904_runner

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt16

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

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

Matt16

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

rusche

Good call on the tires.
I've been thinking it over and I think I might give it a go
Worst case I yank it and sell it to an interested yotatecher and eat $100

Matt16

Aussie locker's don't seem to depreciate much when second hand. You'll loose shipping x2 maybe- at least here in Canada.

rusche

Thanks for all your help.
Definitely picking one up next paycheck

Matt16

The first time I did the install, I messed it up as I didn't read the instructions. The really key points are:

• not mixing up which bearing races and adjuster caps came from which side
• marking the position of the adjuster nut relative to the third member housing
• tightening the backlash to zero THEN backing it off til you reach your mark.
• lots of anti-seize on the adjuster nuts
• don't tighten the bearing caps until the the ajuster nut is in place.

PM me if you have any questions.

Matt16

UPDATE 8/11/08

The rain has started. Been driving the truck a lot lately- 30 mi through the city now. My tires are terrible in the rain. Whenever the tires start slipping, I shift into 4wd (which is absolutely fine on wet pavement). Then its really grips well, with no chance of loosing traction then.