george16

Well, finally got the locker installed today. ARB should be putting extra o-rings in the kit to account for installation mistakes like we did yesterday. Had to go to ACE hardware to get the o-ring. Anyway, it's nice. It works real good when I tested it this morning after the install (sorry no pics on that). We tested it on the bench though before installing the 3rd member. By far, this is the best mod I ever did. This board is addicting and it's draining my wallet but it's well worth the experience and knowledge I gained.
Question, do I have to break-in the locker or not? I didn't regear since I decided to keep my stock 4.10 gears and don't plan on going bigger than 32" tires. Here are some pics with my buddy during the install this morning.










The o-rings are sensitive so be careful not to cut it. Lubricate the grooves and o-rings and slowly rotate the seal housing while installing it. Thanks all for helping me in the installation.


George

george16

Here's some more:

ARB air locker



Empty housing.



Bench testing.



Bench testing.



Enjoy.

George

shazaam

I feel like getting a mountain dew now ..

cough(product placement)cough


j/k looks good .. but wheres the wheeling pics?

george16

I didn't even notice the dew when I took the pic. I was so excited during that bench test. No leaks after the new o-ring was installed. Wheeling pics (beach) will come next. I still have to make some time to go to Ocala National forest one of these days. Not much free time in the Navy. Thanks for the compliments.

George

mt_goat

Why do you have so much room under the hood? Is something missing or is that the way they come now?

george16

I took out the intake manifold during the installation of the compressor. This way, I had more room to get the wrenches in there and tighten up the bolts. That was using the stock mounting plate too that came with the ARB compressor. I will be remounting the compressor after i make a custom mounting bracket to raise it up a little bit. O r I will relocate the cruise control module closer to the intake manifold.

George

Cebby

Did you install these gears by yourself? I was just quoted $400 per diff to install the lockers. (8hrs x $50/hr) plus he wants to sell the lockers too - won't do it unless he sells them to me - we'll see how much they want for that.

I'm curious how long this might take to tackle myself. Are there special tools needed?

mt_goat

$400 is a little high. I paid $250 in OKC for a front ARB install with an ADD diff. My compressor, wiring, and switches were already installed though.

Nolan

The install looks great! Did you pull the 3rd member yourself? I have 3rd member w/locker all ready to go in and was wondering if you had any tips on the install (pulling the axles and everything). Also what route did you run the airline back to the 3rd member.

george16

I didn't regear, but you still have to remove the ring gear and install it on the ARB air locker. I did it with the help of my friend. It's really not hard ( now that I've seen it done). You need to have a dial indicator for checking the backlash, prussian blue ( to check gear mesh), torque wrench, 7/16 drill bit and 1/4 NPT tap. The rest of the tools are just regular metric tools. If not for the o-ring fiasco, we would have been done in about 3 hours. Hope this helps.

George

george16

Thanks. Yes, we pulled out the 3rd member.
Tips.
1. Be careful because it's a little bit heavy.
2. Make sure you use a lot of gear oil during the installation of the o-ring.
3. Spray PB blaster or penetrating oil at least a day before the install.
4. Use dial indicator and bluing compound in setting the backlash.

I routed the air lines alongside the brake lines.
Hope this helps.

George

RTdawgs

george - how compicated is the compressor install? do the ARB fit switches fit right in the slots on the dash or did you have to cut some more?

mt_goat

Mine fit but it took a little cutting on the back side of the dash and the opening to get it to fit just right. Picture here: http://community.webshots.com/photo/...92563762GdJSQe

george16

No, it wasn't complicated at all. The hardest part is routing the wires through the grommet on the driver's side firewall and finding a nice spot to mount the compressor. I will be remounting mine this weekend after I move the cruise control module. The switches fit into the slots perfectly without any cutting or modification. The instructions are also straightforward.

George

midiwall

(sorry for the ressurection, I just found this thread)

I'm right on the edge of doing this exact same thing. The main thing stopping me right now is that a top local shop is quoting $470 and 2-days to install if I bring them JUST the diff and the kit. That seemed a bit high to me.

In looking at a couple of other folks install notes (e.g. http://www.4x4wire.com/toyota/4Runne...ifs_airlocker/) they all seem to talk about using a press to get the bearing and/or ring gear out. This would be the only thing that I don't have quick access to, so George, how'd you handle this point?

Past that, you've calmed my fears about setting the backlash. Thanks.

george16

Yes, you need a press to install the new bearings in. For the ring gear, just soak it in hot water for about 10-15 minutes to let it expand a bit to make it easier in putting it into the ARB. Ensure that the ring gear is flat to the mounting surface before you tighten it. Do not tighten it to mate it into the ARB. Use a drift punch to align the bolt holes and torque it using a star pattern to evenly tighten the bolts. But yes, you need a bearing press to install the new bearings and remove the old ones from the diff for reinstallation if you decide to reuse it (I recommend using new bearings.) You can use a tubing/pipe in installing the bearings but I'd recommend using a bearing press.

George

midiwall

Sigh... okay, time for Plan C.


Thanks for the reply George!

airrikk17

ive got a couple of questions ofr you arb users , does the compressor run all the time you are locked in ? does the compressor have its own on/of switch , and fro mthe looks of it you can lock f or r or both huh ?

thansk

airrikk17

midiwall

Nope, the compressor doesn't run all the time. In the stock ARB setup (i.e., with the ARB compressor) there's a small holding tank. When the compressor fills the tank, a pressure switch will shut it off. The system is reasonably air tight, so the pressure to run the lockers comes from the air squished into the tank. As you go through lock/unlock cycles, the air bleeds off of the tank until it gets to the "low water mark" of the pressure switch. That turns the compressor back on and the process starts over.

And yeup, the compressor has it's own on/off switch, plus there's a switch for each of the front and rear lockers. That lets you a) have a master power switch for the compressor, b) just lock up the front end, c) just lock up the rear end, d) lock both.

Colemanfu

George16 - great mod - put a locker in my old rig and wished that is was the 1st thing I did! I go over to ONF pretty often - I live in Ormond Beach so 40 is a straight shot only about 35 min. I know the Lake Delancy and Salt Springs (off 19) sections very good. I don't go all the way into Ocala just hit NE sections off lake George and Fort Smith. I still take the KTM over once a month. Havent taken the new truck over and don't plan to. Too many tight trails. Let me know if you need some info on good places to wheel - I have some quality maps and would be glad to help out a local Yotatecher.