Diff Locks benefits

[xsf10w]

Hi Guys,

I'm just negotiating the purchase of a new MN GLXR dual cab auto all good.

The rear diff lock seems to be a hard thing to get + expensive. I've never really done any offroading but have read a heap of topics on this forum about the benefits etc.

My question is it worth the extra time, money and effort to get the factory fitted unit or should I get the car and then buy an aftermarket one for the front and leave the rear as an LSD???? Not opening a can of worms I hope, but the more i read the more it seems the front air locker is the big benefit while the rear LSD + some handbrake usage with the auto is the go

With no experience in the 4WD world its a big call for me as i don't know the benefits from personal experience...... just what I've read.

Of the ML or MN owners who would if they had there time again do any of the things below -

1) Wait the extra and buy with standard rear diff lock
2) Not bother about diff locks at all, unless extreme 4WDriving you want notice
3) Skip the OEM diff lock and go after market front and rear
4) Skip the rear and go A/M front diff lock only

Look forward to your responses as I meet with a dealer at 3pm tomorrow to have my EVO IX inspected for trade and talk turkey about the new purchase. I'm looking at one of the Limited editions with the leather etc in silver or black?? Any other benefits with the limited edition models I saw they are fitted with the MMCS already.

Cheers
Andrew

[Greedy]

Of the ML or MN owners who would if they had there time again do any of the things below -

1) Wait the extra and buy with standard rear diff lock
2) Not bother about diff locks at all, unless extreme 4WDriving you want notice
3) Skip the OEM diff lock and go after market front and rear
4) Skip the rear and go A/M front diff lock only

I have an ML with no lockers
1) If I had my time again, I would wait for one with a factory diff lock. Damn my impatience to get new toys.
2) I don't do too much extreme 4wding but certainly could've used a locker at times
3) If you're going to put one in the rear, might as well fork out the readies up front and get the 160K warranty on it. ARB won't do that for ya.
4) Currently pondering this myself. Will probably end up with an manual locker of some description

[Jitsukablue]

I never considered a diff lock, and wasn't even aware it was an option when I bought!
When I bought the ML it was $300 option... I've only ever hung up once and the handbrake (not SWMBO) got me out of that. The LSD is very good, but then people here seem to like the diff lock on the beach.
I always thought I would get a front locker to compensate for no rear locker, but as yet the dear ML has gone everywhere I've pointed it...
Actually, when I really think about it, IMHO the best thing about the diff lock is how it drives ON road. The LSD is definitely setup for Off road, to the point that the LSD scrubs the tyres when turning into a road.

[Homer]

The factory locker option is pretty cheap compared to aftermarket and comes with the warranty.

But you lose the limo for everyday driving and I am in the front locker camp if you have a good LSD.

I personally would go for limo and front locker option for powersli....ahh I mean on road driving and also have that bit extra off road. As you say a little handbrake will help and they are a pretty tight LSD.

It is a can of worms and depends on your usage. Lots of tuff 4x4 go factory rear locker and ARB front locker.
Not much 4x4 or mainly sand/beach - keep it std and add front locker if you find you need it.

[chick_magnet_0001]

ive got a single cab with a rear locker light rear axle and it does make a bit of difference. Difference being in rough sand like going up cuttings on fraser where thier are tire rutts everywhere and wombat holes on the sandy hills (where pervious people have been stuck) not a huge difference but thier is a bit, would i go the difff lock again? yes being bogged and with it on, its been proven to move the car 1-2m wheres without it on 500mm is more the go in soft soft sand, same as mud, only draw back is wet road driving isn't as fun because of the entry speed needed to get things happening(open diff) and when taking off towing over 2t of boat on a wet hill at say 80% throttle you get wheel spin in second(not ideal) although mine is a single cab and my old mans is a dual cab he has no wheel spin issues(lsd+heavier rear)

[Dylan 191]

Like everyone else has said it really depends on how much 4wdriving you intend to do . If not much at all then would just have lsd in rear and then in future if things change could get air locker in front , if planning to do more and more offroad then i would get it like mentioned above it is covered by the 5/10 year warranty .
I have the standard diff lock and it has helped me out a number of times in soft sand , rocks and mud . It also allows a much slower crawl speed to get over things so less damage is done and with just normal 4wdriving i havent noticed the open centre diff to be a problem , even if it is just press that magic traction button

[steve tas]

I didnt really have a choice, if I wanted and the diesel manual but the lsd has been fine. I will fit an air locker in the front eventually. I dont do extreme stuff but muddy and snowy stuff a fair bit and the lsd has been fine.
But as Greedy said, if you want a rear locker then wait for the factory one for the warranty and peace of mind.

[bendoon]

The MN GLR or GLXR with traction control does not have a LSD diff if you read the fine print in the broucher. Dont know if this is true for sure. I have a GLXR dual cab on order, i got diff lock as an option because with traction control off i think you will need diff lock. If you turn your diff lock on your traction control goes off. If you read the latest overlander they say the traction control works better then the diff lock because traction control works on all four wheels. Hope this imfo is of some use.

[NowForThe5th]

I use mine for four wheel driving, serious, but not extreme. I'd intended to get a front locker fitted (Lokka) but haven't really come across too many situations yet that I haven't been able to get through with the right technique and the standard rear LSD. Certainly I've never been shamed - the guys with front and rear diff locks haven't been able to get much further. So, to date, I haven't bothered. I've seen plenty of guys with big lifts, muddies, air lockers and all the other good gear only get halfway up hills that I used to trundle up in the MK and the ML does on its' ear. Bear in mind that mine's petrol so I have to go a little quicker to keep it in the torque band or go down a gear and risk too much torque.

Diff locks do allow you to go at it a bit slower, over rocks that's a real advantage, especially in a situation where you get diagonally opposite wheels off the ground. Not much sand around here but everyone says that diff locks are an advantage there although technique I think is still the biggest thing.

If you haven't done much four wheel driving then get involved in a club and learn, learn, learn.

[Cowboy Dave]

I didn't get it on mine but that was because I was impatient. It's about $700 for the factory fitted which is cheaper than what it will cost to do later. Problem is that being factory fitted it means waiting.

I'm sure I read a review in one of the magazines recently where they had two tritons, one with and one without. The one without had the stability/traction control or whatever it is. they were trying to get up a muddy hill or something and the traction control beat the diff-locked triton every time.

No personal experience of this but I remember reading it and thinking maybe I wasn't so upset about missing out on the diff-lock after all.

[NowForThe5th]

Yes Dave, good points. I hadn't thought about the TCS. It may very well be that the old mechanical systems like diff locks are about to become a thing of the past. Just look at Discovery, 200 series Cruiser, Defender - all open diffs with electronics and and all very, very, good straight out of the box. Pajero and Triton too.

[jop]

Difflocked
http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo74 ... _19_36.flv
Not difflocked same hill
http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo74 ... zsmall.flv

[jop]

Same hill at the end of this one, difflocked
http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo74 ... nt=jop.flv


Old vids but you get the picture

[xsf10w]

Difflocked
http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo74 ... _19_36.flv
Not difflocked same hill
http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo74 ... zsmall.flv

WOW thats a huge difference, Did the 2nd one have traction control or LSD or just and open diff? Surely the traction control in the Mn 2010 would behave better than that white one>?

I better go buy the new overlander and read the story thats been mentioned.

[xsf10w]

Difflocked
http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo74 ... _19_36.flv
Not difflocked same hill
http://s363.photobucket.com/albums/oo74 ... zsmall.flv

WOW thats a huge difference, Did the 2nd one have traction control or LSD or just and open diff? Surely the traction control in the Mn 2010 would behave better than that white one>?

I better go buy the new overlander and read the story thats been mentioned.

[jop]

White one had the factory lsd.


Here is a good thread on the comparison betwwen traction control and diff locks from the pajero forum
http://www2.pajeroclub.com.au/forum/sho ... php?t=9188

[Homer]

Sounds like std diff and traction control is the go then.

The guys with lockers would get a huge benefit from them compared to having them switched off - as open diffs are crap, so comparison is hard.

Reckon the white one might have got up that hill with a bit of handbrake? It is white after all!

[jop]

He did get up, from memory 5th go, with a lot more numbers and bouncing all over the place.


Imo, lockers front and rear are ultimate.

Tc is great and will suit most offroad adventures.

My concern is the loss of traction needed before it kicks in and possible overheating (not sure if this will affect the triton)

[Homer]

After market locker front and rear with TC

[sam]

After having Diff lock on our 1st blue ML and not being able to get it on this last one all I can say is GO the locker

We are going lockers front and rear on this new one

[Homer]

Spoken like a man who is having diff problems - only joking mate - hope it is sorted soon.

The MN with TC would be a different kettle of fish I reckon.

Still nothing like road driving with a limo though...fast right turns at intersections, pulling out of driveways or shopping centres on busy roads etc....nothing like it....not to mention wet roads.

Does anyone know if they change the diff centre if an aftermarket locker is fitted?

[sam]

Yes they change the diff centre Homer but remember if it's an after market locker you can lock it in at anytime

This means you can lock it for some fun like with your LSD atm

[jop]

On an mn- i reckon go the aftermarket lockers route - factory locker disables TC (i've heard?)

So with aftermarket lockers you can have lockers whenever you want and tc

[Homer]

I was wondering how the TC copes with locked diffs?
What happens when at every turn both the inside wheels lose traction a little bit, so the brakes go on the opposing wheel and......

[NowForThe5th]

Homer, there are sensors which measure whether you are cornering or not and the direction and speed. When you're off road speeds are relatively low so the TCS doesn't come into effect the same as if you have a big lose at 100km/h. If your diffs are locked then both wheels should be rotating at the same speed and whether you have traction (side to side) or not then can't be measured - only if there is a difference side to side or front to back. If you have open diffs and TCS then when one wheel loses traction and goes faster this can be measured and that wheel braked so drive goes to the wheel with traction. For these reasons I'm not sure that TCS would work well, if at all, with both diffs locked. At any rate, doesn't it turn off below a certain speed?

Not that long ago I was involved, as a driver, with running a whole range of 4WDs around a test track which had been set up to put all of the common problem situations into practice. The vehicles with TCS had no dramas with any of the obstacles - just lifted a wheel, braked it and carried on with the wheels still in contact. We had a Mahindra 4x4 which has open diffs front and rear and that really struggled but with momentum, usually got through too. All the others just walked. There were a couple of modified suspension trucks which kept wheels on the ground all the time and they too had no problem, until it got to the slippery bits and then those with open diffs had difficulty. There was a Triton with factory rear diff lock and it was only marginally better than the Mahindra (better articulation helped) with the diff unlocked while locked it was near unstoppable. I ran my Triton around the track and where diagonal wheels were off the ground I expected difficulty but the LSD worked well enough with a touch of handbrake, to get through with not much more trouble than the diff locked one, even though the front wheel in the air was spinning like crazy.