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Eaton Elocker4 vs. old style eaton e locker

06h3

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I have seen it pop up in a few different threads when talking about axles and lockers and figured I’d post about it here. A lot of people mention the e locker is a weak POS and I agree on the old style.

who has experience with the new E locker 4? How has it been? Personally, I have been thrilled with my elocker4, I installed it in 2017 and it’s pretty much been fuck free since then. Mine is in a custom built Dana 70 front. It has used on a heavy rig on 40s and now 43s. I can’t say I’m the hardest parts tester around. I’m definitely not, I’m still running stock Chevy dana 60 35 spline inners and swapped out to 35 spline outers so its not like this locker has outlived broken RCVs and R&Ps but maybe someone can chime in and say they have broken a ton of stuff in their axle but not the eaton elocker4. I have recommended that locker to friends with confidence as the elocker4 line is really expanding. (It was only available for a 60/70 for a while)

I can say I have run the old style e locker where it locks and unlocks as you go from forward to back and that locker was truly a piece of shit! I broke it 3 times before throwing it in the garbage. That was just on 35s and 37s in a 10 bolt that was the factory axle. The locker would break before a R&P or stock shafts. I’ll never recommend the old style.

With all that said, I think there is definitely an improvement with the elocker 4 as it isn’t breaking before other stock components but I am curious how much abuse people have given these so feel free of chime in.
 
I'm debating on one of these for a project as well...
 
I have one for my 05+ SD front 60, hoping it's going to be flawless

Keep us posted once you start using it.

I'm debating on one of these for a project as well...

I fear recommending most things because when you spend a good chunk of change based on a recommendation and it doesnt work out I feel bad lol

With that said I can confidently say it IS stronger then the old style which was a POS. How strong compared to an ARB or a grizzly? I cant comment on that. My has been fuck free for 4 years, the old style would be problem free for 1-2 trips. My buddy is about to put two in, one is a toyota 8in and a toyota 9.5 if he has similar results to me I will be very confident.
 
Wires and hoses drive me batshit crazy. Detroit has been my goto locker forever. About 10 years ago I tried an elocker not realizing how they worked. Not that it mattered because it did not lock in the first place then when it finally did lock it would not unlock. All I could get from customer services was "it should work". Back to old reliable for my trail rigs. I started thinking about selectable for my tow rig (Ram 3500 w/ AAM 11.5) and apparently there are no elockers for this application.
 
Eric, there is actually a factory eLocker for the AAM 11.5. it's a torsen style gear to gear limited slip in it's open state and a fully locked diff when locked up. Comes in the power wagons.
I happen to have a brand new one sitting in a brand new axle housing with brand new gears and bearings and whatnot if you're interested. Shoot me a PM
 
Keep us posted once you start using it.



I fear recommending most things because when you spend a good chunk of change based on a recommendation and it doesnt work out I feel bad lol

With that said I can confidently say it IS stronger then the old style which was a POS. How strong compared to an ARB or a grizzly? I cant comment on that. My has been fuck free for 4 years, the old style would be problem free for 1-2 trips. My buddy is about to put two in, one is a toyota 8in and a toyota 9.5 if he has similar results to me I will be very confident.

If only they made for 14b... I have ARBs everywhere and I hate them
 
If only they made for 14b... I have ARBs everywhere and I hate them

On my last rubicon trip I must have passed 4 or 5 different rigs where I said, your front tire isnt spinning....

"yeah, my ARB isnt working." I am sure when setup 100% perfect they work well but lots of people seem to have air line issues.

The E locker was the only option I wanted for a selectable but it was a POS. I was almost sold on detroits/grizzlys only but this setup has been pretty damn good.
 
"yeah, my ARB isnt working." I am sure when setup 100% perfect they work well but lots of people seem to have air line issues.
So stupid people who don't route their air lines is ARB's fault? That is about as logical as blaming BMW for an idiot running the engine with no oil:lmao:
 
So stupid people who don't route their air lines is ARB's fault? That is about as logical as blaming BMW for an idiot running the engine with no oil:lmao:

:shaking:

Having yet another thing outside the axle to get snagged or break is Arb's fault. Not that the E-locker is any better in that regard but at least it doesn't have seals inside it to leak.
 
If only they made for 14b... I have ARBs everywhere and I hate them

i have 3 different 14b arb's, one of them in a work/tow rig the other two in a buggy, have been running them for 10 years with no problems. the one in the work truck gets used all the time

you guys with arb issues suck :laughing::flipoff2:

you guys with seal issues have other problems, change your gear oil, put more preload on the carrier, and clean out your vents :homer: :flipoff2:
 
i have 3 different 14b arb's, one of them in a work/tow rig the other two in a buggy, have been running them for 10 years with no problems. the one in the work truck gets used all the time

you guys with arb issues suck :laughing::flipoff2:

you guys with seal issues have other problems, change your gear oil, put more preload on the carrier, and clean out your vents :homer: :flipoff2:

Meanwhile ARB acknowledged all sorts of bonded seal issues
 
i have 3 different 14b arb's, one of them in a work/tow rig the other two in a buggy, have been running them for 10 years with no problems. the one in the work truck gets used all the time

you guys with arb issues suck :laughing::flipoff2:

you guys with seal issues have other problems, change your gear oil, put more preload on the carrier, and clean out your vents :homer: :flipoff2:

You Toyota people are just like ze Germans. You spend god knows how many hours meticulously maintaining shit and then act like the fact that it wasn't yet broke when you fixed it makes it reliable.
 
Well. Maybe I spoke too soon. I had 4 years of problem free E locker 4 success....

nukegoat wanna post the video? Lol

It bums me out I broke it still running stock shafts but before I pass judgement I will take it apart and post pics
 
I hated ARBs because they leak, but they are strong as hell....but seeing ARB admitted their seals were problematic POS’s from 2016-2019 and my buddies newer ARB has been flawless maybe I’ll consider it.

I will tear this apart first
 
I hated ARBs because they leak, but they are strong as hell....but seeing ARB admitted their seals were problematic POS’s from 2016-2019 and my buddies newer ARB has been flawless maybe I’ll consider it.

I will tear this apart first

How many have you owned?

I've never talked to someone who had them and didn't like them, it's always people who "saw a guy"

I like auto locker fronts though 🤷
 
How many have you owned?

I've never talked to someone who had them and didn't like them, it's always people who "saw a guy"

I like auto locker fronts though 🤷
I personally have owned zero but I can’t count how many times I’m on the trail and come up to a group and a guy is tackling an obstacle and I say your front (or rear) locker isn’t working.... “yeah, my ARB is leaking”

I had friends who I personally knew have issues with them....but I can’t say crap about it personally.

I would entertain doing an ARB rear and Detroit front. There’s a guy who modifies 14 bolt ARBs for Eaton’s.

I don’t like how the Detroit pushes you when turning on trails but given it’s the only locker I have never had to fuck with makes me want to accept a possible 3 point turn for the fact that it will work 100% of the time. I’d still recommend a Elocker4 for a guy with a TJ on 40s.

I understand I am on 43s, 6500-7k lbs, 400 hp, low first gear doubler t case. I’m just shocked it went before a stock 35 spline inner D60 shaft.

nukegoat is curious if I crash locked it. Maybe I lost 12v for a second or two and it unlocked/locked and crash locked it hard
 
I've only ever seen one blow the inner seal in person. He was sitting on a steep side hill, his diff vent tube was gone and it was leaking gear oil, he stuck a cap on it and shortly after the seals went out (go figure)

Your assessment is similar to guys that "always see guys with blown fuel pumps" so they still run carbs.

There are so many that just work fine, it's really all in the install. Last time I ran into a buddy and he was 1 legging f&r in the snow. He response was "it's been doing this for a while" :homer: well ya, don't fix it at home by any means. Of course he pops the hood and the wiring is a rats nest.

I agree on selectable rear, auto front. My favorite setup for functionality vs reliability. Open rear locked front turns better on the trail than locked rear open front imo, as long as you have good steering.

When I built my 60s, I almost went with an ox rear, I like how you can choose your activation method, or even drop in a lock slug. I didn't like how vulnerable the cable/solenoid was, or how hard it was to find if they were strong or not.
 
You Toyota people are just like ze Germans. You spend god knows how many hours meticulously maintaining shit and then act like the fact that it wasn't yet broke when you fixed it makes it reliable.
Man it's almost like doing preventive maintenance prevents parts from failing:homer:

The logic of unibody jeep owners never ceases to amaze!!:flipoff2:
 
Open rear locked front turns better on the trail than locked rear open front imo, as long as you have good steering.
You left out one more thing. Wheel offset play a role on steering. 2” backspace on 10” wide wheel will be hard on steering as the inside tire will want to roll backward as the outside tire will want to roll forward. Either locker disengage or let off brake to let tires to roll, or tires need to slip…

Steering axis via ball joints or kingpin should intersect as close to center of tire tread at ground as practical will help a lot.
 
Well. Maybe I spoke too soon. I had 4 years of problem free E locker 4 success....

nukegoat wanna post the video? Lol

It bums me out I broke it still running stock shafts but before I pass judgement I will take it apart and post pics

Please follow up with what broke when you get it apart. I assume this was one of the new "direct locking" versions that doesn't lock and unlock during direction changes, correct? I would be curious if the locking mechanism itself is what failed.

My "collar and pin" style E-Locker hasn't given me a lick of trouble other than being a little stubborn disengaging sometimes. It is a 3 pinion design for what it's worth, but I am not terribly abusive on my equipment.

My rear E-Locker is the really old "ball and ramp" engagement style which is a well documented pice of shit since the engagement pins round off easily in the slotted spider gear due to slow re-engagment after changing directions. I rebuilt it once, but just this last week it decided to stop engaging all together :confused: It has full power at the connector and continuity through the stator (4.9 ohms) but the thing won't lock up. It doesn't make any sounds at all like when the pins were rounding off, so I am not sure what's up. I even took the connector apart and plugged the pins directly together and nada. I am about ready to replace it with a Grizzly :shaking:

EDIT: I just looked it up, and Eaton specifies a "normal" current draw of 5-8 amps, which would work out to a normal stator resistance of ~1.6-2.5 ohms (assuming 12.6v). Looks like mine is about double the high end, so it is likely a bad stator for me. The stator (29393-00S) runs $189 from summit. I think this POS is getting scrapped or sold to someone who wants to fix it :homer:

1B9ABBE0-1E37-4C9A-9C5E-02E3782143E5.jpeg


I do like the electric actuation as oppossed to air. Less issues and easier to fix on the trail in my opinion. They are also silent and don't require a compressor which is what initially sold me on them. It would be nice if Eaton could make something that wasn't a POS. I was hoping that would be the case for the new "direct locking" 4 pinion models and that they would replace all the older models in their lineup.
 
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@‘84 bronco II

Mine is direct locking. I had the ramp style in my 10 bolt and that thing was a garbage POS.

I have run an ox locker (little 1/4in bolts kept wanting to back out, which they supposedly had a design change on that)
The eaton ramp style....total crap
Eaton direct acting...great up until this trip.

That auburn looks intriguing!!! So did the direct acting locker.....LOL.


Here is the clip.



It worked the next day....just under extreme load it did that but under normal load it would lock and work just fine. Looking at the diagram I am wondering if the locking collar that locks to the back of the side gear has the teeth rounded off
 
@‘84 bronco II

Mine is direct locking. I had the ramp style in my 10 bolt and that thing was a garbage POS.

I have run an ox locker (little 1/4in bolts kept wanting to back out, which they supposedly had a design change on that)
The eaton ramp style....total crap
Eaton direct acting...great up until this trip.

That auburn looks intriguing!!! So did the direct acting locker.....LOL.


Here is the clip.



It worked the next day....just under extreme load it did that but under normal load it would lock and work just fine. Looking at the diagram I am wondering if the locking collar that locks to the back of the side gear has the teeth rounded off

I killed a front lunch box locker years back. That popping sound was horrible I remember. I rounded off the teeth on the locker due to a shitty design.
 
It really seems like this type of thread just keeps popping up every few years.

"that old elocker sucked, this new elocker looks good though!"

Meanwhile the arb guys are just laughing.

I think e lockers have their place, but I don't think that is on a hardcore rig. At least if the arb does have a failure, it's almost always the seals, and is easy to rebuild.
 
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