So Im at kind of a stand still. I want a locker for my rig, but dont want to spend all the big money right now for selectable. I drive my 87 4runner 2-3 days a week to work( about 65 miles round trip). I was thinking about an easy locker, but was told that they are not that great, and to just either weld or spool my rear end. Anyone have any other suggestions? Any help is welcomed. Thanks

 

If your driving 65 miles a day and driving around town much I wouldn't go with a sppol or welding the rear reason being it works great off road but not street friendly lots of cherping around turns and what not. Detroit is probably one of the best non selectable lockers you can buy and I hear they are pretty streat friendly for the most part much better than the spool or welding the rear and very dependable off road as well. But if you really want to save money just do it once and do it the right way ARB or OEM RR DIFF LOCK. Good luck!

 

You should NEVER weld or spool the rear end on a truck that EVER drives on the street. Just get an EZ-Locker, they work perfectly for what they are.

 

i had an ez locker in the rear of my 93 for a while, it was rather noisy 'clicking' on turns in town. i got the strangest looks from people. one guy chased me down the street and told me that he heard a noise and sounded like my lug nuts were loose and my tire was goin to fall off. i also drove it pretty hard and locked it up often and went through the rear tires in a few months.
so i bought an ARB for the rear of my '79. i personally would never buy a non selectable for the rear of a street driven rig.

 

don't bother with a lunchbox type locker. get a detroit. I wouldn't trade mine for anything. IMO, there's no reason to put a selectable locker in the rear of a truck.

 

Detroit in the rear, Torsen (TruTrak) in the front. The detroit is mildy annoying on the street, but it's only really noticable on tight turns with power (causes a slight klunk).

One thing to be aware of is that a non-selectable locker can make for some exciting handling on slick or icy roads. If you live in an area that experiences ice, then you may not want a this type of locker.

 

not true, my d.d had a welded rear and did fine, the chirping only happened at certain tire pressure, and other variables, i.e. turning radius and what not, however in your case i would get an aussie, cheap reliable locker.

 

what are the differences between an aussie and a detroit? on average whats the price for either of them?

 

It depends on what kind of offroadn' you're going to do. I drive my '86 4Runner 5 days a week to and from work on 35's about 50 miles a day. I'm running a Detriot TrueTrac in the rear (yes rear) and it works great. There's no clicking or snapping if you punch it around corners. Now, granted, if it's wet out and you drive it like you stole it, you'll swing the ass end around with a quickness. The occasional wheeling that I do (I do mean occasional because there's nothing within 4-12 hours) this setup works fine. The newer TrueTracs have a higher preload for better transfer at low speeds. IMO the best setup for the weekend wheeler is a Detriot Softlocker in the rear and a TrueTrac up front. Hope this helps.

 

i have a 91 4Runner V6, has ADD and is a manual, i am thinking of putting an EZ-locker up front and back, can anyone tell me if this is recommended.

i mostly use it 50/50on and off road, but down here in belize it rains for 3 months and the marl (type of dirt used for roads cause it is cheaper and compacts harder than asphalt) becomes like ice, now it is fun, but my good friend smashed his jeep up showing off. The slippery marl does not make off roading any easier, its like off roading on ice! i have only ever had a wheel slipping problem when i am off road in certain areas. can anyone prove or disprove that an EZ-locker would be good for what i do?

 

Full lockers on slippery roads can be exciting to drive since they tend to break both wheels loose at the same time. You may want to consider using the TrueTrak in both the front and rear for your application unless there is some need for a full lock. The TrueTrak is less likely to break the tires loose suddenly since its lock is more progressive than klunky.

 

http://www.oramagazine.com/pastIssue...ticle=truetrac

 

I have a Lockright in the rear of my 99% street driven rig and it performs really well with very minimal problems. When I get in tight turns in parking lots it ratchets like its supposed to and if I have the stereo on at an even moderate volume I can't hear it at all and I could care less what other people hear.

Unless you fancy buying tires every year I'd do a locker instead of a spool or welding it. As long as something back there gives wear isn't increased much at all.

The locker is my favorite part of my build.

 

Not recommended for the front. Can't steer, I don't care what anybody tells ya. You might get away with a LSD or a True Trac in the front. I will never put anything but a selectable locker in the front of mine, for emergencies. The best of both worlds there.