Preference, locker front or rear ?

[baders Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close baders]

Thinking of installing an Eaton E locker but can only afford one end. Which should it be, front or rear ? Should mention I mostly do sand work over here, beach and dunes, with some bush work.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Rear first without a doubt.

Cheers Andrew

[fridayman Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close fridayman]

Rear first without a doubt.

Cheers Andrew

Yip, rear first. Front on IFS is more prone to drive shaft failures.

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

I'll join in - rear for me too!

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

I put the rear in mine.

[baders Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close baders]

Thanks for that guys. I'll probably go rear, being better articulation and no CVs to break. Price installed is pretty steep here though

[YMUS Find all posts View Profile Close YMUS]

AJ and fellas, I am debating with myself whether to go for a locker (rear) first or simply overhaul the grande suspension... please help me understand just how different my truck would be with or without?
Would appreciate the input as there are too many peeps with "skin in the game" to give me a clear answer.
regards
larry D
YMUS

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Larry, as you have a Grande you should have traction control, so a locker won't be as big an advantage as it will for models without TC.

If you have no traction aids and open diffs anytime you get close to or exceed the limits of you suspension travel, power will go to the wheel that has the least resistance. Locking the centre diff will help if one wheel is lifted, but if you have little or no traction on diagonally opposite wheels your going nowhere. That's where a locker shines putting even power across the axle and giving you drive.

I would personally look at suspension before a locker.

At the 2011 GTG I watched three Prado's go up a gnarly track. The open diff 120 got up with heaps of right foot, heaps of wheel spin and huge wheel lift. A 150 with Traction control got up much easier but it was a bit jerky as the TC cut in and out. A twin locked 150 drove up smooth as, like it was a Sunday drive. So I see my lockers not as means to get further ( though they will get me further) but rather they get me there with far less stress on the vehicle.

Cheers Andrew

[BlakMoth Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close BlakMoth]

And less damage to the environment too so others can follow behind you easily as the track isn't torn up


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[scottkz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close scottkz]

TRD equipped cars should have an open rear diff also.... Brings me yo my next thought how will my car go with TRC and a LSD......

[raydes Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close raydes]

you could try one of these,,,,,, http://www.4wdsystems.com.au/index.php?id=29
work well and not expensive

[baders Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close baders]

You might have to explain that a bit more Scott........TRD ? TRC ?

[baders Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close baders]

you could try one of these,,,,,, http://www.4wdsystems.com.au/index.php?id=29
work well and not expensive

Interesting ! I have done some reading of the Detroit style auto lockers and there appear to be some problems with them NOT unlocking whilst turning. I know nothing about the Lokkas, if you have some experience with them I'd love to hear it.

[Anth120playdo Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Anth120playdo]

Thinking of installing an Eaton E locker but can only afford one end. Which should it be, front or rear ? Should mention I mostly do sand work over here, beach and dunes, with some bush work.

Definitely front.

Rear has LSD. Rear has good travel to help keep rears on the floor. ( if its set up right)
Going up a hill rear has plenty of weight on it. Generally they work well.

Front has a lack of travel, also not as much weight on it going up a hill, easily allowing a wheel off the ground or unloaded enough to spin. Then you get no drive to the other front. You are back to a rear wheel drive & going nowhere.

I put a front locker in mine first & it transformed the vehicle!
You can do things much more slowly rather than slam those front c/v's
I was on hills with all 4 wheels spinning & not moving ( traction is my problem ), LSD works well this is why Prados do well stock.

Now I have the 4wd systems lokka in the rear, that's great, but no real difference, just a little noise & the vehicle still goes places, well when it has traction.

I might add, in sand you shouldn't need lockers, on turns they can churn a bit more, better off having it open allowing wheel speed differences.

Just think when your out bush, when it lets you down, which wheels are spinning & why, I always found it was a front lifting, loose drive at front, then once your rear wheel drive the rear can spin too.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

In the photo below the Prado only has a rear locker and clearly the front wheel is well of the ground but is not spinning. This is because it also has a centre diff lock which means the front axle cant spin faster than the rear. So lifting a front wheel is not such a big deal with the rear and centre diff locked.




Add to that the fact that with a front locker in, steering is difficult, almost unnerving sometimes. I have front and rear as I really didn't know which to go for so just got both If I was to have my time again I am not sure I would spend the money on the front locker at all.

Cheers Andrew