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To spool, or not to spool

This is what I do for my rear OX. I crawl under the rig and manually lock it when I get to the trailhead. Manually unlock for the road. It's a pretty solid setup if you're cool with crawling under your rig every time you want to lock/unlock. No actuators to fail.

I like the option, but I'm not spending $1000, just to have to crawl under every time. I also unlock and lock the diff constantly on the trail. Locked front, open rear steers really well through trails. You can use a rock or tree (or cutting brakes) to pivot around stuff.

Why not run the little 12v solenoid, or air actuator? If something fails, you go back to the manual pill.

Ill agree that the cables suck unless your just a stubborn fuck who probably thinks a carb is better then efi. :laughing:
 
Seems like 99.9% of the time people that complain about their locker being "unpredictable" are doing something wrong (broken, tire pressure, etc.). A spool in the front just sounds like a bad idea but I've never tried it. I had a lockright in the front of a samurai, it wasn't that bad. I had to run 4wd in the snow too, there was no option. I had a lockright in the rear also and if the road wasn't perfectly flat driving straight was impossible in 2wd. It ran down the road fine in 4wd. I think it comes down to your budget.

Ive driven samurais with F&r lock rites, I thought it was great for the whopping $400 for both :laughing:

I drove my front spartan 4runner 20 miles of dry paved mountain roads in 4 hi once when my rear diff was going out. Not bad at all.

I also am putting selectables front and rear in my 4runner because it sees more highway, town and mild roads than anything. So I see it from both ways. Although if that 4runner had 2low option and manual hubs, and I didn't already have the arb for the front. I probably would have went for a 4th spartan.
 
Seems like 99.9% of the time people that complain about their locker being "unpredictable" are doing something wrong (broken, tire pressure, etc.). A spool in the front just sounds like a bad idea but I've never tried it. I had a lockright in the front of a samurai, it wasn't that bad. I had to run 4wd in the snow too, there was no option. I had a lockright in the rear also and if the road wasn't perfectly flat driving straight was impossible in 2wd. It ran down the road fine in 4wd. I think it comes down to your budget.
I ran a spool for a while in the front and hated it. I have others I wheel with who love it. These are all full on trail rigs, most running stickies.
 
I've ran this combo now for about 3 years and like it the best of any combo I have run. You will be surprised how well you get around (and turn) with the rear unlocked most of the time.
I'm constantly surprised how far I'll make it with the rear unlocked as well. A couple times now I've been struggling with something only to discover that the rear is still unlocked and think to myself "how the F did I get here with the rear unlocked?". :laughing:
 
Well now I am swaying in the direction of auto front selectable rear.

Welcome to the future :flipoff2:

You'll love it. I used to run the twisty between trails in 2low rear arb off. It was like driving an open diff rig.

I ran a spool for a while in the front and hated it. I have others I wheel with who love it. These are all full on trail rigs, most running stickies.

Full hydro is a game changer. My first Sami was manual steering, even after I did Fj80 axles and 37 stickies :laughing: I'd constantly be locking and unlocking the driver hub. I went straight to full hydro and only unlocked them for street driving.
 
Welcome to the future :flipoff2:

You'll love it. I used to run the twisty between trails in 2low rear arb off. It was like driving an open diff rig.



Full hydro is a game changer. My first Sami was manual steering, even after I did Fj80 axles and 37 stickies :laughing: I'd constantly be locking and unlocking the driver hub. I went straight to full hydro and only unlocked them for street driving.
All of us are full hydro
 
Why not run the little 12v solenoid, or air actuator? If something fails, you go back to the manual pill.

Do you have an actuator you'd like to donate? :flipoff2: I DD'd it with a welded rear for years, got tired of buying tires, and went selectable. I want to be 100% locked on the trail and 100% open on the road. Manual engagement does that reliably and on the cheap (in regards to actuators).

I've been pondering going 12v recently though, just to change things up a bit. It's not at the top of my project list, but in-cab selection would keep me from crawling under the thing.
 
Have to justify cost, sometimes its a few hundred, maybe less, difference to just go selectable F&R
If you are already thinking of running auto lockers it's typically only 200 per end. The hidden cost of selectables can be the air supply but if you already have air for the other axle or some other reason that can be ignored too.
 
Have to justify cost, sometimes its a few hundred, maybe less, difference to just go selectable F&R

Once you have 1 selectable, the 2nd isn't a whole lot more than a full carrier auto locker. About $300 more.

I actually wanted to have the auto locker in the front. It steers better than a spool or locked selectable and you're not constantly flipping it on and off to steer.

Going luch box, it's a big difference. They're usually $300 for most axles.

I don't really see the compressor as a added cost. If you have a rig locked F&r, you should have a mounted compressor.

Do you have an actuator you'd like to donate? :flipoff2: I DD'd it with a welded rear for years, got tired of buying tires, and went selectable. I want to be 100% locked on the trail and 100% open on the road. Manual engagement does that reliably and on the cheap (in regards to actuators).

I've been pondering going 12v recently though, just to change things up a bit. It's not at the top of my project list, but in-cab selection would keep me from crawling under the thing.

Did you get the locker 2nd hand with no actuator?

I looked them up and they're a little more than I realized. I'd rather go with air actuator and a mechanical switch


I've heard of guys doing that with arbs to simplify things, didn't know ox offered it untill just now, pretty cool.
 
Seems like 99.9% of the time people that complain about their locker being "unpredictable" are doing something wrong (broken, tire pressure, etc.).

The only time the rear detroit in my mini-truck was unpredictable, was on a froze bridge deck, on a curve, when coming off the throttle and it would unlock and make things a little fun. It was the same place every time I drove that way, and I just slowed down before hand to give me the space to not need to come off the throttle. I'm sure an empty mini-truck on 13.5 wide tires didn't help
 
I think the OX is going to be what I'll run in the rear. I can run a cable and keep a backup manual screw.

Lunchbox seems to be the way to go for the front. I ran a detroit in the rear of my cherokee for a long time that worked well, but why spend the extra money over a lunchbox locker?
 
I know of one that lasted in the front of a 4500 car for several years.
There's no reason a lunchbox locker shouldn't last almost as long as a detroit since they're basically the same thing. One just happens to be a little smaller.
 
Just a data point on lunchbox lockers, Aussie in particular. I had an Aussie in my front D35 that never unlocked. Had another one in my front D44 that never unlocked. Since it was acting like a spool anyways, I swapped it out for a spool before UA. More reliable and I never had to wonder if it was going to lock/unlock (or break) when I didn't want it to.
 
Just a data point on lunchbox lockers, Aussie in particular. I had an Aussie in my front D35 that never unlocked. Had another one in my front D44 that never unlocked. Since it was acting like a spool anyways, I swapped it out for a spool before UA. More reliable and I never had to wonder if it was going to lock/unlock (or break) when I didn't want it to.
The front Aussie took way more traction/force to unlock. It was fine on dry dirt with an F150 on top of it. It wouldn't unlock easily in ice/snow. I can see it not being fun with only the weight of a Ranger on top.

I had a rear Spartan that locked and unlocked just fine.
 
ran spools front and rear in my rig and had no issues. lots of street driving with 36'' TSL's. No spinning out or crashing. Left 1 hub unlock on tight trails. low buck and worked great.
 
Spools. Front and rear, only way to fly. I will not be swayed. Simple, cheap and effective.

Especially if your running lock outs, I’d rather run one unlocked with a spool than a auto locker. At least then I know which tire isn’t going to spin and plan the line accordingly. :flipoff2:
 
Spools. Front and rear, only way to fly. I will not be swayed. Simple, cheap and effective.

Especially if your running lock outs, I’d rather run one unlocked with a spool than a auto locker. At least then I know which tire isn’t going to spin and plan the line accordingly. :flipoff2:
Finally, someone with some sense around here :grinpimp:
 
Seems like 99.9% of the time people that complain about their locker being "unpredictable" are doing something wrong (broken, tire pressure, etc.). A spool in the front just sounds like a bad idea but I've never tried it. I had a lockright in the front of a samurai, it wasn't that bad. I had to run 4wd in the snow too, there was no option. I had a lockright in the rear also and if the road wasn't perfectly flat driving straight was impossible in 2wd. It ran down the road fine in 4wd. I think it comes down to your budget.
Had a lockrite in the rear of my old zuk and had the same experience. DD it, and that damn locker would never unlock. Eventually i wore out the splines on the shafts and then it got really loose in the turns :laughing: But i couldnt have cared less so i just threw another set of shafts at it. Meanwhile the detroit in the rear of my bronco is invisible on the highway. Im sure its all due to weight, and width.

Well now I am swaying in the direction of auto front selectable rear.
Its the winter wheeling that makes me want this too. Having the rear open in the icy snow covered trails would make it so much easier to control.
 
Had a lockrite in the rear of my old zuk and had the same experience. DD it, and that damn locker would never unlock. Eventually i wore out the splines on the shafts and then it got really loose in the turns :laughing: But i couldnt have cared less so i just threw another set of shafts at it. Meanwhile the detroit in the rear of my bronco is invisible on the highway. Im sure its all due to weight, and width.


Its the winter wheeling that makes me want this too. Having the rear open in the icy snow covered trails would make it so much easier to control.
It was technical rock crawling that made me want it. Once you feel the difference it's a game changer.
 
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