Guys it's been a long while! I will never be able to repay all the wisdom and knowledge gleaned from this sub-forum.
I hope that your rigs are running sweet with tons of power and incredible traction! The reason I post so rarely is because I absolutely love my build and have not had any issues in years.
This benefit is thanks in large part to the incredible quality of the mods I did thanks to y'all.

My rear 8" (4.88) diff with a Truetrac in there has bit the dust after over a decade of loyal service.
Carrier assembly needs to be replaced, stealership quoted over $3k which is meaningless I would not want to go OEM anyway.
I'm interested in buying a complete diff. I have been looking into Marlin Crawler who are having their DIFFTOBER special. I have also been looking at East Coast Gear Supply and LCE ($$$!).

To be honest while the Truetrac is great on road in the rain etc, it did not help me when I needed it most deep in the woods.
While the Yukon Zip-Locker is cheaper I watched the youtube video of it snapping under pressure and will be going w/an ARB.
Question is, should I go for a complete 4.88 diff w/ARB from Marlin (no core needed) or East Coast Gear Supply (needs core), or is there another option I'm missing?

Last, re: ARB air compressor, what are your thoughts on those three versions (mini, mid, twin).
Thanks to all my old friends on the forum and to new ones also,
Taiko

 

I don’t know east coast gears. But i know Marlin and have several of his products on my rig, no difs. 4.70 t-case, transmission, dual case adaptor, and rear bumper. All quality products. I’ll do business with Marlin again.

 

As far as compressors go, if you're just running the ARB locker itself, I would think the mini should be adequate. If you want to air up tires as well, get the biggest OBA compressor you can fit under the hood and afford. Assuming you have a 3.0 in there, there isn't much room for additional stuff.

 

Thank you muddpigg! I also like Marlin. I have their clutch on my 3.0 manual and it is perfect in every way.
I haven't ever purchased a complete third member and was wondering if that was the way to go.
I'm thinking that seeing as we're 5 days left in the DiffTober special I save almost $200 off an ARB equipped 4.88 fully built diff, pretty sweet.
Still pricey even w/the discount but now may be the time! Thanks again MP, I trust marlin too I appreciated your thoughts.

RJR I'm grateful for your thinking on the compressor. I do have a big-ass VIAIR 100% duty cycle so it's not really necessary to have another tire-filler under the hood.
I do like the idea of running air tools from the twin ARB compressor but space is going to be a major factor...as you mention the 3VZE engine bay is crowded as it is!
When I compare with my 2UZ-FE there is so much space there! 3VZ on the other hand is packed like sardines lol.

Thanks again guys I think I'll be going w/the Marlin ARB built diff w/the CKSA12 (or maybe the CKMA12), T

 

Which Vlair compressor do you have?? How do you like it? How long does it take to inflate tire? What size tire?

my old freight habor is on its last leg.

I have the small ARB compressor which is fine for just lockers. Not sure of direction I’m going to go yet.

 

I have a complete pumpkin laying around. But honestly just ship the pumpkin to Marlin, they can fix you right up with good stuff. Easy peasy to swap.

 

ZUK is the ONLY way to go for gears and installation. www.gearinstalls.com. Hes also a member here on YT. PM him or shoot him an email and he will get back to you.

as for the locker, ZUK has done a few Harrop E-Locker installs and they seem like quality units.

 

HI muddpigg! I have the ViAir 450p 100% duty cycle compressor. I've been very happy w/it, 100% duty cycle I air up 8 33" tires in a row quickly, no issues.
Here's a review, http://www.fourwheeler.com/product-r...r-compressors/
Running this compressor for about 4 yrs now, very reliable at least in my experience. Price on amazon about $239 http://amzn.to/2hkpDLE

Thanks sky pilot and space-junk for your thoughts. Sky I agree w/you that marlin is great. I called them up and realized that they ALWAYS include a solid spacer (east coast gear supply that's an extra $24 expense).
Also Marlin uses a triple drilled flange by default...for ECGS they charge another $50 for a double drilled flange. Also ECGS needs a $250 core charge, Marlin has so many on hand that they don't even need to charge for core.

ZUK is a legend on this forum and does absolutely spectacular work! He has been a source of wisdom and assistance on this forum for many years, and his posts have helped me and so many others a great deal.

Right now I'm not in a position to send my diff out, I think that (just given present circumstances and the DIFFTOBER expiring in 2 days, I'm ordering the complete 4.88 ARB rear 8" diff this afternoon. Painful...but will go great w/my Marlin manual transmission.Cheers everyone and all my best for a fantastic weekend of wheeling and wrenching (and spending time w/the hot girls of yotatech!) T