Jay1

I have an 86 toyota pickup with sas and was woundering if i could put a lock right locker in the front axle?

camo31_10.50

O YEA ITS GREAT TOO!....but for driving on the highway.not soo great..watch them damn turns!!!!

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

Yes you can, and with manual hubs unlocked street driving will be no different. Tight turns locked offroad will be the problem. You could unlock one hub for those turns but I think that approach would get tiresome.

Jay1

So it wont let me make tight turns off road with hubs locked in? Could it cause the axle shafts to break?

AxleIke

You can install a twin stick into your transfer case. That will help a little with the offroad turning problem. If you need to turn while under power, you can shift into 2wd low, and disengage the front end, letting you turn the wheels, because the locker should unlock when no longer under power.

As for it causing the axle shafts to break, thats kind of a difficult question.

First question to ask is did you do a ghetto swap, and use stock axle shafts?

If so, then I would say the lockrite will help you keep from breaking the shafts. Spinning tires caused by an open diff is one of the FASTEST ways to break axles.

But, unless you put in longfields, you'll always have shaft breakage issues. As I said, they should be less with the locker.

Elvota

Turns will be harder, but not impossible. I have a Aussie in the front of mine which is very similar. The most trouble I have had with turns was in Moab on slickrock... which has mucho traction, despite the name. Most of the time I have no issue. If you can afford a selectable (ARB, E-Locker) then that of course is the best. If you can't... then you'll still enjoy the benefits a front locker gives you 95% of the time.

A locker just makes your inside wheel bite and want to go straight. You do have to be aware of this possibility and drive accordingly. If you ever drive on-road in 4WD, say ice or little snow, a front full time locker is going to get very spooky, and would not be a wise choice IMO.

See AxleIke.

stupid_mud_gremlins

Now here's a couple questions. I've been kinda thinking about this, and I'm curious about the cost (selectable versus lockrite) and how easy or hard are they to install. Also, is there a "diff" between front and rear when in 4 wheel? If so, can that be made to lock as well. Had a rather interesting time pulling a car hauling trailer out of a snowbank this weekend with the ol' Runner, only problem seemed to come when I got a wheel or two where there was traction, and the others just spun.....

dirtoyboy

I wouldnt put a locker up front unless you get longfields and hub gears.

IMO, selectable locker is the way to go. I decided to stay unlocked in front until I can afford one. You'd be suprised how far you can go open in the front

Elvota

A fulltime locker can run anywhere from $250 to $550. ARB costs around $750, plus the compressor around $250. E-Lockers can be found around $300. If you are not prepared to wire them yourself, add maybe $150 or more to get a harness. All these are just guesses. You have to shop around, look for used stuff... etc.

A majority of the lockers available will require your gears be reset, which generally is beyond the realm of a home mechanic... but anything is possible. Problem is if you do it wrong, your gear set will be damaged beyond use very quickly, and you have to start over which 9 out of 10 times require new gears to be purchased.

This guy does a great job with Toy diffs, and has a ton of info on his site:
http://www.gearinstalls.com/

No center diff on the 4Runner or Pickup. Some Landcruisers have that feature however. So, you are always locked front and rear once the 4WD has been engaged.

That's exactly what lockers will do for you. Power always goes to the wheel with traction. Open diffs are designed to handle corners without wheel scrub and poor handling, but offroad you couldn't ask for anything worse than power always going to the wheel with the least amount of traction.

I agree with Dirtoyboy... even just a rear locker would be a huge improvement. But if it's your primary DD, you would probably be happier with a selectable in that location as well to retain your road manners.

BLKNBLU

iTrader: (1)

Good call. I forgot about a twin stick.