Recently acquired an 87 Toyota pickup 4x4. All stock as far as i know. Pretty much off road beater with a heater truck. Looking at putting lockers in it. What's the goto locker for these trucks? On a budget so probably not going with ARB but would like a selectable locker still....

 

aussie lockers or just weld them. Possibly a LSD in the front if its IFS still to save CVs.

 

Seletable lockers are pretty pricey (ARB, Yukon Zip, or Harrop E Locker), cheapest selectable option is probably factory Toyota E Locker out of 3rd gen 4Runner or Tacoma, however, those require mods to your axle housing.

As rattlewagon says, Aussie Locker (or Spartan) is a good non-selectable choice and are reasonably priced, I have an Aussie in the rear and I like it for the most part.

 

By far the cheapest is go with the factory E-Locker with the complete axle and all the wire harness for the E locker.

Repair as needed make sure front and the new rear differential gears match swap the complete axle

Buy a donor Vehicle use all you can and part or scrap the rest.

 

Factory e-locker setups are desirable nowadays, and the prices have gone up. Then you have the cost of retrofitting the newer axle to your older truck.
Then, like wyoning9 said, you have to make sure your gear ratios match, which means now you're breaking into your front diff to match up gears. Now, since you're in there you're buying new seals and bearings.

Nobody likes to hear it, but the ARB locker is actually the least expensive choice in the long run. It uses your original ring gear, and if done carefully you don't even have to replace any seals.
It's a 1 and done install, and as a bonus you now have onboard compressed air.

Just my $.02

 

A beater with a heater... well forget selectable. Get a yukon gear detroit style. $500 last time I looked. Still uses your original ring gear.

 

I'll put in a vote for the Powertrax No-Slip. Middle of the road pricing, great product.

Not to be confused with the cheaper Powertrax Lock-rite.

Works like an Aussie, but with a syncro system that just about eliminates racheting, popping, and chirping.

Just a little learning curve, de-torquing for a second on starting a turn.

Mine is holding up well in my '87

 

Thinking about this more if this never sees the hard surface roads just buy a bunch of stock differentials with the correct gear ratio

weld the spider gears as they explode swap them out.

one gets real good at swapping the differentials.

I did this for a friend back in the late seventies with a Chevelle 454

 

Guess you have to ask the question... what's more valuable, your money or your time?
Do it right once, or do it over and over. Personally, I like to do it right once.

 

Its usually the bearings (pinion) that go when welding up stock 3rds, not the welded part, unless they are welded incorrectly. Lunch box lockers just dont hold up long term, too many moving parts. where as that welded carrier is practically good for ever. You could argue that welding a diff (gears to the carrier) and putting in new bearings is "doing it right.", and I bet it would last longer than any lunch box locker, for off road.

"beater with a heater" remember.. Weld it up, take the money you didn't waste on a locker and take your spouse out to dinner.


Btw, this welded diff is about 8 years old and has been in 3 rigs...