Aussie locker review - Page 3

Matt16 · 07-04-2008, 04:53 PM

All I can say is that, on loose gravel going uphill, the locker stays locked all the time because of the wheel slip. I wouldn't want that on a steering axle as it will be impossible to steer. Get a rear locker, learn to drive it and you'll be amazed where it can go. Then, if you really need a front locker, worry about that then.

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sajidd · 07-08-2008, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt16

All I can say is that, on loose gravel going uphill, the locker stays locked all the time because of the wheel slip. I wouldn't want that on a steering axle as it will be impossible to steer. Get a rear locker, learn to drive it and you'll be amazed where it can go. Then, if you really need a front locker, worry about that then.

Hi Matt,

Agreed!

Sajid

Matt16 · 07-09-2008, 01:11 AM

Honoured to have helped Yotatech's only member from Pakistan! Post up some wheeling pictures, I'd like to see what its like.

Zombie · 07-09-2008, 05:32 AM

I have to say that this is the best thread I have read on lockers. I have been wanting one for my '87 4Runner for a while now and I think that the Aussie is the way to go.

Matt16 · 07-09-2008, 12:28 PM

Go for it, you won't regret it.

Matt16 · 07-11-2008, 12:40 AM

Alright, I installed 4.56 gears and filled up the diff with 80W140 gear oil- that heavy stuff. The locker is a noticeably quieter and smoother. You still aren't going to forget its there, but its just not so in-your-face.

I just regeared, I have 31" tires. You can feel the gearing difference, hills where I would have been struggling to stay in third, I accelerate (slowly). Alas, you're not going to be fooled into thinking there's a V8 under the hood though. I think it would be fun to have 4.88s.

toyNG · 07-16-2008, 11:31 PM

this is a great thread! I've been debating between the Lock Right, No Slip, or an Aussie. This thread is really making me lean towards the Aussie.

Also, I was wondering what you guys thought of used lockers? I've seen some go for pretty good prices if you catch them at the right time. But do you think I'd be better off just forking out the extra $$ to get a new one?

904_runner · 07-22-2008, 08:19 AM

Bump!

Hey matt, well or anyone else that can help me.

I recently put some 85w140 or something close to that, gear oil in the rear diff to help smooth out the lockright. Ive noticed the last two days that when i first start driving it, when i shift lets say to 4th gear doing like 35 it kinda lurches, (almost like the locker is locking and unlocking, but im not sure) then today while driving to work it dawned on me that these last two days has been much cooler in the mornings (maybe between 50-60 degrees F) and that is when i experienced the problems. Then after i drive it for a while i notice the lurching will go away which makes me think that it has somthing to do with the consistency of the gear oil. Have you/anyone expereienced this?

I also noticed that it seems like gear oil might be leaking from the flange that the rear driveshaft connects to on the transfercase side, (oil on the underside of the truck in that area) which concerned me to make me think that maybe this is what was causing the above problem(maybe transfercase/trans was taking a crap, but now i don't think so) but i wonder if i need to tighten the nut that holds that flange on because i have heard some people say those have come loose on them.

Thanks

Jay351 · 07-25-2008, 03:53 PM

Hey Mike. You will need to replace the seal on that flange. I did the one on my front shaft. VERY easy to do. Took no more then an hour and a half taking my time..

Matt - Great writeup! Im glad to see its helping other members make their own decisions on autolockers, and not listin to the hype created by the select few...

I find my lockright to be smooth. I mean im so used to it by now I know all the quirks! People who drive with me never notice a thing unless it pops on me

I love the hood lifting/tilting thing, makes me feel like my truck has more power then it does

Im insterested in the heavy gear oil idea, im running the 75w-80 Amsoil synth. On one hand I want to see how some heavy duty 140 would feel, but my pricy fluid has only 20k on it

blueyoda · 07-25-2008, 09:02 PM

Jay, Time to rebuild my rear end SO LOCK IT, where did you get your lockright from? trying to get a good deal here.

904_runner · 07-27-2008, 03:49 PM

Yea i know jay, out of town at the moment so no can do.

btw, i think that learching i was trying to describe might be from the tps. I think the used one i put on there took a dump, we will see when i get to pull the throttle body off to get to it(the bottom screw on the tps is stripped

)

Matt16 · 07-27-2008, 06:34 PM

Mike, that doesn't sound like a problem with the diff/ locker IMO. That's odd that the locker acts up with the thicker viscosity (colder) oil. I found the opposite to be true. I think I may just run straight Vaseline in my diff. That ought to be even better than 80W140. With my current oil, it doesn't seem to change behavior hot or cold.

Again, to summaries my thoughts on auto lockers:
In my opinion, autolockers provide an increase in traction almost similar to going from 2wd to 4wd. They are not as smooth as an open diff on pavement, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks- even on a daily driver mostly street truck. The locker has never gotten me into trouble before, however I have gotten myself into trouble knowingly misusing the locker. (see below)

904_runner · 08-02-2008, 12:09 PM

Hey jay, the seal on the flange, what size socket does it take to get the nut off?

And matt, i think it is smoother with the thicker oil, im starting to believe i need to replace the tps again, i think that it is acting up a lot, giving me the impression that it is making the truck learch. Im just out of state so i cant work on it. (btw with the tps on the 3vze can you just take the throttle body off to get the tps off? The bottom screw is stripped)

Matt16 · 08-08-2008, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay351

Hey Mike. You will need to replace the seal on that flange. I did the one on my front shaft. VERY easy to do. Took no more then an hour and a half taking my time..

Matt - Great writeup! Im glad to see its helping other members make their own decisions on autolockers, and not listin to the hype created by the select few...

I find my lockright to be smooth. I mean im so used to it by now I know all the quirks! People who drive with me never notice a thing unless it pops on me

I love the hood lifting/tilting thing, makes me feel like my truck has more power then it does

Im insterested in the heavy gear oil idea, im running the 75w-80 Amsoil synth. On one hand I want to see how some heavy duty 140 would feel, but my pricy fluid has only 20k on it

I've been thinking about gear oil weight lately. I think mostly it was a reduction in noise compared to a 80W90, but I'm unsure whether its any smoother actually. I think I was initially mistaken. The Redline Shockproof did kind of suck with this locker.

Jay: Don't fix what ain't broken, if your oil is working, stick with it.

Anyone know if tire size (diameter) affects locker performance?

904_runner · 08-08-2008, 04:14 PM

Um Matt, i went from 31X10.50's to 33X12.50's and didn't notice a difference on the locker performance.

ryantowry_81 · 08-08-2008, 04:36 PM

i put an aussie in the rear of my 84 and i love it, for the price you cant beat it! i am going to get a selectable for the front because driving the icey roads in alaska locked front and rear is crazy, but i have not had any problems with the rear but i am really conservative in the snow (ltb's dont do much on glare ice unless siped, i learned the hard way!)

I have never heard of tire size affecting anything other than how many times it clicks in the turns, just less revolutions. I guess if you went too big you might have to worry about strength but you probably have to get 40+ before i would worry about that

Matt16 · 08-17-2008, 07:56 PM

What about a Truetrack for your front? I've decided I want one for my truck up front. I understand it's great on snow, and that's when I need the most traction.

idayota · 09-24-2008, 08:09 PM

this is what yotatech is all about!! nice write up...no bs...straight tech. thanks a ton!!

Matt16 · 09-29-2008, 11:18 PM

UPDATE 29/09/08

I put 85W140 dino oil in the diff. I had the locker out to install 4.56 gears a couple months ago. With 31" tires and 4.10s, my 22RE 4runner was a bit of a dog, the 4.56s make a huge difference. Best $350, I've spent to improve all round ability, it feels like there is a perfect gear for every hill now.

I'm now back at school and commuting a lot in the city. The locker isn't an issue. Period. At times, its a little annoying- but in terms of my annoyance of the entire situation, while driving through the city, first would be my gas mileage, then it would be the fact that the 4Runner is miserable to drive in traffic straight from the factory because their big, next would be that I don't have a passengers side mirror, then the fact that standards are annoying in heavy traffic (wouldn't give it up though!), finally, the locker would be last on my list of complaints.

Offroad, its still brilliant.

Matt16 · 09-29-2008, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryantowry_81

i put an aussie in the rear of my 84 and i love it, for the price you cant beat it! i am going to get a selectable for the front because driving the icey roads in alaska locked front and rear is crazy, but i have not had any problems with the rear but i am really conservative in the snow (ltb's dont do much on glare ice unless siped, i learned the hard way!)

I have never heard of tire size affecting anything other than how many times it clicks in the turns, just less revolutions. I guess if you went too big you might have to worry about strength but you probably have to get 40+ before i would worry about that

Axle strength would be an issue before the locker would. In fact, I haven't ever heard of one breaking ever, some of those guys on IH8MUD run huge tires, upgraded axles and crawl ratios so low its hard to imagine.

The Aussie locker isn't the weak link in the chain.

joebattle1 · 10-02-2008, 05:48 AM

This was such a great review that I went out and tried to buy one only to find out that they don't actually produce this for my 90 runner. Matt16, How did you get one of these?

Matt16 · 10-02-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joebattle1

This was such a great review that I went out and tried to buy one only to find out that they don't actually produce this for my 90 runner. Matt16, How did you get one of these?

Yeah, they do. For some reason, the website just doesn't list it. Its the locker listed for the Toyota 8" diff, 30 spline. Basically, the rear diff that came with the 4 cyl (non-turbo) engines. The critical bit is that it is a two-pinion diff that looks like this:

Instead of this:

If none of this makes sense to you, read this page.

rusche · 10-12-2008, 10:23 PM

Been contemplating the aussie for a while now.
'88 4Runner, 22RE. But shes punched a little. Alot more power than before.
The idea behind the stability in 4WD is the lack of power to spin 3 tires, however, with the added horsepower do you think I could lose that control?
I live in N. Idaho and deal with a good amount of snow for a few months...

Matt16 · 10-22-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rusche

Been contemplating the aussie for a while now.
'88 4Runner, 22RE. But shes punched a little. Alot more power than before.
The idea behind the stability in 4WD is the lack of power to spin 3 tires, however, with the added horsepower do you think I could lose that control?
I live in N. Idaho and deal with a good amount of snow for a few months...

I'm sure there's a possibility of spinning 3 tires, but you'd have to be a really bad driver unable to control your vehicle, or fooling around.

I'm sure you could spin 3 tires in snow in 1st gear, probably second, but 3rd? Probably not. As long as you're not driving around foot to the floor at 4000 rpm, you're only dealing with about 40-50 hp. What this all means is that you're going to be doing a maximum of 15 or so miles per hour when you have the power to spin 3 tires. You're not going fast, so so start to feel the slip, you back off on the throttle, countersteer a little, and you're fine. You go on you're way.

Looks to me like you have BFG T/A KOs, which are winter rated. You should be fine. Mud terrains, I'm not so sure.

Matt16 · 10-22-2008, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toyNG

I'm hoping to get an aussie sometime. But I'm still a bit unsure of how they handle on the street. I've done a lot of reading, and people's descriptions of them are so varied. Some people say they are very tolerable, while others hate them and remove them quickly. I guess I just need to ride along with someone who has one.

Anyone with any thoughts on the Powertrax No Slip? I'm not really considering it, mostly due to price. But I'm still curious to hear if it really does run as smooth as they advertise.

I did a pretty comprehensive review on the Aussie locker. Its worth a read if I say so myself.

I wouldn't call myself a hardcore off roader. My truck takes me to an from various fishing spots, and exploring back roads, yes, I spend plenty of time in 4wd, but its also my daily driver. I've taken lots of passengers along with me commuting to school, work, and general driving around. No one ever has ever commented "why does the truck handle all weird?". I feel 100% safe driving around with it, even though I have been in some serious car accidents (got hit by a dumptruck on the highway, rolled my truck) PRIOR to getting the locker. I respect dangerous situations and give them a wide berth.

Do I have any hesitations driving my little sister, my girlfriend, or my grandmother around? No. Does a locker require more attention to driver? Yes, a little, in the same way driving standard requires more attention than driving an automatic.

07-09-2008, 05:32 AM	#54 (permalink)
Zombie Registered User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Guelph, Ontario, Canada Posts: 51	I have to say that this is the best thread I have read on lockers. I have been wanting one for my '87 4Runner for a while now and I think that the Aussie is the way to go. __________________ "87 rust free Texas 4Runner, 2" body lift, 33" tires, extra springs in the rear, 4:10 gears, 22re and no gas mileage.

07-16-2008, 11:31 PM	#57 (permalink)
toyNG Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Location: Redlands, CA Posts: 563	this is a great thread! I've been debating between the Lock Right, No Slip, or an Aussie. This thread is really making me lean towards the Aussie. Also, I was wondering what you guys thought of used lockers? I've seen some go for pretty good prices if you catch them at the right time. But do you think I'd be better off just forking out the extra $$ to get a new one? __________________ 1986 pickup 4x4 SR5, 5-spd, 33x10.5 BFG KM1 muds, 2" body lift, front and rear lockrights, 4.88s, 4.7 t-case with Dave'z twin stick, BudBuilt crossmember with 1" drivetrain lift, Downey grille guard and skid plate, TG sliders Still needed: rear bumper (Marlin, TG, or Dave'z)

07-22-2008, 08:19 AM	#58 (permalink)
904_runner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chico, California Posts: 3,781	Bump! Hey matt, well or anyone else that can help me. I recently put some 85w140 or something close to that, gear oil in the rear diff to help smooth out the lockright. Ive noticed the last two days that when i first start driving it, when i shift lets say to 4th gear doing like 35 it kinda lurches, (almost like the locker is locking and unlocking, but im not sure) then today while driving to work it dawned on me that these last two days has been much cooler in the mornings (maybe between 50-60 degrees F) and that is when i experienced the problems. Then after i drive it for a while i notice the lurching will go away which makes me think that it has somthing to do with the consistency of the gear oil. Have you/anyone expereienced this? I also noticed that it seems like gear oil might be leaking from the flange that the rear driveshaft connects to on the transfercase side, (oil on the underside of the truck in that area) which concerned me to make me think that maybe this is what was causing the above problem(maybe transfercase/trans was taking a crap, but now i don't think so) but i wonder if i need to tighten the nut that holds that flange on because i have heard some people say those have come loose on them. Thanks __________________ Mike 1990 4runner: 3.4 swapped, 5-speed, sas'd, Rear leaf swap, Locked, 5.29's, 39.5" iroks on Beadlocks, Armor'd Longfields, Duals coming soon: My build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f152/904_run...thread-158746/ http://www.treadlightly.org/ http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ery/index.html Last edited by 904_runner; 07-22-2008 at 08:22 AM.

07-25-2008, 03:53 PM	#59 (permalink)
Jay351 Contributing Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: maple ridge, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 8,630	Hey Mike. You will need to replace the seal on that flange. I did the one on my front shaft. VERY easy to do. Took no more then an hour and a half taking my time.. Matt - Great writeup! Im glad to see its helping other members make their own decisions on autolockers, and not listin to the hype created by the select few... I find my lockright to be smooth. I mean im so used to it by now I know all the quirks! People who drive with me never notice a thing unless it pops on me I love the hood lifting/tilting thing, makes me feel like my truck has more power then it does Im insterested in the heavy gear oil idea, im running the 75w-80 Amsoil synth. On one hand I want to see how some heavy duty 140 would feel, but my pricy fluid has only 20k on it __________________ 91 Pickup - xcab - 5sp - 3.0 - SR5 - 4x4 - 250k \|2.25" catback w/ magnaflow cat + glasspack \| Weasy2k cams \| Aisin manual hubs \| Diff breather mod\| Marlin HD clutch \|3" BL \| es3000's \|2" AAL \|1.5" bj spacers \| ISR \| Alpine headunit \| 4" Infinity fronts/5" rears \| 4.88's \|Rear lockright \| 33x12.50" BFG M/T on 15x8" steelies \|Hella 500's \|4" reverse lights\| Grant GT \|idler arm brace\|hella E-codes\| Marlin armor \|SS IFS brace \| %100 Amsoil synthetic http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2572486

07-25-2008, 09:02 PM	#60 (permalink)
blueyoda Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Sudbury ON Canada Posts: 381	Jay, Time to rebuild my rear end SO LOCK IT, where did you get your lockright from? trying to get a good deal here. __________________ -95 3.0 5spd xtncab, 33x10.5 TSL Radial, warn gold hubs, 6" shackles, K&N, isr mod, pioneer deck. bucket seats, 4rnr center console -91 runner 3.0, rancho rs5000, 1.5" rear spring spacers, custom rear trail armour, sony cd/mp3,K&N(FOR SALE) -93 Runner 3.0 (SAS PROJECT) -90 Runner 3.0 parts beast -I live to hear people say "you can't drive there with a truck" It's not a truck, it's a TOYOTA -take your chrome home -ALL TERRAINS are for people who turn around at the first mud hole

07-27-2008, 03:49 PM	#61 (permalink)
904_runner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chico, California Posts: 3,781	Yea i know jay, out of town at the moment so no can do. btw, i think that learching i was trying to describe might be from the tps. I think the used one i put on there took a dump, we will see when i get to pull the throttle body off to get to it(the bottom screw on the tps is stripped ) __________________ Mike 1990 4runner: 3.4 swapped, 5-speed, sas'd, Rear leaf swap, Locked, 5.29's, 39.5" iroks on Beadlocks, Armor'd Longfields, Duals coming soon: My build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f152/904_run...thread-158746/ http://www.treadlightly.org/ http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ery/index.html

08-02-2008, 12:09 PM	#63 (permalink)
904_runner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chico, California Posts: 3,781	Hey jay, the seal on the flange, what size socket does it take to get the nut off? And matt, i think it is smoother with the thicker oil, im starting to believe i need to replace the tps again, i think that it is acting up a lot, giving me the impression that it is making the truck learch. Im just out of state so i cant work on it. (btw with the tps on the 3vze can you just take the throttle body off to get the tps off? The bottom screw is stripped) __________________ Mike 1990 4runner: 3.4 swapped, 5-speed, sas'd, Rear leaf swap, Locked, 5.29's, 39.5" iroks on Beadlocks, Armor'd Longfields, Duals coming soon: My build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f152/904_run...thread-158746/ http://www.treadlightly.org/ http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ery/index.html

08-08-2008, 04:14 PM	#65 (permalink)
904_runner Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Chico, California Posts: 3,781	Um Matt, i went from 31X10.50's to 33X12.50's and didn't notice a difference on the locker performance. __________________ Mike 1990 4runner: 3.4 swapped, 5-speed, sas'd, Rear leaf swap, Locked, 5.29's, 39.5" iroks on Beadlocks, Armor'd Longfields, Duals coming soon: My build thread http://www.yotatech.com/f152/904_run...thread-158746/ http://www.treadlightly.org/ http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billav...ery/index.html

08-08-2008, 04:36 PM	#66 (permalink)
ryantowry_81 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Anchorage, AK Posts: 422	i put an aussie in the rear of my 84 and i love it, for the price you cant beat it! i am going to get a selectable for the front because driving the icey roads in alaska locked front and rear is crazy, but i have not had any problems with the rear but i am really conservative in the snow (ltb's dont do much on glare ice unless siped, i learned the hard way!) I have never heard of tire size affecting anything other than how many times it clicks in the turns, just less revolutions. I guess if you went too big you might have to worry about strength but you probably have to get 40+ before i would worry about that __________________ the "Turtle": now the mutant turtle..... 84 ex cab 63" chevies Rears Up Front Square Drive Shaft d60f 14 bolt rear welded both with 5.38's home brew hi steer 42x15-15 TSL's TBI 4.3 V-6 pretty much stock!!! Denali offroad club: http://www.denalioffroadclub.com/for...orum/index.php

09-24-2008, 08:09 PM	#68 (permalink)
idayota Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 575	this is what yotatech is all about!! nice write up...no bs...straight tech. thanks a ton!! __________________ *Wherever, Whenever, However...Tread Lightly!***

10-02-2008, 05:48 AM	#71 (permalink)
joebattle1 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 32	This was such a great review that I went out and tried to buy one only to find out that they don't actually produce this for my 90 runner. Matt16, How did you get one of these?

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