.  Figure about $1200 for the ARB locker/bench labor/ARB compressor, probably about $1000 to buy a used Toyota E-locker/bench labor, and somwhere around $4-600 for an auto locker/bench labor depending on the brand you buy.  Of course you can go even cheaper and weld the rear, probably run you about $1-200 in labor for someone to weld up the diff, but it isn't really recommended for a rig that spends a lot of time on the street.

If you have limited funds and have to have a locker now, go with an auto, if you can wait, go with a selectable.

[stump jumper 85]

gonna go with an auto just wondering about detroit vs grizzly

[blackdiamond]

I have a Detroit locker in the rear and drive my rig on a regular basis on the street and highway.  Between my 85 truck and current 89 SAS 4Runner I've made 6 or 7 trips from Washington State to Moab and 1 trip to the Rubicon.  The automatic locker can make driving in the snow interesting, but if you're in 4wd then the real issue is if you have a front locker or not.  Truck, in general, are not great on slick roads due to the lack of weight so using 4wd is always a safe bet, but my issue is that my front driveshaft isn't balanced enough to go more than about 30-35 mph without getting some serious vibrations.  If you're really on nasty roads 35 mph is probably a reasonable top end and if you want to go faster then 2wd with the locker hasn't been an issue for me.  You'll learn how to handle the locker on the street, it requires smooth application of the throttle mainly, it jerks and clunks with hard transitions.  Save your money for a manual front locker if you drive it alot on the street.  My Aussie locker in the front really makes driving on the snow scary if I can't just put the hammer down and have fun (i.e. away from other cars).

[junya92toy]

Its simple, quick lock is cheap, active all the time and you will learn how to drive with it fine in the ice, snow, wet road etc. No air lines to fail, no cables to break, no wires to short out.
A full detroit is all of that and more tough.

A selectable is big money, but you can turn it off, no need to unless its in the front.
What activates it can fail at some point.
It can fail, more moving parts, more chance for something to go wrong.

[GONZO97]

get back on topic everyone is entitled to their own opinions,

Detroit which i have is very durable and i love it, very reliable

[-Jake-]

Here is my contribution.  I have e-lockers front and rear and love them.  Drove a 4runner in Alaska with a detroit in the rear and it wasn't bad at all on snow/ice.  I wouldn't run a detroit in the front unless you get longfields because if you break an axle it usually wipes out the detroit too.  Ask me how I know.  I found good deals on my e-lockers and geared them myself so it can be done on the cheap too if you take your time and find the deals.

[stump jumper 85]

guys i got a low budget truck that i just wanted to add a locker in the rear. Don't want air lockers. Should of been more clear, mostly wondering if I should get a grizzly or a Detroit.  I have plenty of experience with a rear locker in all conditions just wondered if one of these are better.

[4RunnerChevy]

guys i got a low budget truck that i just wanted to add a locker in the rear. Should of been more clear, mostly wondering if I should get a grizzly or a detroit.

Low budget, weld it, or spool, Spend the xtra on something cool

[junya92toy]

Ive ran a quick lock for a long time now, its cheap and works.

[gtoyonrocks]

for on off road the best lockers are selectable, either an trd e locker or an arb would be best. There are other locker that are great but will all change the driving characteristics of your truck on the road.

[GONZO97]

just do a detroit man, you will be happy with its performance and it wont break the bank

[yoshaleng]

according to Chris at Marlins shop.....Grizzly is same thing as Detroit. They're both soft lockers so you will get minimal noise. I run detroits front and rear but would consider Grizzly if they are the same. If you want more info, just call the company or call Marlins sales office.

[blackdiamond]

according to Chris at Marlins shop.....Grizzly is same thing as Detroit. They're both soft lockers so you will get minimal noise. I run detroits front and rear but would consider Grizzly if they are the same. If you want more info, just call the company or call Marlins sales office.

The same meaning a Detroit with a different name stamped on it or just a nearly identical design?  I have no problem with a Grizzly, but just because they are essentially identical in design doesn't make them equal.

[BadnewsBob]

Grizzly is a detroit but they computer modeled it and addressed any weak spots in a detroit and made them stronger. So grizzly = stronger detroit.    They did the same thing with the spartan lockers.....Made an aussie locker stronger.

[blackdiamond]

Grizzly is a detroit but they computer modeled it and addressed any weak spots in a detroit and made them stronger. So grizzly = stronger detroit.    They did the same thing with the spartan lockers.....Made an aussie locker stronger.

Where's the documentation for this?  After all, Detroits are known for being "weak" lockers...

[daniresch]

I have grizzly front+rear daily and have been very happy with them. Drove down to the Rubicon from Portland, Oregon no problems. I hear a clunk about once a month, and wheel it weekly. They are very predictable. Always heard good things about Detroit as well.

[BadnewsBob]

      

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Re: rear locker
« Reply #19 on: Yesterday at 09:51:34 PM »
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Quote from: BadnewsBob on Yesterday at 04:56:46 PM
Grizzly is a detroit but they computer modeled it and addressed any weak spots in a detroit and made them stronger. So grizzly = stronger detroit.    They did the same thing with the spartan lockers.....Made an aussie locker stronger.

Where's the documentation for this?  After all, Detroits are known for being "weak" lockers...


It is in grizzly's brochure/adds


Not that detroits are weak, they are not, but computer aided drafting can make an original part stronger.

[junya92toy]

Ooooo so anything you read is true? Give me a million bucks

[blackdiamond]

Let me preface this by saying that I run Yukon ring & pinion gears in my 4Runner and consider it to be a great product.  I'm fairly certain that Yukon is "house brand" for Randy's Ring & Pinion.

Now, it sure sounds like the Yukon lockers are designs that have been "borrowed" from the other manufactures.  As we're learned from Marlin's competiton, just because someone claims they a stronger/better product doesn't mean that they do.

It's as much about materials as it is the design.  You can have a better design on paper, but if you use the wrong materials, it may not be a better product.  The fact that Yukon has chosen the Detroit and Aussie lockers should provide some clue as to the company that Yukon considers their top competition.

I'd like to see Bobby Long do some testing...he does a great job of breaking things in a controlled and measured way.

[BadnewsBob]

Yep I am going by what I read.....And sarcasm is a fun thing......I know several people running Yukons lockers including myself and so far zero breakage, Only time will tell.

[81 toyota]

go with detroit its the best 

[stupid fast]

grizzly is supposed to be stronger from what yukon claims, also its a much more softer engagement than the detroit.