89-4Runner

I've got front and rear 4.88 diffs sitting on my bench waiting to be installed in my rig, but I've been waiting the arrival of the rear V6 Aussie locker, which I was told would most likely be in the April build. I don't know if I can wait that long, figuring they probably won't be here until maybe mid May.
Next logical choice for my budget is a Lockright, but I haven't heard people rave about them the way they do the Aussie.
Should I wait for the Aussie or buy a Lockright?

jfreisner

I've heard decent reviews about both, but I'm choosing to run Aussie's front and rear. Toyotaoffroad.com has a lot of reviews from people running both. Why wouldnt you get the Aussies until May? Are they on backorder?

ovrrdrive

I think you hear more bad about the Lockrights because they sell so many more of them.

I wanted an Aussie too but to even get a 4 cylinder model would take a few months due to the backorders so I just went ahead and bought a Lockright.

Seems like a nice unit even though I've only had it in for a week. It definitely locks up both tires and ratchets in the turns like its supposed to. I think it was a good decision.

Are you sure there isn't a 6 month wait of preorders for the V6 models?

Be sure to check in the Aussie thread over in the pirate 4x4 vendor forum. The guy that imports them has a thread over there so you can be in direct contact with him.

ovrrdrive

The 4 cylinder models are hopelessly backordered and they don't have a V6 model on the market yet...

89-4Runner

Yeah, I followed the thread on Pirate and PM'd about the V6, the guy told me they were working on it. I emailed cust service through www.aussielocker.com and was told that the V6 rears were slated to go to build in April, (but no firm build date) and would be available here in the US shortly thereafter. He made no mention of pre-orders or a 6 month backlog, but I'm sure there is a demand for them so he could have just neglected to give me that info. I didn't ask if they were taking pre-orders.
I know that the 4cyl applications were on backorder, but they have already been produced (unlike the V6) in the past. I didn't know there was a 6 month wait!

ovrrdrive

Well there may not be a 6 month wait... I waited for over 6 weeks and in that time they got one shipment that had 7 in it, then they got another a few weeks later that had 30 in it. Shipments that small go straight to the backorders. I talked to them on the phone and they said they'd call me but they never did, and eventually the guy even stopped replying to my pm's on pirate 4x4 and I think I only sent a total of 3.

I was just guessing that it would have taken me 6 months to get a 4 cylinder rear, and completely speculating about preorders on the V6 model. For all I know you time it just right and get the first one in the country, but I seriously doubt it. They just don't seem to have the production capability to keep up with the orders.

I can tell you that I saw a lot of requests for V6 models...

89-4Runner

Anyone else have anything good to say about the Lockrights?

4rnr

Aussie told me the V6 locker would be out in a month...... about 4 years ago.....and they told me that about 8 times over the course of a year. So I bought a detroit ez lock, it was just fine. Then when I did the SAS I went with lockrites front and back and they have been fine I have no complaints.

Aussie locker gets such great reviews because it is a new product in a "redheaded stepchild" corner of the 4x4 world (lunch box lockers) So many people run lockrites, and everytime one fails a thread is started about it, but for every broke one there are hundreds that are just trudging along. PORC has good prices on lockrites, buy one and go wheel. You are definatly over thinking this one. A lunch box locker is a lunch box locker.

ovrrdrive

I got mine frpm PORC as well... He really didn't have much nice to say about Aussie either, and actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about too.


Great price, service, and quick to ship too. PORC rocks.

wmiranda

If I pick up another LC or get my 91 running (have a modified LT-1 in there that needs to be wired up and I don't have the time) I'd like to try an Aussie but,.. I've had a lockrite and a detroit softlocker in my 90 4Runner for about 50k miles without any issues and a fair bit of wheeling so,.. I have nothing bad to say about those for sure.

Bill

Brenjen

By PORC, are you referring to these guys?

http://www.performanceoffroadcenter.com/index.html

When I clicked on the link to "shop online" I get a page that says; "This is a default setup of the osCommerce project, products shown are for demonstrational purposes, any products purchased will not be delivered nor will the customer be billed. Any information seen on these products is to be treated as fictional."
That doesn't instill a feeling of confidence in them.


I also found a seller on Ebay called porc548 that has a lot of off-road stuff (lockers & Hella light kits etc.)

The reason I ask is because I'm pricing the lockrights myself.

Sorry for the hijack, I'm a bad man.

RustBucket

iTrader: (1)

yep, PORC. I bought my lockrite from them for like $200 and it came in 2 or 3 days.

Lockrite is easy to put in, simple, reliable. Kind of a bummer in tight parking lot maneuvers though...

shiftless89

Ok, here’s my beaf with lockrite. I have broken one and so has my dad.
Granted mine was in a ford 8.8 rear and his was in a front D44. they broke in the same manner. Where the shear pins (hah shear what a joke) go into the body of the locker the body shattered. Mine cost me an entire rear axle as it took out the ring gear which then blew out of the axle housing (while in my apartment parking lot). My dad’s failed on woodpecker mine run in Az , not a place you want a failure. Maybe they have improved since then, I doubt it, it’s a cheap locker easily produced in mass. I have an Aussie on the way (shipped yesterday) from machinewave on pirate. I have searched for any failure of the aussie and have pretty much come up Zero. So I’m curious to see how the reliability compares. I will not buy another lockrite.

ovrrdrive

Yep that's them.

Their website looked like it was for jeeps mostly so I just called them. I suggest you do the same or you can also PM him on pirate 4x4 for a quote.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/member.php?u=16693

or

1-866-540-PORC(7672)


They also have a thread going in the vendor area on pirate 4x4 that you can read and ask for a quote in too.

chimmike

I love mine I've got one up front, will be doing front and rear when my SAS is done

I'll sell the front and my front IFS 5.29s when that time comes...

4rnr

This whole thread is of course based on the assumption that you will get a v6 aussie locker this decade

89-4Runner

Well, I PM'd both Machinewave and Aussielocker on Pirate, and emailed customer service at Aussielocker.com again today. Machinewave only said that the V6 was not yet available. I did get a reply from aussielocker on Pirate and the website customer service replied:

"I think we answered you on Pirate today. But just in case, yes the
manufacturing team has indicated that the build for the V6 Aussie Locker
will be started in April. We do not have an availability as until they get
the preproduction done they wont have a solid run time for the product. We
are not accepting preorders at this time. We appreciate your interest in the
Aussie Locker."

So it looks like I'll be looking at getting a Lockright since I don't want to wait until May to be told June, etc... If I could get a definitive 'Yes, they will be available on X date' I might be more inclined to wait, but who knows... so I appreciate any more feedback I can get on the Lockrights...

shiftless89

I am cheating to get mine, I actually switched to 4.56 factory 4cyl diffs instead of my 4.10 v6 diffs. One day I'll go with a E locker rear, but today its an aussie.