[experament-u2]

im thinking about a auto locker for my vit (air locker is a bit to expensive) and iv heard stories of rear tires wearing down really fast when driven on road and wheel bearings being flogged out quicker. but then iv herd people say a zook being so light it dosent wear the tires down that fast.

just wondering what others have found. and are they really that noisy and unpredictable?

cheers

[Zachius]

Firstly, obviously an air locker is going to be better, personally I don't think that they are worth the extra money.

I have a F + R lockrite auto lockers in my Sierra. I like them and think for the money they are a good deal. Handling on the road will change and in the wet the car may step out under acceleration more.

They do clunk at low speeds when turning but it is not loud enough to worry me (especially in a Sierra with all the other noises).

With regards to tyre wear. I don't think they cause a great deal of premature wear on the Sierra. Sure they might wear the tyres more quickly but its not like the Sierra has a problem in this regard. Not sure how it would affect a vitara which I would guess is a fair bit heavier.

[hutch]

experament-u2 wrote:

im thinking about a auto locker for my vit (air locker is a bit to expensive) and iv heard stories of rear tires wearing down really fast when driven on road and wheel bearings being flogged out quicker. but then iv herd people say a zook being so light it dosent wear the tires down that fast.

just wondering what others have found. and are they really that noisy and unpredictable?

cheers

Yes they are all of what you have said. I have had mine in the sierra now for about a month and sometimes on the road it is a right bitch when u accelerate turn or slow down, in fact just about anything except for sitting still at the lights.

But offroad... OMG what a difference it makes, very nice, So i guess my autolocker is in to stay.

[shep]

i like my lockrights as well they do some annoying things however they
are still awesome i dunno what the vit ones are worth but i twin locked
my sierra for $550 and with gears it will go virtually anywhere.
having said that though my next sierra will have air lockers. it will be an auto as well.

[experament-u2]

well this is making me want one for the rear
how do they go at high speeds like on the highway or dirt roads?

[hutch]

I went air locker front and autolocker rear

[wb800]

Ive had one in the rear of my sierra for 2 months. On the road i dont know its there, only small clicking when turning sharp,
Off road its transformed the car, somtimes off road it will unlock with a loud click,
i haven got anything but good to say about it.

[hutch]

experament-u2 wrote:

well this is making me want one for the rear
how do they go at high speeds like on the highway or dirt roads?

much better at higher speeds, some says you should accellerate hard round a corner with them, but it is a hard habit to do.

[shep]

i dont notice mine at speed on the road but on loose gravel roads it does like to slide a bit but i like a bit of slideways action anyway.

[matty87]

do be carfull on the road in the wet tho as if you hit it hard it will lock up and then you will either have much fun drifting or not much fun sliding into the nearest pole

[shep]

matty87 wrote:

do be carfull on the road in the wet tho as if you hit it hard it will lock up and then you will either have much fun drifting or not much fun sliding into the nearest pole

they do fucken great donuts but.

[royce]

do they have enough power to get em to step out?

regarding the tyre wear thingy, my Sierra used to kill a set of 4 31" MTR's in 35000km with a welded rear diff, I comapred it to a GV with similar sized MTR's that got over 70000km to a set

my current vit with ATR's still has 2 tyres left that have done 90000 and are about dead (2 were replaced due to punctures)

so based on that at $1000+ a set it is cheaper to fit an airlocker than weld your diff in the long run, wont be as bad for an auto locker though

[matty87]

and good even black lines from both wheels instead of one yeah

[zookster666]

I run twin lockrights and I find them great. yes they are noisy at time but still not a problem my tires have been on the car through three owners and still have good tread.
One thing to add is an auto locker is
more of an auto unlocker, they stay locked and when the required force is there it ratchets making it slip so on loose gravel
the rear stays locked (atleast mine does
anyway)

[31zook]

yeah on dirt they rock, just keep a smooth drift, and when doing wet tar drifting they are a heap more predictable...
Everyone who says that they are noisy and unsafe items just don't have them set up right, or heard it from a mate. i love mine and will stick it in the rear of my lwb once it's rego'd...

[brendan]

if you do get one, get one with the couplers. i was a tight ass and use my my side gears. now i dont like it now, it snaps in and out way too much. im looking to go an airlocker in the rear now

[joeblow]

auto lockers?.........crap crap crap crap.....


they will give you unpredictable handling.....scary in the wet. they will increase tyre wear, they will increase axle spline wear, they will strain driveline components, they are noisy....even when set up right.

i know this because unlike you young blokes back in the day the only thing we could get for a zook was an auto locker, and i was even a licensed fitter for a certain brand at one stage. i hated driving them on road, and yes, they work offroad but some situations you need an open diff. if you speek to someone who has had all types of traction aiding devices %99 will say go a manual locker. one thing i have noticed is people who say auto lockers rock and air lockers suck are those that have not experienced the joys of a manual locker.

[atari4x4]

i have air lockers F&R in the vit & it's daily driven, i couldn't imagine having an auto locker in the rear. it's such a nice car to drive on the road & when i need that extra traction... it's there when I NEED IT.

[tanshi]

i love my twin air lockers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but that being said i got my first one for 600 in a coily diff centre and my second one for 800 in a nt diff centre so i only payed about the same for both in centres that you would pay retail for one.

[shep]

of coarse if you could get a air locker for similar money to a lockright it would be an easy choice.

[joeblow]

shep wrote:

of coarse if you could get a air locker for similar money to a lockright it would be an easy choice.

problem there is auto lockers cost about $50 to make ($75 for the coupler version though), and manual lockers don't.

[ajsr]

joeblow wrote:

auto lockers?.........crap crap crap crap.....


they will give you unpredictable handling.....scary in the wet. they will increase tyre wear, they will increase axle spline wear, they will strain driveline components, they are noisy....even when set up right.

i know this because unlike you young blokes back in the day the only thing we could get for a zook was an auto locker, and i was even a licensed fitter for a certain brand at one stage. i hated driving them on road, and yes, they work offroad but some situations you need an open diff. if you speek to someone who has had all types of traction aiding devices %99 will say go a manual locker. one thing i have noticed is people who say auto lockers rock and air lockers suck are those that have not experienced the joys of a manual locker.

Im with joe on most of the above , I wouldn't say they are crap and they are waaay better than no locker but once youv'e had an air lock you'd never go back .
I didn't mind the rear lockrite it was good for a budget lock but I'd never run a front one again after having air lock
its a pain in the arse when your trying to pull a tight turn in a shit spot and your all locked up both ends and it wont go round that corner/rock/tree

[shep]

joeblow wrote:

shep wrote:

of coarse if you could get a air locker for similar money to a lockright it would be an easy choice.

problem there is auto lockers cost about $50 to make ($75 for the coupler version though), and manual lockers don't.

no arguments from me. however when i first built the diffs i am using the price
difference was more then the value of the car. the difference is like carby V EFI
both work but one is a bit more refined and user friendly.

[nick.gooding]

how much are we talking for an auto locker compared to an arb

[ajsr]

about $230 - 250 vs $1300 or so for each

[shep]

mine cost $550 for 2 lockrights and air lockers where $1250 each plus compressor also the local ARB shop wouldn't do supply only.

[Zachius]

grow some muscles

I have never been in a situation where the front been locked up all the time has caused big problems. Obviously it definitely has an effect but nothing that can't be solved by a bit of muscle or a bit of maneuvering (very rarely).

Maybe that is just me as I am well built and 6"4'...

I used my Sierra as a daily driver for 4 years and have done over 30,000k in it. I have broken a rear diff but that was (most likely) due to excessive clutch dropping on road. Sure air lockers would be great but for the 2k+ more there are other things that I would MUCH RATHER do.

As for bad handling, sorry but my experience is a different one. The handling is different, sure, but I find it predictable. I can only speak for the auto lockers I have used and I believe they are both lockrite. If the locker is not set up right and is and not locking up and unlocking cleanly then sure the handling might be unpredictable and scary in the wet.

Furthermore I have had both rear axles out (once each side to replace wheel bearings) and there is no discernible damage to the splines.

Not trying to say Joe doesn't know what he is talking about because he definitely does, I have just had a different experience to him.

[nick.gooding]

ajsr wrote:

about $230 - 250 vs $1300 or so for each

i just had a look on superior engineering and they say around 550 for a rear or front

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/s ... _29_30_216

[shep]

nick.gooding wrote:

ajsr wrote:

about $230 - 250 vs $1300 or so for each

i just had a look on superior engineering and they say around 550 for a rear or front

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/s ... _29_30_216

$199US from lowrange

[nick.gooding]

shep wrote:

nick.gooding wrote:

ajsr wrote:

about $230 - 250 vs $1300 or so for each

i just had a look on superior engineering and they say around 550 for a rear or front

http://www.superiorengineering.com.au/s ... _29_30_216

$199US from lowrange

hey hey...
thanks mate