thebusine$$

I really do appreciate everyone's advice and own opinions. It has been very beneficial to me and has offered me a ton of knowledge. What I have concluded from this tread, is that the majority recommend either an e-locker or an automatic locker, and I do not blame them.

Being that my 4Runner is a 2WD, and my truck is unequipped for the extreme and harsh off-roading, such as rock crawling, I am specifically looking for an advantage when riding across sand dunes or muddy trails. I really do not have the "big bucks" to spend on an ARB or swap, and I do not want to sell/trade my beauty for a 4WD!

What really caught my eye as I read down the list of posts, was the post about a No-Slip. Now the question that quickly came to my mind was: does a No-Slip offer better tire traction when off-roading, and is it as harsh as an auto locker? My ultimate fear is that when off-roading, I will get stuck in some loose dirt, unable to free myself. For this I am on journey for the best solution to make up for my truck being an 2WD.

I just want to know when I come to my decision about which to purchase, that it will not only bring about great results, but will also keep the same ride comfort, at the same time maintain the vehicle from breaking down so quickly; as of right now the car runs great (typically of Toyota vehicles)!

Let me know what you guys think!

AxleIke

Well, with anything, there are drawbacks. If you stumble upon a magic solution, please let the rest of us know.

Selectable is expensive. It has zero on road downsides, and zero offroad downsides.

auto is cheaper. Many who have them are fine with them, and have zero problems driving them around. I have driven several trucks with auto lockers. I couldn't stand them for a second. Hence the reason i bought 2 ARB's.

If you can, see if you can hook up with someone who's got a rear auto locker. See what you think. If you feel like it is fine, then you can spend your money free of worry. No harm done.

tc

x2

One other factor to consider is if other people drive your truck. They probably won't believe you about staying off the gas in a corner in slick conditions until they put it in the rail/ditch.

William

The No Slip is an auto locker, and gives the same traction as any other auto locker.

The No Slip is what's referred to as a "lunchbox locker", because it mounts in the factory carrier (like putting a sandwhich in a lunchbox), replacing the spider gears and side gears (although I think there are versions that somehow reuse the side gears).

The original lunchbox locker was the Lock Right. The Detroit EZ Locker (now known as the Genuine Gear Quick Lok) is an exact design copy, but it is made of an inferior alloy. I had a Detroit EZ Locker fail after less than 20 minutes of 4wd time while testing after installation (in the front of my '94 Mazda Navajo). I replaced it with a No Slip. Many others have had the EZ Locker/Quick Lok fail. Avoid the EZ Locker/Quick Lok.

The Aussie Locker is a sligtly modified copy of the Lock Right. According to a post made by a representitive from Aussie in a Jeep forum, there are some minor differences in the way it's designed, which supposedly make it a little more smooth than the Lock Right. The price of the Aussie is about the same as the Lock Right, and it's probably just as durable.

The Lock Right and it's clones can wear. The No Slip should wear very little or not at all.

The No Slip, designed and made by the same company that made the Lock Right, has some extra parts that make it much smoother and and quieter. Like I said before, when the No Slip differentiates, the coupler halves separate instead of rubbing together while ratcheting like the Lock Right. This, along with extra springs that help dampen backlash (play) in the drivetrain, are what makes the No Slip about 80% smoother and 98% quieter.

The coupler halves separating instead of rubbing while ratcheting, as well as having less shock load due to the extra springs, means less wear and damage to the coupler teeth of the No Slip, which is what wears on the Lock Right.

By the way, except maybe for rare circumstances (such as low traction situations like ice, which won't produce enough torque difference to allow differentiation), an auto locker shold never fail to unlock, even under throttle. It will drive the vehicle with the inside wheel in a turn, while the coupler halves attached to the outside wheel ratchets or separate.

If you were in a turn and let off the throttle, the inside wheel will slow the vehicle down, causing it to pull to the inside of the turn. If you give it throttle in a turn, the inside wheel will accelerate the vehicle and the coupler halves connected to the outside wheel will still ratchet or be separated. Only if you give the vehicle enough throttle to spin the inside wheel will it catch up to the speed of the outside wheel and be locked. That's the only way throttle will lock an auto locker. They don't lock by simply applying the throttle.

Anyway, as far as your fear of being stuck, make sure you have a High Lift jack and a few 18" long 2"x6" boards, a 20 foot snatch strap or two, a couple of clevises, a good come-a-long, and a shovel. It also helps alot to have a friend along. You will get stuck eventually, but you will also learn how to get unstuck. I've been stuck a bunch, but I also know how to get out. In fact, I've gotten myself out more than I've been pulled out. And you will also learn to read the terrain, which will help you not get stuck in the first place.

Don't be scared of getting stuck, but instead be careful about where you drive. I think you will do just fine.

chimmike

Negatory.

A no-slip is a limited slip, not a locker. It won't work as well as a locker, and that's why it has better on-road manners. It attempts to limit slip, but it does not essentially lock both axles to turn at the same speed or apply equal torque to both wheels.

Everyone bitches and moans about lock-rights being rough, but they're not. If you're that concerned with it, get a detroit locker for the rear and you'll be fine.

William

I'm not trying to start an argument or anything, or to piss anyone off, but a No Slip is a locker just like the Lock Right is. In fact, the coupler halves of a No Slip have teeth that look identical to the teeth on the coupler halves of a Lock Right.

The No Slip does not have multiplate or cone clutches and spider gears like a clutch type limited slip (Auburn, Trac Lok, Traction Lok, Positraction, Sure Grip, etc.), or helical gears like a geardriven limited slip (Truetrac, Torsen, Quaife, etc.). It has teeth on the mating surfaces of the coupler halves.

So the No Slip will not act like a limited slip. The coupler teeth won't let it.

The No Slip transfers torque like a Lock Right does. But the main difference is that when one coupler half allows differentiation in a turn, that coupler half of a No Slip separates, while that coupler half of a Lock Right ratchets. This characteristic, along with the extra springs that a No Slip has to dampen backlash, is why the No Slip is smoother.

Like you said, the Lock Right isn't all that rough (although how rough depends on wheelbase, transmission type, etc.). But the No Slip is smoother, and will still allow the vehicle to keep moving just like the Lock Right.

I've owned and installed and operated one front and one rear Lock Right (and also one short lived front EZ Locker, a cheap Lock Right clone), as well as one front and one rear No Slip. I know for a fact that the No Slip is just as much of a locker as the Lock Right.

By the way, there is an older discussion thread on Yotatech that discusses how a locker transfers torque. You should read through it. Lockers do not necessarily equalize torque. The torque split to each wheel will vary anywhere from 50/50 (equal traction to both wheels) to 100/0 (one wheel on the ground, the other off the ground). An open differential always equalizes torque, even when wheel speed varies. I won't go into detail about that here, because it might be a lengthy discussion. I'll try to post a link to that discussion soon.

EDIT: I found the link to that discussion: https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f31/...d-idea-121161/

44Runner

And to make things easy on you, from reading everything written in this thread just get this:
http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/...&cat=47&page=1

44Runner

the no-slip is a locker, he is right about that. And its probably a good choice for him although it is a little more expensive then other lunchbox lockers. They claim it has better road manners...

William

That link took me straight to the Detroit EZ Locker (now called the Genuine Gear Quick Lok). Stay away from it. I had one that I installed in the front of my Navajo fail after less than 20 minutes of 4wd time, while testing it after installation. Failures with these seem to be very common, and apparently it's because the alloy used isn't as good as what the Lock Right/Aussie uses, even though it looks identical (I call the Aussie and EZ Locker/Quick Lok clones of the Lock Right).

What happened to mine, and what seems to be the most common failure, is that the coupler teeth chip off. The teeth on mine that chipped were on the driver side coupler.

Besides, that price ($299.99) is too high for a Lock Right or it's clones. For about $120 more than that, you can get the smoother, quieter, and more durable No Slip.