Diff lockers - why?

[GUEY]

I don't understand your comment, I have ARB Air Lockers in the Front and Rear of my 200 series, they don't leak and provide assistance when the going gets rough, especially when in 4wd and towing the camper trailer


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1 - Twin locked Toyota Hilux owned for 6 years that suffered air leaks. Air compressor had to run almost constantly to keep them engaged. Arb fixed twice. One fix was to add a valve to try and fix.  Was an off the shelf item from arb that never worked. They don't sell them anymore.
2 - Twin locked Nissan Patrol owned 5 years  that has suffered 3 times with oil leaks. Seals leak letting oil up the the air line. When air is on it pressurises the line not the locker. Locker won't   engage when this happens.  Had Arb fully strip and rebuild both lockers after the 2nd attempt to fix (by blowing out the line) and 3rd failure 4wdriving. Hope this explains my reasoning

[Bird]

Wouldn't lockers make life a bit easier if you were towing a heavy camper on bush tracks?
It seems that 99% of most tracks are fine. But then you hit a dodgy bit and have to decide whether to press on or turn around.
Lockers might be nice, but only if you have a winch. I'd imagine that, when you are stuck with lockers, your are SERIOUSLY stuck.
What's the consensus?

consensus is

For the average person going camping/four wheel driving diff locks are just bragging rights. Until you go to the extreme out and away camping spots with a lot of very rough tracks or extremely steep climbs your diff locks will very rarely if never be used

[Symon]

Wouldn't lockers make life a bit easier if you were towing a heavy camper on bush tracks?
It seems that 99% of most tracks are fine. But then you hit a dodgy bit and have to decide whether to press on or turn around.
Lockers might be nice, but only if you have a winch. I'd imagine that, when you are stuck with lockers, your are SERIOUSLY stuck.
What's the consensus?

Consensus is for 99% of people they aren't needed.

I've driven some pretty hairy tracks and for most of the time the lockers are off.  If I was to put numbers to it I would say 95% of the time they are off, 4% of the time the rear locker would be on, and 1% of the time the front and rear would be on.

I wonder if those who say that they use theirs a lot are actually using them because they actually need them, or using them because they have them.

[alnjan]

Agree with you Symon.  I use my lockers cause I go and find something to use them on and they (the lockers) are only needed for a couple of seconds at a time and in similar figures to what you say 4% for the rear and 1% for the front.  Rest of the time they are not needed. 

As per the Original Post, about what diff locks are?  the question was more about the centre diff rather then the axle diffs.  For what they original poster asked the Centre Diff lock will suffice for what they need.  As others have posted good A/T tyres and the sense of security of a winch and you don't need lockers to have fun

[02-SR5]

Do you guys engage them first, or wait till your stuck, then engage them?

Me, I engage them first.

[Symon]

Do you guys engage them first, or wait till your stuck, then engage them?

Me, I engage them first.

If you engage them first, and you get stuck, then you are REALLY stuck.  If you get stuck without them in, then you have a small chance of putting the lockers in and backing out.

Having said that, if it was a water crossing, I'd put them in first.

[alnjan]

Do you guys engage them first, or wait till your stuck, then engage them?

Me, I engage them first.

Bit of both.  If it is a common used track and you don't want to damage the track (or the veh) or it is something you just want or need to drive, then engage them first.   If is is a play section (by that I mean not common used track or if it is it one for locker only) then go and play.  Best way to find out what your vehicle is truly capable off, learn to pick the right line to drive it. 

[WilSurf]

I have the e-locker in the front and use it as a precaution.
It will mean less chance of spinning wheels, thus less damage to car and tracks.

[Bird]

I think the vast majority of people
- dont know the capabilities of a std 4wd with good tyres
- need to do some form of driver training to show them the capabilities of a std 4wd with good tyres and how far they can get without spinning wheels.
- what accessories are really needed, not what the 18yr old with a 12ft lifted unroadworthy V8 Shitbox on bald tyres at the local 4wd store tells them they need.... (EG: bloke in my club who was sold crawler gears, 35's, 4inch lift, chip, exhaust, twin lockers, compressor, air tank, dual batteries, etc etc just for 1 track that he found diffiicult that most of us have made on 33's and no locker, no crawlers etc)...


Basic things like learn how tyre pressures affect tyres and control offroad, throttle control, high/low range and when to use which, picking lines, taking other routes, track prep, and more.. you will get further with that than lockers.

[Footy Shorts Shane]

I used to do a fair bit of fitting for an ARB store years ago and we fitted a lot of air lockers. 95% were for bragging rights as were most winches. A few were for those who went out of their way to find somewhere to use their lockers and winch.

It's a lot like cameras. Most people with DSLR's worth $2000 have absoluetly no idea how to use them and take a crap pic, but apparently you need them. Those who can use a camera generally take a better shot with an iphone than the one with the "bragging rights" DSLR.
Then there's those with $15K worth of lenses, getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning to take that "perfect" shot of the sun coming up. They go out of their way to find and capture that shot. As with the diff locks, these people are probably 5% of the DSLR owners.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if most who knock diff locks own a DSLR camera, just for bragging rights.   

Shane.

[DannyG]

I used to do a fair bit of fitting for an ARB store years ago and we fitted a lot of air lockers. 95% were for bragging rights as were most winches. A few were for those who went out of their way to find somewhere to use their lockers and winch.

It's a lot like cameras. Most people with DSLR's worth $2000 have absoluetly no idea how to use them and take a crap pic, but apparently you need them. Those who can use a camera generally take a better shot with an iphone than the one with the "bragging rights" DSLR.
Then there's those with $15K worth of lenses, getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning to take that "perfect" shot of the sun coming up. They go out of their way to find and capture that shot. As with the diff locks, these people are probably 5% of the DSLR owners.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if most who knock diff locks own a DSLR camera, just for bragging rights.   

Shane.

I don't bag diff locks but I own a DSLR camera and I can't use it

[fishfinder]

people will steal anything now days i might have to find a way to lock my diffs

[Symon]

I used to do a fair bit of fitting for an ARB store years ago and we fitted a lot of air lockers. 95% were for bragging rights as were most winches. A few were for those who went out of their way to find somewhere to use their lockers and winch.

It's a lot like cameras. Most people with DSLR's worth $2000 have absoluetly no idea how to use them and take a crap pic, but apparently you need them. Those who can use a camera generally take a better shot with an iphone than the one with the "bragging rights" DSLR.
Then there's those with $15K worth of lenses, getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning to take that "perfect" shot of the sun coming up. They go out of their way to find and capture that shot. As with the diff locks, these people are probably 5% of the DSLR owners.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if most who knock diff locks own a DSLR camera, just for bragging rights.   

Shane.

I have a PTO winch, lockers and two DSLRs with a heap of lenses.  Just what are you trying to say here?

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[Marcus73]

Bragger


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[alnjan]

Two trucks, one daily drive, one unregistered, two winches, 4 lockers and one DSLR

[fishfinder]

can you lock a DSLR   ?

[McGirr]

I have a PTO winch, lockers and two DSLRs with a heap of lenses.  Just what are you trying to say here?

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All I can say is that seeing Symon tackle the OTL at the Cape with ease , winch out people being stuck and take amazing photos.

Disclaimer: he winches me out as I don't have a winch or lockers and have a basic camera. Plus we use his pics for the magazine write ups i do so he is in the top 5% 

Mark

[dazzler]

It's a lot like cameras. Most people with DSLR's worth $2000 have absoluetly no idea how to use them and take a crap pic, but apparently you need them. Those who can use a camera generally take a better shot with an iphone than the one with the "bragging rights" DSLR.
Then there's those with $15K worth of lenses, getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning to take that "perfect" shot of the sun coming up. They go out of their way to find and capture that shot. As with the diff locks, these people are probably 5% of the DSLR owners.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if most who knock diff locks own a DSLR camera, just for bragging rights.   

Shane.

Did a DSLR fall on you as a kid?   

[Doweymex]

I understand the point of lockers and what they do...but if I was ever in a spot that required lockers, then I'm in the wrong spot.

[ozbogwam]

I understand the point of lockers and what they do...but if I was ever in a spot that required lockers, then I'm in the wrong spot.

really? You've never gone 4wding? Track conditions can change suddenly with the weather. You've never had to tow a trailer up a slippery slope.

[Doweymex]

really? You've never gone 4wding? Track conditions can change suddenly with the weather. You've never had to tow a trailer up a slippery slope.

Obviously I shouldn't have been there in the first place without lockers though. If I need to rely on them to get me out then probably shouldn't have been there...for me, not others. There's the difference. I also wouldn't go into a place without someone else where I would need them. Plenty of places to get to that I've been which are good enough.
Again, this is me. 

[alnjan]

And that is the beauty of what we do.  It doesn't matter where we go or what we do the best accessory we can ever have is a mate to enjoy it with us

[GeoffA]

And that is the beauty of what we do.  It doesn't matter where we go or what we do the best accessory we can ever have is a mate to enjoy it with us

.....or laugh at us when we're stuck.....

[Symon]

.....or laugh at us when we're stuck.....

I'm sure that would never happen.

Unless you happen to be the trip organiser, and you get stuck going DOWN a hill.

[McGirr]

I'm sure that would never happen.

Unless you happen to be the trip organiser, and you get stuck going DOWN a hill.

Yeah what a poor driver. 

Mark