front lockers

[20005spd]

i tried searching for this, but i guess there is no threads on it.

im thinking about a locker for the front of my 4runner. id like an arb but its way to much money. what other options are there besides a lockright. please give me any input you have about front lockers in tacos or 4runners with this style ifs. i have wheeled hard and am not afraid to use the skinny pedal when needed, but i never broke a front cv and dont want to start destroying cv's all the time. i figure i might not have to hammer up some things if im locked but i know there will come a time when the skinny pedal is needed. new england wheelin is a lil different then what you guys have out west. but ya any input please :thumbup:

[neliconcept]

aussie i think is the only option up front short of welding it.

but id suggest maybe going manual hubs if you do that for daily driving..

[04 Rocko Taco]

If you get a front locker, I would say manual hubs are a must!

But there are detroits, aussie, lockrights, any style of lunchbox locker...

The ARB, of course, which I am not a personal fan of, and are $$$$.

Heck, just SAS and put an e-locker in the front. :)

[slosurfer]

I don't think they make a true full Detroit locker for the 7.5". I think it is the detroit truetrac, which is more like a LSD.

[Ian Rogers]

ARB is the only way to go in the front. I have driven fj40 with auto-lockers in the front, you can't turn when you want to, you end up doing 3 pt turns when every one else just turns.

[4runnerchevy]

Go with a selectable locker on your IFS (if they make it). I run a welded front, but I have the advantage of hydro-assist (which would be harder to do on an IFS), and twins. My turn radius is OK and I don't have to make three point turns. I am also not a fan of ARB. I am also still unsure of the electric ones, only time will tell.

[20005spd]

if they sell one, ive thought about an lsd type up front to be a tad easier on the cv's, but i fear it may just act like its open when one tire wants to spin easily and the other is tryin to climb a rock. rocko taco, im tryin to prevent a sas for a lil while since i have no money for that :( but im thinkn if i get my gas tank relocated, clock the tcase and almost flat belly it, AND lock the front, ill be in a good position. i really really dont want to switch to manual hubs for this. why do you recomend it so much? just to unlock one wheel if you cant turn on the trail?

[4runnerchevy]

I ran an 8" TrueTrac LSD up front for years, It lacked what I was looking for. It takes a special kind of driving to get it to work, you had to apply some breaks to get it to grab.

[20005spd]

whats the difference between aussie and lockright? they look exactly the same? i had a lockright in the rear of my truck for a while and hated it.

[neliconcept]

i forgot about the trutrac

but aussie, trutrac and arb are it for the 7.5, no selectable electrics and or detroits.

i think aussie and lockright are pretty much the same in comparison

[4Runner202020]

if they sell one, ive thought about an lsd type up front to be a tad easier on the cv's, but i fear it may just act like its open when one tire wants to spin easily and the other is tryin to climb a rock. rocko taco, im tryin to prevent a sas for a lil while since i have no money for that :( but im thinkn if i get my gas tank relocated, clock the tcase and almost flat belly it, AND lock the front, ill be in a good position. i really really dont want to switch to manual hubs for this. why do you recomend it so much? just to unlock one wheel if you cant turn on the trail?


i might be wrong but with a full time locker and no manual hubs your front shafts and diff still turn so you would have the effect of the front tires locked at all times, and in the snow on the street with 4wd engaged if you have a full time front locker i guess it is darn near imposible to control unless you are going really slow... i could be wrong.

[Ian Rogers]

When we were running the Rubicon in 2006, I went with my FJ40 club (TLCA). There were rigs with auto-lockers, spools. Let me tell you, when we were on the slabs and in the tight turns of big-slues these guys were doing 3 pt turns. We are talking about a rig with 92" wheel base need 3pt turns, I would disengage both my ARB's and make the turn. For a truck with IFS you will want the ability to unlock the diff, this will allow you to turn sharp and not worry about popping a CV. I only lock the front when i need it, and i make sure the tires are as strait as possible, staying out the the gas if i am turning sharp. With this technique I have only broken 5 Birfs, some times you just can avoid it.

[bamachem]

ARB is the only way to go. If you put an ARB in the front, you won't regret it. They're awesome!

[20005spd]

the more i think of it, i think im gonna break cv's all the time with a aussie or lockright. i wheeled with a 3rd gen this weekend in nh and he has a lockright up front. he broke a cv and i didnt, and my tires are heavier and bigger. i was just at the eaton site and trutrac may be the only option for me, unless i decide to drop crazy money for arb. any recommendations where to get one, just wanna see the price :) any experience with trutracs on ifs?

[20005spd]

ARB is the only way to go. If you put an ARB in the front, you won't regret it. They're awesome!
after having a lockright, and a welded rear then finally dishin out money for an elocker i couldnt be happier. i just look at the price for an arb up front and think about sinking that money into the fj60 axle i have sittin in my shed for my 4runner haha.

[DHC6twinotter]

An advantage to having manual locking hubs is that you can unlock them while in 2WD. This keeps all rotating components (front driveshaft, CVs, etc) from turning while in 2WD and can prolong the life of all these components. Very recommended, IMHO.

I think a selectable locker is the only way to go on an IFS truck, so I would just go with the ARB. Too bad the e-locker doesn't fit or that there aren't any other selectables out. :(

Just my $.02.

[Cheese]

A front LSD gives you half the benefits of a front locker and all the drawbacks, odd steering, etc.

A lunchbox type front involves steering only every second time you want to.

ARB's are spendy but there is nothing like being able to be open and turn at the push of a button.

I firmly believe everyone else who claims Detroits and similar are transparent are delusional, especially in a DD truck that sees 4wd time on road.

[20005spd]

well thanks so far guys. it seems like im hearing what i didnt wanna beleive haha, that selectable is the only way for this situation. i was just hoping there was some other option that wont suck. after having the elocker i agree that selectable is the way to go for dd's front or rear. no draw backs on the street, and on the trail i turn it off so i can turn and not get pushed into the corner and its awesome to see the benefit of that.



A front LSD gives you half the benefits of a front locker and all the drawbacks, odd steering, etc.
i figured thats exactly what i would get.


as far as manual hubs, i know auto spins all the time and manual dosent but i really dont care to spend much money and time switching to manual when i might as well save that money for auto hub parts that probably wont break do to spinning all time. im having a hard time justifying an arb front never mind a manual hub swap in the process.

[Seanz0rz]

manual hub conversion: about 1100 dollars (not including labor)

arb air locker: about 1000 dollars (all said and done including labor)

[Scuba]

manual hub conversion: about 1100 dollars (not including labor)

arb air

locker: about 1000 dollars (all said and done including labor)


Did ya have to discourage the guy...? :D

[grih]

manual hub conversion: about 1100 dollars (not including labor)

arb air locker: about 1000 dollars (all said and done including labor)


My manual hub set up was around 500 bucks.

I could do the arb locker for around 850

[20005spd]

i dont pay for labor. i was a tech for nissan, but am currently laid off due to our wonderful economy. my tool box is at my dads machine shop. only thing i dont feel comfortable doing is setting up diffs. i have installed a lockright before but if i spend the money on arb i have a place lined up with people i trust. i really dont think manual hubs is needed. so they dont spin when you drive normally....whether its manual or auto your still gonna break a cv occasionally just bring spare cv's with you is the way i see it.

[Seanz0rz]

the add system is actually stronger since it uses drive flanges, nothing in the hub to break because there is no hub. usually you will grenade the actual cv joint, and those can be replaced with a little knowledge and a proper socket out on the trail.

[20005spd]

i remember hearing that one of them was considered stronger, but wasnt sure which one :thumbup:

[JWBehm]

I ran a front locrite for a while in my 3rd gen. Its really n ot bad. . at all on the road. I could barely ever notice it. Eventually it wears tho and it did get a little worse. I ended up upgrading to manual hubs




manual hub conversion: about 1100 dollars (not including labor)

arb air locker: about 1000 dollars (all said and done including labor)


You gotta go used on hte manual hubs, I scored mine for $100 and installed them myself. I actually made money selling my add cv's

[20005spd]

it snows where i live so the lockright may be ok for you on the street, but in snow turning with a lockright up front in 4wd will probably suck.

[4Runner202020]

thats why you gotta get manual hubs... only lock one not both.

[AxleIke]

thats why you gotta get manual hubs... only lock one not both.


That doesn't work at all. The truck endlessly pulls to the side with the locked hub. Its easier to drive in 2wd at that point.

In addition, turning sucks. People say you can hop out and unlock a hub when you need to turn, but I doubt anyone who says that has tried it. That would suck so unbelievably much, and everyone with you would be annoyed after about 15 minutes, since you'd have to stop constantly.

[20005spd]

im with axleike on that one :)

[neliconcept]

thats why you gotta get manual hubs... only lock one not both.


That doesn't work at all. The truck endlessly pulls to the side with the locked hub. Its easier to drive in 2wd at that point.

In addition, turning sucks. People say you can hop out and unlock a hub when you need to turn, but I doubt anyone who says that has tried it. That would suck so unbelievably much, and everyone with you would be annoyed after about 15 minutes, since you'd have to stop constantly.


thats where twinsticks come into play :)

dont bother unlocking, just throw it into 2lo

[4Runner202020]

lol ya but blake you got it all!!!! haha twins, manual hubs, and the front locker. haha just unfair and if obamah get elected i'm going to write a letter to him saying how you should be FORCED to share!!!!! haha

[AxleIke]

As I said, easier to drive in 2wd... :)

Either way, we're talking about a 200 dollar locker, a 500 dollar hub conversion, and a 200 dollar twin stick. so 900. You can run an ARB for just a little more, and to top it off, you have a better product, that is transparent in the snow and on the street, and gives you a spooled diff on the trail. Turning is easy, since you just turn it off.

[Tankota]

I've never run an ARB, but arn't they sometimes hard to unlock if you throw the switch while in a bind, such as during a turn. A guy that I sometimes wheel with is always complaining about that.

[AxleIke]

It depends on the surface. On high traction surfaces, it is hard to unlock in a turn. However, I just grab 2wd quickly in that situation, and it unlocks.

[Tankota]

I ses. That makes sense.

[20005spd]

I ses. That makes sense.
at first i thought you said, a sas makes sense :rofl: i think thats what needs to be done...arb locker $900+ fzj80 h/p elocker front axle complete around $1000 :D

[Tankota]

Haha, there you go, I solved the problem by accident!