lock right v. aussie v. detroit e-z locker

Im thinking about getting a locker for the amc 20 but dont have near the cash for an ARB or OX. Therefor that limits it to a cheap luncbox locker, spool, or weld but since i drive the jeep everyday (or at least I will sometime) I want something that wont be full lock all the time. What are the pros and cons between the 3 listed in the title? And what are the differences between the amc 20 in a cj vs the amc 20 in a waggy (other than that the waggy has 1 piece shafts) and will one of thsoe lockers made for a cj work in the wag? This is probably a stupid question but i dont know much about it

I bought a lockright for the 44 thats probably never going under the truck. Main reason was price and avaliability. The aussie is ALWAYS on backorder, so if you break and need a replacement you're screwed. Aussie is supposed to be exact same thing as the lockright, even designed by the same guy, just for a a different company. Call up Performance Off Road Center in GA. They beat a couple prices I had on everything and overnighted me a gearset when they relized they hadn't included it with the rest of the order, so it got to me before everything esle did.

i got an aussie and i like it. for a vehicle w/ no hubs in the front it wasn't noticable at all

If you're going to drive it every day I wouldn't put a spool in or weld it for handling reason's and tire wear issues. I have a powertrax (Lock Right) locker in the rear of the Jeep and the only thing I noticed/don't like is with 38"s it seems to unlock and lock rather loudly, but I never had any issues with 35"s. They're only recommended to handle up to a 35" tire anyway. There are several people in the club that have Aussie's and seem to have had good luck with them. Is the detroit ez-locker anymore expensive? Any of them are good choices, just pick the one that fits your budget best. :gigem:

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Originally Posted by CheapJeep

If you're going to drive it every day I wouldn't put a spool in or weld it for handling reason's and tire wear issues.

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I've got a spool in the bronco and would say its way better than a typical auto-locker for a daily driver, alot more predictable. Auto-lockers can engage/disengage at random times causing your car to swerve.

I've also got an Aussie locker up front and have nothing but good things to say about it.

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Originally Posted by 73bronco

I've got a spool in the bronco and would say its way better than a typical auto-locker for a daily driver, alot more predictable. Auto-lockers can engage/disengage at random times causing your car to swerve.

I've also got an Aussie locker up front and have nothing but good things to say about it.

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I agree with this also, but with stock axles the spool will chew the splines off the shaft eventually. I also have had very good luck with lockwrongs. when I blew the knuckle off the c-bone I shoved the axle back in and the locker still worked, seems like every full case detroit after an axle break they won't work right.

I like the locker swerve, on a big sweeper you can hit the gas or let off to steer more or less! I like the full detroit, If I want it to tire chirp I can just keep my foot in it in a tight corner, if not I just coast and it doesn't chirp. Fred has had good luck with his lockrights front and rear, drives it every day.

The welded rear handles just like open in the street. It just makes the tires make noise. I haven't had any funny looking splines on my axle shafts. It's been in there for about 3 years, and quite a bit of driving or towing for an offroad vehicle.

didn't you destroy one welded rear axle setup not that long ago?

Yea a shaft. It was on a hillclimb in 2wd low second gear right pedal on floor. Also broke one in the sidekick, it has welded rear, so it's now 3wd. I broke a few u-joints and 2 shafts in the old 44 and the diff never had a problem. When the shafts broke it must have shocked the **** out of it because it took out a hub and the driveshaft splines at the same time.

i like the welded rear also, and have even thought about welding my white bronco, but it doesnt see enough trail action to justify it. I would go welded or aussie, welded if you have discount tires for life!! aussie if not

just how badly does the welded rear eat the tires? I ran a detriot rear for 20K miles on a truck with 35x12.5 SSRs and noticed no difference in tire wear between the front and the back tires, even though I was told the detriot would cause alot more wear and quirky handling, which it also never did.

This time I'm going to go with a welded rear, and either a aussie or welded front. But I'm going to run hydro assist which will help.

I perfer the welded rear exept the noise. The detriot is nice too

I can't tell how fast it wears tires in the street. Katemcy wears tires.

lunchboxes aren't that great if you have a manual. creates too much slop in the axle for my liking, will unlock/lock when you shift, etc. don't try to shift during a u-turn.

i went with a mini spool since i have a manual. probably will go with a aussie for the front. My tires are wearing normally in the back more since they try to out run each other in turns.

you have an auto right? should be fine running a lunchbox

Weld it... i believe spending money on lockers is hogswallow, get a good size handful of rods and go at it

thanks for all the info, im still undecided because my welding skills arent that great but we will see. And yea, its an auto.

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Really only john didn't like a welded diff. And he's not in texas so he doesn't count.

If you can't weld it, find someone that can. Much more predictable on the street. Air up tires more if you don't like the chirping.

I can weld it in there for you real good. If you want I will do it next time I am down there

if you dont want to weld it put a mini spool in it, I got one off ebay for $0.99. If you go that route though make sure you spend the money on a cromo cross pin cuz when that goes so does everything else. Ask me how i know

As far as tire wear, i've had my MTR's since freshman year and this is my daily driver. I figure i've got around 50% tread left

whats the diff between a minispool and a full spool? and where would i get a chromo cross pin?

A mini spool just replaces the spider and side gears. Sends all the force through the carrier and cross pin. But an amc20 has a strong carrier. Full spool replaces the carrier, so it requires setting up gears, but it is much stronger.

so would a mini spool be strong enough since im just running 33's? would that even be any stronger than just welding the damn thing?

No, not stronger than welding, if its welded right.

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Originally Posted by eight

No, not stronger than welding, if its welded right.

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that is bs. I would consider myself a above average welder, And I would not trust a welded diff in my own truck much less for someone else's ride. It's half ars at best

Yes but a mini spool is more of quarter ars.

steven if you can get a mini spool for cheap i would do that just for simplicity, cook has one in his ford and he also has the chromo cross pin, im wanting to say he dropped like 60 bucks total or something like that on the spool and crosspin.

also a good thing about the mini spool is if you install it and hate it, you just take it out. If you weld it and dont like it, you are gonna have to find a new carrier and reset your gears, plus buying some other form of traction aid.

The only problem I have with the mini spools, spools, and welding is that its all rigid. With a locker you have some give in the axle. So when you locked it up tight its gonna start to give at some point and it starts to work on the splines on the shafts. In my ole dana 60 rear the splines have taken a beating pretty good and I did not drive it much.

I would pony up the money for a locker. Just my 2 cents

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Originally Posted by stx4wheeler

steven if you can get a mini spool for cheap i would do that just for simplicity, cook has one in his ford and he also has the chromo cross pin, im wanting to say he dropped like 60 bucks total or something like that on the spool and crosspin.

also a good thing about the mini spool is if you install it and hate it, you just take it out. If you weld it and dont like it, you are gonna have to find a new carrier and reset your gears, plus buying some other form of traction aid.

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the spool was 20 and the pin was 10 i think. ebay. i agree with kevin. you can take it out and put something else in if you don't like the spool. you won't be out much. don't worry about breaking anything with 33s

does anyone even make a mini spool for the amc 20? Ive searched quite a bit with no results.

Yea I've never heard of one. I have a welded carrier than only takes 2.73 gears.