Airlocker Q's

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:43 pm

Apart from the locker itself, and compressor, can anyone tell me what is required to get the ARB's running?
I'm assuming you can buy the wiring/switches from the retailers?
Also anyone in ChCh that can fit one (Steve....)

Dave

hiriklux · Post by **hiriklux** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:31 pm

yep steve knows a good guy with diffs any on off switch will do 3 needed

here,s some info to get stuck into

http://www.arbusa.com/alac/alsp/Air_Locker_S&P_Manual.pdf

rik

albundy · Post by **albundy** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:04 pm

I think (don't quote and correct if wrong), the guy who owns 4wd accessories n CHCH used to work for the CHCH ARB supplier. When I looked at one, he was going to fit it for me but I saw the lite( from my observation, this is not meant for debate as it has been before) I wil eventually go lokka's
Al

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:09 pm

Al, what light did you see?
I wouldn't mind if I had an auto locker, but the price of a lockright is getting up there, so was sort of considering a air locker.

Wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on the 2, as any advice is appreciated (you can just PM me to avoid the debating if you like :wink:

)

If I dont get the airlocker I'll just go for 35's, body lift and cert.

Cheers,
Dave

albundy · Post by **albundy** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:25 pm

My observations: know heaps of dudes with lockers of different types. have only seen the airlocker ever fail out of all of them. Not saying they don't do their jobs but if you loose air, diff seal ,axle seal or electrical power the airlocker will fail. The others won't. Have seen it all too many times. Never seen Hosehustler's shit themselves though

Just my observation. But have seen hiriklux, liethfield and hosehustler's oldman's airlockers shit themselves though.
Al

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:31 pm

Thanks for the info.
Will have to look into an auto locker. Any idea what brand these guys run? Have heard the Lokka's should be avoided, but haven't had any experience with them so don't want to rule them out too quickly.

Dave

rokhound · Post by **rokhound** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:09 pm

I have also heard guys bagging the Lokkas, But if Supra surf can amke one last in his wreck, they can't be all that bad.

I have Lockrites in mine (the orignal easy locker that Lokka copied), but have issues with both of them working properly :cry:

. They are for 4 pinnion diff heads, but both my diff heads were LSD's (which are also 4 pinnion). The cross pins on an LSD are totally different to the cross pins on a factory 4 pinnion diff head, so we have swapped in the 4 pinnion cross pins. Lockers still don't work though (They are both locked up all the time, areal bitch on your turning circle). :oops:

But back to thread, other brands are Detroit, Lockrite, Robertson (don't know if they still make these or not) Lokka, and the factory OME lockers that most manufacturers have,

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 7:48 pm

I think DB had (or maybe still has) a problem with his lockright not disengaging.

Will have to look at a lokka and see how it goes I think.
Still want 35's and a body lift, but the extra $400 odd to cert it is making me think twice.

turoa · Post by **turoa** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:06 pm

My old man has got ARB's F+R on the patrol. The only problem that we've had is the damn fuse for the compressor keeps blowing. That should be resolved when the endless air goes in though

H2OLOVA · Post by **H2OLOVA** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:12 pm

I run a Lockrite in the rear of my cruiser and have had no trouble with it (touch wood :salut: ) Fitted it myself. Took some time getting the shims sorted but works fine.

Summit033 · Post by **Summit033** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:38 pm

What is 'Endless air'....?

Shane · Post by **Shane** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:40 pm

DaveM wrote:I think DB had (or maybe still has) a problem with his lockright not disengaging.

Will have to look at a lokka and see how it goes I think.
Still want 35's and a body lift, but the extra $400 odd to cert it is making me think twice.

IMO going to 35's well get you more places than a locker well with 33's,9 times out of 10 I get stuck because of diff clearance,and you can have as many wheels driven as you like wont help if the tyres arent digging in the dirt.its very hard to drive round poor diff clearance I can tell you.
I'm looking to doing new tyres next year,35's well be the smallest I look at.

Shane

37's all locked up sounds good to me

turoa · Post by **turoa** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:41 pm

Summit033 wrote:What is 'Endless air'....?

You can either buy endless air compressors, or you can make your own out of an air con compressor. Its cheap and easy air

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:45 pm

I use my aircon too much to do that :lol:

turoa · Post by **turoa** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:59 pm

hes mounting a new pump. he uses his air con often aswell

hiriklux · Post by **hiriklux** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:58 pm

i run arbs at both ends the document i posted is what you need to know about maintenance and there is some to do mainly o rings and the odd occasional air line and if fitting yourself be gentle with the compressor when you wind the fittings in there as thin as a rolling paper and split easy mine was done by a supposed proffessional and came back split and rtv ed up which lasted about a year but gradually got worse so i replaced it as for performance the lockers do there job and can be switched on and off on the move so you dont loose any turning circle

as for detroits when i looked into lockers they seemed to give me the impression they were hard on tyres so i figured a few extra dollars for the air lockers would pay off after a few years of driving and another thing that isnt mentioned is the detroit shuffle when accelerating and braking but then you,d soon get used to it i suppose

not having driven detroits i only know this from what ive read and heard but i think air lockers are better when there working right

rockhound wrote

I have Lockrites in mine (the orignal easy locker that Lokka copied), but have issues with both of them working properly

yeh you do have a problem with your lockers........its sat in the drivers seat with a lead boot on its right foot :lol:

cheers rik

albundy · Post by **albundy** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 4:14 pm

Dave talk to Tm, he runs lokka's.
Al

Leithfield · Post by **Leithfield** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:14 pm

albundy wrote: ... have seen hiriklux, liethfield and hosehustler's oldman's airlockers shit themselves though.

Lets be fair here Al - I split an O-ring subsequent to forgetting to re-tighten all the diff studs. ARB build great lockers, but they are not idiot proof :oops:

.

When looking at lockers DaveM, everyone has an opinion ... and if you want the opnion of one who's run with both (formerly dual Lokkas and now dual ARB's), I would never go back. I say that not because I wasn't satisfied with the Lokkas, but because I am more satisfied still with the ARB's:
- love being able to switch them in and out at will
- above makes for great turning circle off-road
- pneumatic hiss sounds cool

- significantly strengthen one's diffs
- no handling surprises on-road
- no additional tyre wear on-road

The one caveat I would offer anyone considering getting ARB's, is to have them fitted by someone who knows what they are doing.

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 8:15 pm

Leithfield wrote:- pneumatic hiss sounds cool

Hmm, thats one HUGE selling point :lol:

I'm only looking at running in the front, so assume that there won't be any on road handling problems with a Lokka? (as in, I'm not in 4wd, so they can't lock?)

The main thing will come down to price I think, and whether I see more benefit in running 35's instead.

albundy · Post by **albundy** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 8:34 pm

Lets be fair here Al - I split an O-ring subsequent to forgetting to re-tighten all the diff studs. ARB build great lockers, but they are not idiot proof

.
Didn't say they were shit lockers. Think of it this way, just an increased"clinical risk" that another failure of a central component can lead to failure of the product, not necessarily the products fault.
Al

callum007 · Post by **callum007** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 9:15 pm

i run a Lokka in the rear. think its great. best $500 on the truck i think..
I had a detroit in the old cruiser. also great. Lokka was cheaper.
lokka's have 3 year warranty..

I blew seals/seized another aircon pump today. i have it all set up right.. so i too am ordering a endless compressor unless i can find a 24v thomas one from the states..

my 2 cents..

go with whats in your budget.. if you break it. try something else

JTop · Post by **JTop** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:01 pm

Save 4 an air locker, most failures are incorrect instalations or running the airlines in a sloppy non proffessional way. I have removed 2 auto lockers for people who were dissatisfied with their performance.
1 was a weedsprayer who would line up for a gateway only to have the auto locker engage and force him to have to back up and take another bite.
J Top

toymudlux · Post by **toymudlux** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 11:19 pm

im running lokkas in both ends and couldnt justify the extra$2500 to go to arbs , if buget is no issue go the arbs ,if comp trucks run them its for a reason ..
still the best 1k i spent in a long time..
my 2c