selectible locker, ARB/Detroit Electric?

[ca pony]

Right now I am at the crossroads of selecting a locker for my dana 44. I am putting in some free 4.09 gears a buddy gave me, to complement my 33 inch Mud terrains. I would like to install a good selectible locker and I have narrowed my seach to a ARB and a Detroit electric locker. Someone mentioned in my search of the archives that the Detroit is a limited slip, when not ingaged. This sounds appealing to me, but what are the pros and cons of a Detoit electric locker. I know the issues of involving the ARB but not the the detroit electric locker. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

[eds66bronco]

spoke with mike at complete offroad about the e-locker and he said they had some issues with the earlier models not wanting to disengage but said he hadn't heard anything bad about the newer ones. i bought one from him over a year ago but the rig hasn't left the barn yet under it's own power so i can't give any personal feedback. the reason i went with it was for the same one you mentioned- limited slip when not engaged. plus i don't like depending on another system (air) to have it work. i will be adding onboard air just to have it ;D

 

[SaddleUp]

Here is a link to a previous discussion we had on this subject. I chose the ARB locker myself because I had already broken a Detroit Locker and was told by Randy's Ring & Pinion that the Detroit Electric locker wasn't even as strong as the regular Detroit Locker.

http://www.classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63285

 

[Steve]

I'd love to see some real data or info from Randy's supporting their contention; until then I don't put much faith into such word-of-mouth info from one vendor. I've had an ARB in my front D44 and now have a Detroit Electrac in it. I much prefer the Electrac over the ARB for several reasons. And before you think I don't flog my rig hard, here are the specs:

Howell-injected 302
Built C4
Atlas 4.3
Warn shafts & CTM joints in the front with the Electrac
Moser shafts in the rear 9" with full Detroit locker
Swamper TSL/SX tires, 36x12.50-15

I primarily do very difficult rock crawling with it, and have had the Electrac in for two years now with zero problems.

 

[eds66bronco]

thanks GJBroncoMan, thats good news to hear. i'm running cut down f150 axles so those should go before i bust a carrier

 

[SaddleUp]

I'd love to see some real data or info from Randy's supporting their contention; until then I don't put much faith into such word-of-mouth info from one vendor. I've had an ARB in my front D44 and now have a Detroit Electrac in it. I much prefer the Electrac over the ARB for several reasons. And before you think I don't flog my rig hard, here are the specs:

Howell-injected 302
Built C4
Atlas 4.3
Warn shafts & CTM joints in the front with the Electrac
Moser shafts in the rear 9" with full Detroit locker
Swamper TSL/SX tires, 36x12.50-15

I primarily do very difficult rock crawling with it, and have had the Electrac in for two years now with zero problems.

I'm simply passing on what information I was given along with my choice based on that information. You would need to contact Randy's Ring & Pinion to get more details though. I personally am willing to take their word for it because they are in a better position than any other source I know to state what differentials hold up well and which ones get warrantied. They are higher up in the food chain than (distributors for) many of the companies that sell differential parts and very well may handle more aftermarket differential parts than any other company in the US. They also didn't necessarily say the Detroit Electric was bad. They said the Detroit Locker was stronger though and that the ARB was the strongest Dana 44 locker available.

Disregarding strength entirely from the discussion there is one other reason I would choose the ARB instead. That being that an ARB is an open carrier when it is disengaged. That makes it a better choice for driving on ice and snow which is often one of the reasons behind choosing a selectable locker.

 

[astark]

I'm mighty pleased with my ARB

 

[Steve]

Disregarding strength entirely from the discussion there is one other reason I would choose the ARB instead. That being that an ARB is an open carrier when it is disengaged. That makes it a better choice for driving on ice and snow which is often one of the reasons behind choosing a selectable locker.

That's really the biggest difference between the two. The ARB is open when unlocked, while the Electrac is a geared LS when unlocked. Since I don't drive mine much on the street, and never on ice and snow (except in deep snow offroad in the winter ) I don't care about that part.

I've found that even with the rock crawling I do I don't have to touch the locker switch nearly as often now as I did with the ARB. The geared LS works amazingly well most of the time. For example, when I run Pritchett in Moab with the Electrac, I only have to lock it a couple of times very briefly, and do the rest in LS mode. Can't do that with an ARB. Not having to lock it solid very often has got to put less stress on axle shafts & u-joints, which is always a good thing.

 

[Mr Joe]

I'm running the Electrac. As mentioned, it's a LS when unlocked. I've only had to lock it 3 times the past year. All but once was purely for assurance that I'd get zero slip. The only problem I've had was the actuator protective plate hit my trac-bar and is laying somewhere in Pa. I've made a dozen runs without one and never came close to hitting the actuator. It mounts pretty high on the diff.
Prior to selecting the Electrac, I searched the internet and asked dozens of wheelers for their experience with either. I found that neither was perfect.
I selected the Electrac because it's a LS when unlocked, I have a lot of time on a Detroit Locker, ARB users mentioned the hassle of internal air leaks, Electrac can be repaired without removing the cover most times and fewer malfunctions were found with the Electrac during my research. This was all based on real world information and zero "hear say".

 

[david heater]

I'd love to see some real data or info from Randy's supporting their contention; until then I don't put much faith into such word-of-mouth info from one vendor. I've had an ARB in my front D44 and now have a Detroit Electrac in it. I much prefer the Electrac over the ARB for several reasons. And before you think I don't flog my rig hard, here are the specs:

Howell-injected 302
Built C4
Atlas 4.3
Warn shafts & CTM joints in the front with the Electrac
Moser shafts in the rear 9" with full Detroit locker
Swamper TSL/SX tires, 36x12.50-15

I primarily do very difficult rock crawling with it, and have had the Electrac in for two years now with zero problems.

***thread hiJack***
I can say GJ does wheel his bronco pretty hard....all though the specs have changed.
And I would say both have good points and Bad. get the one that fits your pocket book and go have fun.

 

[rubiconbronco]

i run a electric lock and it meets my needs. it really depends on the type of wheeling your rig is set up for. the main reason i went for it was the tru trac feature when not engaged and that makes it nice when you need to steer on the rocks. but when you are rock hoping the front tires its really nice having it locked up front.. in the snow its nice to use the locker for the traction and then disengage it when you are sliding sideways or you need to be able to turn with out auging the front end around... just my 2 cents

 

[Dusty]

When I bought my ARB, the Electracs were still having their little issues that are to be expected with a newly designed product. And Ox wasn't looking too healthy as a company. I chose the ARB against the advice of some (including the guy who installed it for me, who you all know and whose opinions I highly regard). One thing I liked about it even before installing it was that it was open when disengaged, which I like better for the high speed sand and dirt roads. Well I've run it for a couple years now with zero problems, and I'd have to say I've beaten it pretty hard. Granted I've only run it with my worn out 35's, and an auto, which is supposedly easier on drivetrain parts.

I would say you're in good hands with either choice. With either, the install is critical, make sure you route the cables/hoses/wires correctly as that seems to be the biggest problems with all the different selectable lockers.

Dusty

 

[ca pony]

Detroit electric/ARB?

It looks like its going to be a coin toss. Both lockers have their good points and not. I don't plan on doing any rock crawling any time soon and there is no ice issue in in southern california, I am just mainly preparing my rig for glamis, pismo beach, and Tierra del sol. All my buddies have monster chevy rigs compared to my bronco and they all want me to put what they run in their rigs, which is mainly detroit lockers and not the electric one. All they talk about is how strong it is.

I just have one question left about warranties. One of my buddies got lucky and found a ARB in a bronco he bought and it was broken. He told me that he shipped it to ARB and got a new one, basically no questions asked. I guess this question is for GJ or anyone else who have one or had one. What are the warranty issues with the Detroit Electric locker?

One last thing, thanks everyone for your .02$ and advice. Its greatly appreciated,

 

[Steve]

I just have one question left about warranties. I guess this question is for GJ or anyone else who have one or had one. What are the warranty issues with the Detroit Electric locker?

One last thing, thanks everyone for your .02$ and advice. Its greatly appreciated,

Don't know if they've changed as I bought one of the first Electracs. It came with a two year unconditional warranty, no questions asked. No miles or any other limits except that it wasn't installed in a competition rig. A few months after it was shipped, they did a redesign of the cover and actuator mechanism to address some issues with the early version. I called them and they shipped me a new cover, actuator and associated parts free, with no questions asked. It was mid week and I was going wheeling that weekend, so I asked if they could FedEx it to me overnight if I paid the extra shipping. They FedEx'd it to me and paid all shipping charges.

As Dusty said, you really can't go wrong with either the ARB or Electrac. Both companies have a record of excellent customer service. I know and wheel with people with both ARBs and Electracs, and nobody I've spoken with has much in the way of complaints about either one, except for leaking o-rings in the ARBs, which I've heard has been fixed. One nice thing about the Electrac is that it comes with a "trail repair kit" in case you somehow do manage to break the actuator or rip it off. It installs in a couple of minutes, and you have the choice when you install it of having it either locked or in LS mode.

One other FYI for those running an Electrac: I found out that the actuator is actually made by GM. If you ever do somehow break it, you can order it directly through GM and not through Detroit, saving some $$$. I have the GM part # at home if anyone needs it.

 

[cracker]

Been running ARB's in both ends now for over 6 years. No problems. Of course, when I installed them, there were not any other real options at that time. I wheel aggressively, and have a lot of broken front axles from it. I thinkk in your case, either will work.

Side note, GJbroncoman, how is the status of your EB going???? We will be in Montrose Friday afternoon and are planning on running Die Trying. How is the trail?

CRACKER

 

[Steve]

Side note, GJbroncoman, how is the status of your EB going???? We will be in Montrose Friday afternoon and are planning on running Die Trying. How is the trail?

CRACKER

Sent ya a PM

 

[ca pony]

ARB/Detroit Electric

Thanks for the info GJ, you answered the next question that I was going to ask, which was about being able to operate the locker when you break on the trail. On a side not did you upgrade your axles and splines on them, when you purchased your locker. I was wondering how my stock axles will hold up to the added stress the locker will put on them. I could get used axles fairly cheap and wouldn't mind repalacing them, when they break.

 

[Steve]

Thanks for the info GJ, you answered the next question that I was going to ask, which was about being able to operate the locker when you break on the trail. On a side not did you upgrade your axles and splines on them, when you purchased your locker. I was wondering how my stock axles will hold up to the added stress the locker will put on them. I could get used axles fairly cheap and wouldn't mind repalacing them, when they break.

Yes, I upgraded to alloy shafts and CTM u-joints when I installed the locker. Unlike rear 9" axles, D44 spline counts don't change unless you go way overboard, so I carry a pair of assembled stock axles for trails spares. Never have had to use them on my rig...

How well stock axle shafts will hold up depends on several things, like how heavy your right foot is, what kind of wheeling you do and what tires you run, so that's a hard question to answer. Obviously, stock shafts and u-joints won't stand up nearly as well as alloy ones, but then I've wheeled with people in Moab on difficult trails that run stock shafts, and they seem to do fine with them.

 

[ca pony]

Arb/Detroit Electric?

Sounds like you have a pretty tight bronco. I'll start looking around for better axles, before starting on the locker. I want to do it right. And thanks again GJ for the great info and for answering my newbie questions.