OX Locker actuator

[walker_creek]

I am thinking of replacing my Auburn ECTED locker in the Dana 44 front with an OX with the electric actuator.
It looks like the actuator may be quite large? It's hard to tell from their pictures. Does anyone have any experience with these? A picture of an installed actuator would be great if anybody has one?
Or...any other suggestions for selectable locker? I want to stay away from air actuated.

 

[ntsqd]

I have an OX in a D60, but it is air operated. Is it a lack of OBA that has you shying away for air operated, or is it a bad taste from all of the ARB solenoid valve issues? If its the latter, I ordered mine with the internal air actuator (the external looks like a fantastic rocker catcher!) and it came with a toggle valve. Not switch, valve. No electrical involved.

Might be able to make out the air line going to it and can barely get a hint of the air fitting on the cover in this pic taken while I was working out the routing of everything:

 

[walker_creek]

I don't have onboard air, but also I've fought too many airlines freezing in the winter on big truck brakes, diffs, and equipment actuators.
The obstacle catching part is what concerns me about the electric motor.

 

[ntsqd]

I want to say that during my research on OX actuators that I came across a remote system somewhere. Used the cable to the cover, but had an actuator (of one sort or the other) on the other end of the cable, which was stashed somewhere out of the way. And that's as much as I can remember about it. Seems like either an air cylinder or one of the electric linear actuators like used for an electric parking brake could be made to work. Maybe they just put the cable between the cover and the OX electric actuator? FWIW I bought this OX from Filthy Motorsports, might be worth looking there for actuation options.

Wouldn't a dryer or an air/oil separator solve most of those freezing problems?

 

[walker_creek]

So they combined the standard cable shift with an electric actuator? That sounds like that could be a pretty good option.

 

[walker_creek]

Just checked my e-mails. OX sent me a picture of one installed. It looks like the actuator is remote (frame) mounted, then a mechanical cable runs down to the diff. Looks pretty slick.
I'm leaning that direction.

 

[DirtDonk]

Just out of curiosity, what don’t you like about the Auburn unit?

 

[nvrstuk]

I don't have onboard air, but also I've fought too many airlines freezing in the winter on big truck brakes, diffs, and equipment actuators.
The obstacle catching part is what concerns me about the electric motor.

You won't have that problem with ARB air activated air lines. I have run ARB's since 1987 in sub zero winters and wheeling in those subzero temps (yeah, I'm still hard core). I have never experienced any air line issues in 37 yrs. I have them in frt and rear axles since ARB's 1st Gen 9" rear.

Don't let this potential possible problem which isn't a problem shy you away from air activated lockers. Grizzly makes a good one now also.

I ran ARB electric compressors till about '03, then a York until last summer. No problems with either.

Paul, I tried the Auburn, after hating the Detroit on icy/snowy sidehills (and compact snow covered asphalt) and it won't drive one tire if the other is in air, on ice, etc. Example is picking up the mail from our mailbox. Auburn diff in my Bronco with one tire on the snow covered gravel and the other tire on compact snow/ice on asphalt. Can't move! Auburn doesn't have enough surface area on their cone shaped diff to overcome the torque needed to rotate both tires in these situations. I ran it until ARB finally released their 9" diff model

 

[ssray]

When I saw their cable operated controls I thought they would actually be kind of nice where you’re not relying on electric or air. Might be able to tell by feel if the locker engages, but I have no experience with them so I don’t know about that. They offer a large variety of lengths so you could make them fit without a lot of trouble. Another plus is the screw in spring loaded adapter if you need the locker to get off a tough trail in the event of a failure of one of the other actuators.

 

[nvrstuk]

I'm just shy when a company touts a trail fix as a great marketing tool so you can get off the trail when their locker fails.

Steve has a whole lot more experience with this than I do, but he has been saying that arb's quality isn't the same as what it used to be. And there's a lot more failures with them than there ever used to be.

 

[ntsqd]

A friend of mine was an early OX adapter. XJ front D30. Cable operation only at that time. When they came out with the 'floating' shifter design they sent him one as the first shifter design could be a problem. Sometimes it didn't want to shift if things weren't aligned. The new design spring loaded the cable so that as soon as things did align it would lock.
As far as I know that, and a cable tie melting which allowed the cable to get into the exhaust system and fail the cable were the only two problems that he had with it.

I'm sure that one has failed, but I've not heard of it. That "trail fix" didn't come out until after OX was bought by TransAmerica (?, Whomever owned 4WP at the time). There had been rumors of that possibility floating around the net, they just capitalized on it. I did not buy one for mine.

The "internal air actuator" is highly sophisticated. Apply air pressure to the threaded hole where the cable screws into the diff cover and use the shifter fork rod as the 'actuator piston'.

 

[nvrstuk]

That sounds good. Dependability is key #1 as who wants your locker to not work when you're 1,000 miles from home doing your dream trip right??

 

[ntsqd]

Or pulling a wayward Class 10 buggy out of the ravine that they managed to launch themselves into during a desert race.

 

[Yeller]

I’m still a fan of Neanderthal simplicity, grizzly/detriot. But they aren’t perfect either, driving quirks, dartyness, and poor ice handling are the primary issues. I have run them since the 90’s daily and have no complaints, but that isn’t the typical answer.