Let's talk lockers

[axisT6]

the ultimate offroad/street friendly locker is either an air locker or e-locker but they're pricey as , ARB and Eaton off the top of my head, i am personally going to have an ARB equipped axle, hopefully by mid summer

Trutrac seems to be popular for a standard locker, as is the factory G80 junk. hope someone else can help you a bit more

I hope you are not ARB'ing a 10 bolt.....

 

[oohunter04oo]

I hope you are not ARB'ing a 10 bolt.....

The OP wants to but a locker on his 2wd, he will be running 31" - 33" tires. The weakest point on a 10 bolt is the G80. Which he want to put a locker in it so he obviously doesn't have to worry about. I don't understand why everyone hates on a 10 bolt when the main problem is the g80, yes I understand that if your running huge tires and beating the crap out of it you can brake and axle. But I've beat the crap out of my 10bolt with 37" Boggers. No issues, but I have a locker, not a G80.

 

[GMCTRUCKS]

Auburn doing good in my truck.

 

[aggieman]

The OP wants to but a locker on his 2wd, he will be running 31" - 33" tires. The weakest point on a 10 bolt is the G80. Which he want to put a locker in it so he obviously doesn't have to worry about. I don't understand why everyone hates on a 10 bolt when the main problem is the g80, yes I understand that if your running huge tires and beating the crap out of it you can brake and axle. But I've beat the crap out of my 10bolt with 37" Boggers. No issues, but I have a locker, not a G80.

thanks hunter and yea do your 97 have any form of locker? if so any expierence with on road use with occasional offroading?

 

[oohunter04oo]

thanks hunter and yea do your 97 have any form of locker? if so any expierence with on road use with occasional offroading?

G80 lol and the scary thing is it came out of my z71 with over 300k miles on it. Not sure if it had ever been replaced b4 I got the truck though. I have a set of 4.11's ready to go in it also. Just got to get off my butt and do it. I have a locker in my 94 but Idk the brand name. Got it with my gears from a local gear shop that told me all gears are made at the same place and just put in deferent boxes but they don't make noise and I paid $1200 for gears front and rear 2 master install kits and the locker.

 

[aggieman]

yep my gears are goin in as soon as I get my new tuned pcm in and alright thanks a lot! I think ill just stay with an open carrier its not worth spending 400 for a locker and then end up hating it

 

[oohunter04oo]

yep my gears are goin in as soon as I get my new tuned pcm in and alright thanks a lot! I think ill just stay with an open carrier its not worth spending 400 for a locker and then end up hating it

You shouldn't hate it. I don't notice mine with the big tires. But I've heard a lot of great things about a true trac.

 

[axisT6]

The OP wants to but a locker on his 2wd, he will be running 31" - 33" tires. The weakest point on a 10 bolt is the G80. Which he want to put a locker in it so he obviously doesn't have to worry about. I don't understand why everyone hates on a 10 bolt when the main problem is the g80, yes I understand that if your running huge tires and beating the crap out of it you can brake and axle. But I've beat the crap out of my 10bolt with 37" Boggers. No issues, but I have a locker, not a G80.

Notice that I didn't quote the OP. My thought is, if you are going to drop $$ on an ARB, at least have something better than a 10 bolt. Of course, this my opinion.

 

[jps4jeep]

Here is my opinion, which is deeply based in a offroad application and not a daily driver view.
I have run a lot of lockers in a lot of different vehicles.

First, I would not consider a LSD as a locker of any type since they never lock 100%.

I personally will not run a selectable locker in a trail vehicle again, simple just too much to go wrong. First, the arb compressor is annoying as it purges air every 30 seconds or so, you could go with another air source, but this is what was in the jeep when I bought it. Lines can get pulled out, the ferrule that threads into the housing is failure point, lots of moving parts inside the case and if you do loose air, the locker will automatically stay unlocked.

My go to option is always a full case detroit locker. I have been running them in my trail rig now for about 12 years and they have never let me down. I also run one in teh 12 bolt in my hot rod, They will disengage just enough to allow for me to do front digs and have very few moving parts that can fail. I've never had an issue driving on the street with one except in maybe rain, if you are heavy on the throttle, it will get a little squirly, but modifying you driving habbits make this a non-issue.

Lunch box lockers, I say go Aussie. I find the cam lobes on the lockrites do not last very long when used hard. I have also used spartan locker, never had an issue, but use was short and limited and I did not do the install.

Lastly, spools are cheap and welded spider gears are free, both work awesome and are pretty much fool proof.

 

[1997chevydriver]

Spools and welded spiders work i will agree, except that in corners you always get tire squeel. Also welded spiders are not fool proof........

PO welded the spiders on my 94 eventually 3 teeth on pinion gear went AWOL due to a weld breaking and getting between ring and pinion