What's my best D60 locker value?

[AgDieseler]

I've started to finish out my D60, and it has come time to decide on a locker. Knowing that the suburban is a daily driver, tows regularly, and is part of the real rigs drive home club, what do y'all think is my best locker value? I'm planning on running 37s and 4.88s and regular warn locking hubs.

I'm between a full detroit and a spool right now. Vote, or suggest a new option.

[robertf03]

selectable locker. I think a spool up front is retarded

[J Cooper]

yes
one word ARB, i think its the best way to go up front..... or rear :D

[jmancuso]

never lock the front axle on a daily driver unless it is a selectable locker

[Graystroke]

...plus, with a vehicle that big, a selectable locker might be advantageous on the trail to get the thing to turn.

[Chadnutz]

Jimmy - What is the difference between locking the front diff on a daily driver and locking it on a trail rig? Manual hubs pretty much negate the ill effects of a locked front diff....

David - Will ARBs work with your CO2? You can thank ESL for that locker. :flipoff2: Don't be sneaking any TAMOR members in after hours either. You haven't been working long enough to merit a slap on the hand. :flipoff3:

[Shaggy]

i am planning on getting a detroit as soon as i have some bank... or maby an electric locker i dunno i am too poor and will just run it open for a while

[jmancuso]

Jimmy - What is the difference between locking the front diff on a daily driver and locking it on a trail rig? Manual hubs pretty much negate the ill effects of a locked front diff....
You are right I forgot about manual hubs, but on the trail who wants to get in out of their rig to lock and unlock everytime you want to make a tight turn

[Shaggy]

You are right I forgot about manual hubs, but on the trail who wants to get in out of their rig to lock and unlock everytime you want to make a tight turn
i did this my last run and it is no fun ... no fun at all... seemed like i had to do it over 400 times... i think it was just worse because i only had one front shaft though

[AgDieseler]

Okay, selectable is sounding like a nice alternative except for the price tag. The only ones that I can think of off the top of my head are: ARB, OX, and Electrac. I don't like the idea of the diff cover being part of the system since it tends to get smashed by rocks, so that rules out the OX and Electrac.

The ARB should work with CO2, but I'd have to check the locker's cfm requirements as my regulator isn't a high flow unit. Does the ARB need a constant pressure source, or does it just need pressure to engage it, and then it stays engaged on its own mechanically? What max/min pressure does the ARB require? Does anybody have a line on one?

[J Cooper]

it just needs the air to engage, if youve seen my resevoir it is tiny, i think it only fills up to like 7 psi or around there, and i can usually engage front and rear twice, then the pump kicks back on to fill it back up. and yes it stays locked mechanically.... kinda, the air stays in the locker, when you turn the switch off it releases the air and it goes back to an open locker. i know people buy the little silinoid that lets the air through and just put in on their on board air tank, i would ask them about the CO2 though.

[eight]

Me thinkith ARB needs constant pressure. And they like to leak a little. Seen it plenty of times when the front's not pulling cause the ARB leaked all the air out of the OBA tank and the person just has to flip the pump on. Not an issue with OBA, but with CO2..... Or maybe they just had an empty tank before switching the locker on.

What other lockers are available? Mike says lockrite is discontinued? He seems to like his. They make aussielocker for 35 spline 60?

You plan on putting hydro assist? Getting rid of push/pull?

When I get a 60 I'll most likely just weld it, but I don't think that'd be a good idea with 6000 lbs on it all the time.

[J Cooper]

havent had a problem with mine leaking and they are both 10 years old.

[AgDieseler]

You plan on putting hydro assist? Getting rid of push/pull?
When I get a 60 I'll most likely just weld it, but I don't think that'd be a good idea with 6000 lbs on it all the time.
Steering is on the list, but not until after I've got the 60 in and I've managed to save more money for the steering changes. I don't want to make this project so big that it take forever (or 29 pages) to finish. :flipoff3:

Oh, and the truck weighs 9000 lbs on the trail. :D

[jmancuso]

The ARB should work with CO2, but I'd have to check the locker's cfm requirements as my regulator isn't a high flow unit. Does the ARB need a constant pressure source, or does it just need pressure to engage it, and then it stays engaged on its own mechanically? What max/min pressure does the ARB require? Does anybody have a line on one?

It needs constant pressure source, and Min pressure is 85 psi
max 105 volume is not a problem it is less than an cubic inch per cycle

[Graystroke]

I've heard that ARB won't warranty a locker if it breaks and a non ARB compressor was powering it. I don't know if that is true or not. I can't see why unless you put too much air to the locker and it blows a seal or something internally. I say go with the ARB. They have been definitely tried and tested. Another company from down under is Jack Macmanara (sp?) lockers. I'll search and see what I find.

[Graystroke]

It's McNamara. These guys are the rage in Toys and LR's down under. A D60 down there is something like $5k AU! These things are suppose to be as reliable and/ or stronger than ARB. Here's the link They have a vacuum actuated 60 locker!
http://www.mcnamaradiffs.com.au/ordering.html

[uglyota]

Looks like it's solved, but I've heard of plenty of people running ARBs off CO2. I think Powertank sells a manifold for that purpose.
I don't think I'd rule out OX just because it uses the diff cover. I seem to remember that cover being pretty beef.
PS 9000 pounds?! That's 3 ugly trucks!

[bburris]

Why not get a Detroit and not worry about air leakage, cable malfunction, odd diff covers or any of that other crap? If you need to make a really tight turn you can just kick it out of 4lo to 2wd and turn. It's not like you do a whole lot of tight trails and fast competitions...

[Graystroke]

The only other reason I can see for selectable vs. detroit is if you ever plan on doing any winter driving, go to the mountains, snow skiing, etc.

[AgDieseler]

It's not that I don't like the idea of an air locker, it's the price that kills me. Brett's right, the suburban is far from a comp rig, and can barely fit down some trails. This is why I want input on the best locker value.

Until recently, I didn't even think that putting a 60 under the suburban was a worthwhile project since I wasn't tearing up my 10 bolt. That is until I've found my limited slip not holding well enough on hill climbs, and even with a gentle engine and foot I still have managed to elongate the axle shaft ears over the past few trips.

While I think that an ARB is an excellent choice, I'm not entirely convinced that the better performance and options warrants the extra $300-$400 over the price of a detroit.

[robertf03]

Why not get a Detroit and not worry about air leakage, cable malfunction, odd diff covers or any of that other crap?

Only place I've heard of ARB's leaking is the lines, and I'd bet that its the installer, not the product that sucks

[eight]

If you're just stretching the yokes you should just weld the caps in. It will stop that. Its cheap, easy, and works.

Then find something fun to put that 60 in. :D

[Graystroke]

I see ARB'S for around $600 all the time. If you know someone you can find them for around $500.

[uglyota]

It's not like you do a whole lot of tight trails and fast competitions...
And you're gonna upgrade your steering eventually anyway, so you'd probably be better off getting the detroit

[AgDieseler]

If you're just stretching the yokes you should just weld the caps in...
It's more than that. I think we can all agree that the 10 bolt wouldn't live up to 4.88s, a detroit, and 37s. That's where I want to go, and instead of wasting about $700-$800 on my current axle, I'll just dump that money into the 60. It doesn't require much more money, and will give me twice the strength.

I just got off the phone with Jeremy at FWP in Austin. The best deal he can make on a detroit is $500, and $725 for an ARB. Either way, I've still got some saving to do.

[usmcagg02]

you could decide to go with an arb then use that as an excuse to justify buying a compresser as well. after all, if you are gonna spend money...why dont ya spend all of it. :D