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Which locker?

2K views 33 replies 21 participants last post by  Mike_M 
#1 ·
Eventually getting RockJock 60 axles front and rear and 37" tires. Read a lot about lockers and which locker to get. A lot of pros and cons about ARBs air lockers such as they are hard to maintain and if not properly maintained or installed could leak. The other option I guess is either the Spartan Detroit and Aussie. Heard great things about all 3. So what do you guys think?
ARB, Spartan, Detroit, or Aussie or anything else that has works for y'all?
 
#2 ·
I had a Spartan on my last jeep and I liked it. I would not put one on the front of a dd. I have an Eaton E-locker on the front of this one and so far I love it.
 
#5 ·
The nice thing with the ARB's if you can leave them off and make the trail harder. If you're running something like a Detroit they're gonna turn on automatically. My buddy is running them with D60s and 40's his rig is basically "point and shoot"... Personally it be nice to be able to do a trail and make the trail little harder if you want to by not having your lockers on. Just my 2 cents.
 
#7 ·
In very basic terms the dana(insert axle model) is the grandfather to all the custom axles.. think of it as the blue print so to speak that others buildup upon.

I would also recommend to do some research on spec's between stock 60's, rockrocks, Prorocks and the like. Tube thickness, materials used,interal oil system etc... warranty are all things to consider. I ran front and rear ProRock 60's with ARB's and was very happy with them. The key for ARB's is to make sure the person or company doing the install knows what they are doing.. most ARB issues can be traced to a bad install.
 
#9 ·
I have a Detroit locker in the rear and an Eaton E-locker in the front.

No complaints about either. The Detroit is a lil noisy which worried me in the beginning, always thought something was wrong. Its normal and fine though. Just get used to the clicks.
 
#11 ·
Slow moving turns usually, like parking lots, drive way moving etc. Its loud enough to hear it from inside the cab most of the time but not loud enough to draw attention to it. Its louder if coasting.

Theres videos of it on YouTube if you want, not mine...just videos. Its no big deal and ppl warned me about it but it still made me think something was wrong for a long time. Im paranoid. Especially because I bought a used rear with this locker in it and I was lied to about some other specs in the rear so I didnt trust the condition of the locker at first.
 
#15 ·
No I actually have clicking.

There is videos on youtube with it as well, and when I spoke to Eaton/Detroit about it they said its normal. Buddy of mine has an Aussie Locker in his D44 and he has the same clicking as well.

The loud banging and load/unload is not an issue after I learned how to drive with/avoid it. Thats not bothersome at all like some would lead you to believe. I had ppl try to talk me out of an auto locker because of it. Really a nonissue after you drive with it for a week or so.
 
#19 ·
Just a couple quick comments... 1) unlocking on a difficult trail just to make it harder can lead to breakage since doing so can put all of the load on just one axle shaft instead of spreading the load around. I engage my lockers to reduce the chance of breakage. 2) my previous TJ's Detroit Locker never clicked at all. It would 'bang' occasionally when it unloaded but even that was pretty rare.
 
#32 ·
...2) my previous TJ's Detroit Locker never clicked at all. It would 'bang' occasionally when it unloaded but even that was pretty rare.
Not doubting you at all, and Ive heard a few others now say no clicking. Ive had this locker (bought it used inside a rear) with my old gears, new gears, stock axles and new chromo ones. All installed professionally not by me and its clicked in every set up. I was told by Eaton/Detroit its nothing to worry about, heard from some others on line who said they had it too and just never looked back. Just sharing my experience. The "clicking" is a non issue or me. The locker performs 100% perfectly.

I did have that "bang" a couple times. Its avoidable most of the time.

Thanks.
 
#20 ·
To the OP...since you're in NC, then snow is probably not an issue (at least very often), but for those of us living in the colder regions, selectable lockers become something very nice to have. ARB would be my choice (and is).
 
#25 ·
If anything, it's probably the expense. They cost a little more than the ARB, plus the cost of the cable and actuator for them.

Other than that, I don't think anyone has any issues with them.
 
#26 ·
From what I understand a lot of people have difficulty running the cables and keeping them working properly.

I personally like the idea of of the locker being cable actuated instead of air. Mainly because I don't have an OBA system. But also because it seems like if you can run the cable right it should be more reliable.

Time for the not serious part. let's be honest, levers and pulleys for cables look cooler in the cab then a button or switch does. And while my jeep is offroaded on a regular basis, its also used as a chick magnet for this college kid.
 
#27 ·
ARB air lockers are so reliable that the vast majority of competitive rock crawlers like at the annual King of the Hammers event run them. I have run check points out there a couple years now and made a count one year... something like 87% of them were running ARBs and the rest were a mix of ARBs and Detroit Lockers. There were only 1-2 cable actuated Ox Lockers in the list I had.

Properly installed, ARB air lockers are very reliable... which is one reason they are so popular. If they weren't reliable, as some claim, they wouldn't be popular at all.
 
#34 ·
I am currently running a Detroit in the rear and factory air up front. I like the fact that the Detroit just works. When the front factory air locker dies I will most likely replace it with an Eaton E-locker to eliminate the air compressor & air lines all together. With a Detroit and a stick you will have some driving characteristics that take a little getting used to. At least mine with the long arm lift tends to pull when it loads and unloads between gears. Other than that I am very happy with my decision to install the Detroit.
 
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