Diff Lock or not to diff lock...

[smouch1975]

Go the locker, many of the other colours are awesome, especially the blue

[fridgie]

There's a couple of guys on here ( admittedly with ML's ) who swear by the diff lock for backing trailers onto job sites if that's the kinda work you do

[Brett05]

this shows how easy it was done at LCMP last week end with diff locks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEsMAQP1Qxc

[QueenslandeR]

nice driving fridge and sweet vid brett

[Mattstruck]

Thanks for all the great feedback. Im going the Locker! The sales rep wont be happy. He says dont get it you wont need it. They are awesome off road without (MN Triton) it. Anyway, stuff him. Im driving the beast!
Any one know the Triton stud pattern (MN)?
is it the same as Toyota or something. Want some hubs for my soon-to-be camper trailer the same as my Triton so I can swap wheels in emerg when we go away.

Once again. Thanks to all for great info. All very helpful! Cheers

[sam]

Mate, yes they are the same stud PCD as the toyota and nissans ..

[ag9111]

Got that wrong Sam, toyota's and nissan's are the same stud pattern as the MN. Even the lowly and outdated ML is the same

[JamoGLXR]

I wish i had got the locker

But it was sitting in the yard just begging to be signed.
So i did what any bloke would do who was hunting for a D40.. i got a GLXR

but now im thinking a locker could be on the plans
So.. Front or Rear?

[Mattstruck]

Just had a thought in respose to Kegsy.

Tell me if im wrong....

Kegsy hates a single spinner so he went the LSD. Fair enough.
BUT even if you have a single or a LSD you would still have TC so you wouldnt just sit there 1 wheel spinning would you?

So with TC it doesnt really matter if you have a LSD or a slippery diff. True??

[QueenslandeR]

sure do sit there one wheel spinning mate

[fridgie]

^^^

[NitroGLXRin]

sure do sit there one wheel spinning mate

Are you talking with traction control? Surtently doesnt do that in mine with TC. Did a 2wd comp on the beach against a navara ST no TC, and the navara beat me multiple times. As soon as the triton starts to spin you loose all momentum and bog down and eventually stop, where the navara just spins and pushes through keeping its momentum. Certainly proved to me TC sucked for 2WD beach driving

[daryn]

Well after this weekend as well away, I reckon this thread is going to build up some more

[al coholic]

I was mentioning having the front air locker on the weekend because i was under the impression that having the locker up front and lsd rear would make it pretty decent for off road driving.........despite the heavier front steering due to the locker!!!

But i can see what Garth and Daryn are saying about CV's and possible breaking them etc.........but putting the air locker in the rear will mean i loose the lsd right??? and have an open diff while driving on road............am i really loosing that much by not having lsd??? How do you guys with lockers in your truck find on road driving???


So group by for air lockers is being organised by BornGeek...........good onya buddy!!

[biggibbo]

Well after this weekend as well away, I reckon this thread is going to build up some more

After yesterday, I'm stoked I added it to the option list. Didn't think I'd need it, but how wrong I was. A definate for everyone who is unsure if you need it or not.

[al coholic]

Well after this weekend as well away, I reckon this thread is going to build up some more

After yesterday, I'm stoked I added it to the option list. Didn't think I'd need it, but how wrong I was. A definate for everyone who is unsure if you need it or not.

If you still don't need it..........I'm happy to take it off your hands mate I ran out of time to unbolt the rear diff out of the 4wd action press vehicle

[smouch1975]

I was mentioning having the front air locker on the weekend because i was under the impression that having the locker up front and lsd rear would make it pretty decent for off road driving.........despite the heavier front steering due to the locker!!!

But i can see what Garth and Daryn are saying about CV's and possible breaking them etc.........but putting the air locker in the rear will mean i loose the lsd right??? and have an open diff while driving on road............am i really loosing that much by not having lsd??? How do you guys with lockers in your truck find on road driving???


So group by for air lockers is being organised by BornGeek...........good onya buddy!!

I find no discernible loss by having an open rear, for normal daily driving

[ag9111]

I dont have an issue day to day driving.
What I do miss is the child in me being abit of a ratbag. I used to play in the ML, getting it sideways out of roadabouts. Smoking up the rears, in my diesel, when my mates in their V6 hiluxs struggled.
Doing donuts. I so wish I could of joined you guys at Geraldine and at Stockton. Really pisses me off sometimes. Got to work out how to turn off the Traction Control, REAL SOON but will still be left with an open diff

Dont get me wrong. If you moderate your driving style, you will reduce the chances of breaking something.
You just have to realise that if you lift a wheel and then bring it down on a hard surface you are increasing the risk of breakage. You get the same issues with an open front diff but the risk is a lot less.
If you take it easy you reduce the risk. Drive like BG, Pdidy oy Alco. Its all over bar the repair bill

[fridgie]

Only person I know of with a complaint was chicky, backing trailers onto job sites......but that would more than likely just be his driving

[Homer]

Sounds like Garth is talking about the same regrets I knew I would have....open rear diffs suck.

If you do a bit of sand driving then it sucks worse.

Sitting there smoking one unloaded front and or rear wheel in the bush sucks the most...

If you're still a child at heart...damned if you do....

[4wd26]

Yep- I notice no real difference around town with the open rear diff- a bit easier to spin up if that way inclined in the wet, but as far as traction in everyday conditional the loss of the LSD is of no concern.

off road just trundling around, I would have engaged 4wd and never worried about driving fire trails, but with the open diff you will notice that traciton is lost pretty easily in the rear and sometime momentum, so to baby the tyres- reduce wheel spin, I now engage the rear diff lock.

Not a biggie, but one area that I have had to change my driving style to suit the open diff (rear locker).

[Steane]

Can't say I notice the open rear diff at all in normal driving. Would rather have the locker than an LSD, so (for me) it was never really a choice. I don't drive the Triton hard on the road though, I much prefer just loping along in it.

[QueenslandeR]

This has got me thinking.

Owning a MN without the factory locker and knowing that the TC automatically turns itself off when you engage diff lock. If you were to add front and rear air lockers to your car, then the TC shouldn't come into play when they are on because both wheels (front and rear) would be spinning at the same rate???

[sam]

Was out doing a reccy trip today in a mates 02 turbo deisel Hi Lux dual cab which has a lokka in the front and a pretty stuffed lsd in the rear and can only say it was impressive at least in hilly rough terrian so I would go lockers front and rear and just be careful when using the front ..

[borngeek]

So group by for air lockers is being organised by BornGeek...........good onya buddy!!

bull! you said YOU would!! (Daryn can hopefully help us with pricing anyway so happy to help if I can )

The rear locker and open diff would not suit my current driving style and the fact I spend a lot of time in the city in the wet and life would be pretty boring without the LSD. Dont get me wrong if I had the choice at the beginning I would have grabbed the diff lock now. Retrospect (I would have had to wait for the MN anyway which would have been an OK thing. -all jokes aside )

Now for the n00b question1.. If we went aftermarket (eg ARB) on the rear and remove our LSD crown... This would not be tied into the ECU electronics and therefore could be activated in 2wd yeah? SO fun could in fact continue on and off road.... risks/comments////

n00b question2.. If we kept the factory LSD and whacked a locker on the front.. (I have driven locked front wheel drive race cars so I know the strain and loss of steering involved from this at low speed and advantages at high speed but zero for offroad)
A couple have indicated (AG & D) that this is going to put enourmous strain on CV's (makes complete sense). If we engaged this feature only for the challenging parts of the track and disengage after we will be minimising strain but really what are the biggest killers? High RPM/Torque applied during obviously but if you say engaged 4low and were able to adapt some sort of throttle lock mechanism (like the old lancruiser dad had you could pull this little stick and lock it at certain revs) and be 'sensible' (dont laugh) is this a feasible option given it would be something I would rarely use?

What precautions, what are the real risks, what have others with mates (no matter the brand of truck) have seen, heard or otherwise?

To move on from that on the front locker.. Upgrading your CV's to something tougher.. Is this worth it? what will break instead seeing the weakest point will move!

//D happy to have you stick front lock debate in another thread just saw it started here and figure if it gains traction (pun intended) you can move it out