Why use a locker on the front????

[Joker11]

Serious question because I am not a longtime 4wheeler yet.

If you run a spool on the front, you don't need to run a part time locker.

If you unlock your hubs, then the spool has no function.

If you are in 2 wheel drive, your fronts aren't being driven anyways.

Offroad, why would you not want to have the front locked? And if you don't, can't you just disengage the hubs and get the same result as an open diff?


There has to be a simple explanation, or else ARB is making a ton of money off of us for no reason.

 

[JeepGuy]

I run lockers front and rear on my Jeep (haven't got that far on the Bronco yet). When your front axle is "locked" (locker or spool) it affects your steering ability. I never paid attention to it that much until I was on a few tight turns going down hill with no escape. It was very noticable how much the vehicle pulls/pushs to the outside of the turn when it's all locked up.

The select-able lockers are very nice up front because you can disengage without having to get out of the vehicle which in some cases is not an option (or a easy one to say the least).

I roll with my hubs locked when I hit the dirt. Most of the time I'm in 2 wheel drive anyways with the locked rear, but when it's needed, it sure is nice to know both wheels up front are gripping.

 

[coltbean]

Well to start with you can't turn if you are locked up front. On an ARB or similar locker you can kick it in from inside the cab when extra traction is needed going over an obstacle or whatever and you still have one wheel pulling when it is disengaged.If you were to use a spool up front you would have to get out and lock in your hubs and then get back out and unlock them after completing the obstacle, so you would either have both front wheels pulling or neither.

 

[Joker11]

How does it affect steering when locked at the diff and not at the hubs?

Or did I misunderstand what you were saying?

 

[Scoop]

ARB is not making money for no reason! A selectable in the front is the best way to go by far. People have done the spool up front but you'll soon tire of, as mentioned already, the difficulty to turn and the pain in the butt having to stop, get out and lock/unlock as need. Not to mention you will piss off everybody behind you. You don't want to be "that guy" on the trail! ;D

The problem really is you would be either locked up front or 2WD. Most trails require 4WD but don't require a locker until you hit an obstacle.

The spool does not affect steering if the hubs are unlocked.

 

[JeepGuy]

How does it affect steering when locked at the diff and not at the hubs?

Or did I misunderstand what you were saying?

There is a good tech article on lockers on here in the tech section that explains it in detail.

Here is the short version. Most lockers will allow one tire/axle to spin slightly faster than the other but never only one spinning at once (under power). A spool is a complete lock which keep both sides of the axle/tires spinning at the same speed all the time regardless of driving surface.

When you have all the wheels pulling at the same time the front will "fight" a tight turn a bit because the inside tire is grabbing/pulling as it turns.

That's about the easiest way to explain it. If you have a working 4x4 (bronco or other) go find a parking lot, lock everything up in 4 wheel drive, and do some slow turns. You will be able to tell the difference in turning radius immediately.

 

[Joker11]

JeepGuy, No, I get being locked up on asphalt. But I was suggesting that a spool would become a selectable locker if you used the hubs to lock and unlock. As opposed to having locked hubs and selectable locking at the differential.

Scoop, gotcha.
We normally don't go out with other people if it is going to be a follow the leader type of ride. To me, that is kind of boring. Plus, I like to go at my own pace and not have to be THAT GUY whether it is me going too fast or going too slow. But I get what you are saying.

We did some trail rides with large groups and my family really didn't like it. To be honest, it was more than I bargained for.

 

[JeepGuy]

JeepGuy, No, I get being locked up on asphalt. But I was suggesting that a spool would become a selectable locker if you used the hubs to lock and unlock. As opposed to having locked hubs and selectable locking at the differential.

Selectable lockers will still provide one drive tire when not locked. What you are suggesting, is driving around in 2wd until you need it in 4. That's all good, but can get you in some pretty bad situations depending on what kind of off roading you are doing.


A "spool" is not the same as a traditional locker. Just making sure you understand that.

 

[Joker11]

I understand a spool to be an elimination of the differential function of the spider gears, making it pretty much a solid shaft from left to right.

I see your point about getting into a situation though. Thanks.

Also, since the PO didn't do the E-brake rear disk kit, I have no ebrake. So, I can't get stuck and then get out and lock the hubs. I really need to change that.

 

[JeepGuy]

I understand a spool to be an elimination of the differential function of the spider gears, making it pretty much a solid shaft from left to right.

Yup

I see your point about getting into a situation though. Thanks.

Also, since the PO didn't do the E-brake rear disk kit, I have no ebrake. So, I can't get stuck and then get out and lock the hubs. I really need to change that.

One of my biggest regrets with my Jeep was not fabbing up a functioning E-Brake. It's really not safe, and can be a pain in the ass on trail rides. I really don't think my jeep will pop out of gear by it's self, but I also know all to well it can happen and people can get hurt. Once my Bronco is done i'm going straight to either reworking my old e-brake system on the jeep or installing a "line-lock" style set up.

 

[Tom Dummer]

How does it affect steering when locked at the diff and not at the hubs?

Or did I misunderstand what you were saying?

What you are asking here is correct. When the hubs are not locked, it really does not affect your steering. Put yourself in the trails, how often do you want to climb out and turn your hubs?

 

[Jeff10]

Hey Joker,

As Scoop said... ARB has made money in the market because their product has a real purpose.

Before making your decision, it would be a good thing for you to ride with someone and get the full locker experience.

Turning with the front locked-up is tough. There's a lot of stress going on up front when you try to turn. Sometimes it's necessary... sometimes it's not.

There's a thing among some experienced 4-wheelers.... many don't like to use any more equipment than necessary. In most cases, the better a person is at driving, the less equipment needed to tackle most obstacles. On the other hand, there are times equipment is needed and the easier it is to access, the better the results.

We were recently on a fairly steep piece of slickrock. I was still getting comfortable with the lower gear ratio in the Atlas and I attempted the climb in 1st gear, 4-wheel drive low range. Halfway up one wheel dropped into a little hole and the rear tires broke loose. (We were locked in the back.) I was maintaining forward movement, but just barely. Flicking the switch for front lockers was the quickest way to get traction and climb the fin. Backing down the fin would have been another option; but, not ideal. (I'm not an expert with the manual transmission, so grabbing a higher gear and getting moving again would have been tough for me.)

My point is that the front locker helped me out of a bad spot without too much trouble. Front lockers which are engagable from inside the cab are definitely a nice option... at least in my opinion.

Jeff

 

[sriha]

Another option besides unlocking the hubs or having a selectable locker would be to have a twin stick transfer case. We just put the front in neutral until it is needed. Many of the trails out here are tight and twisty but usually not too difficult unless you choose that line. We prefer driving in small groups. Its always nice to have someone that can pull you out or show you what not to do Large groups get cumbersome and take longer to get though a trail. A good number would be no more than 5 trucks.

 

[Buldozer]

ARB is not making money for no reason! A selectable in the front is the best way to go by far. People have done the spool up front but you'll soon tire of, as mentioned already, the difficulty to turn and the pain in the butt having to stop, get out and lock/unlock as need. Not to mention you will piss off everybody behind you. You don't want to be "that guy" on the trail! ;D

The problem really is you would be either locked up front or 2WD. Most trails require 4WD but don't require a locker until you hit an obstacle.

The spool does not affect steering if the hubs are unlocked.

This is the answer.... and twin stick does not solve the turning problem entirely since both front tires are locked together and can not turn seperately... and most trails can not be navigated in two wheel drive.... so there ya go, thats why you have to have some type of selectable locker up front. You can get by with the back spooled a lot easier IMO

 

[70_Steve]

Offroad, why would you not want to have the front locked? And if you don't, can't you just disengage the hubs and get the same result as an open diff?

When I first installed my OX locker (selectable front locker) I didn't understand how I'd use it. I assumed, like you?, that I'd run with the front locked most of the time. It didn't take long before I understood how having the front locked affects the ability to steer. So now I run with the front unlocked, and only lock it when I need it. So there are trails where I repeatedly lock and unlock the front. As a result of my driving experience with the locker , I moved the locker control to within easy hand reach.

Also have run into many situations here in AZ where I would climb up a very steep hill, requiring the front to be locked, then have to make a sharp turn at the top. I would not be able to make the turn at the top with the front locked. Also, besides being completely impractical to exit the vehicle at that point, unlock the hubs, then reenter the vehicle and resume driving, in most situations where you might need to do that, the front tires will be under tension, effectively locking the hubs in the locked position.

 

[KyleQ]

You need to look at the world of lunchbox lockers - they can be utterly seamless while turning and work when you need them to for a fraction of the price and a fraction of the install labor.

 

[matt w]

I ran arbs front and back in my jeep. LOVED THEM

AND like others have said having a selectable up front is da bomb.... Well IMHO it was and that's why I did it in the front of my bronco.

I NEVER EVER EVER had a problem with my ARB's, now mind you this was way before you could buy a heep with ARB's.

The ONLY reason I did not run an ARB this time is because I did not want to run the air compressor AND for what I do I feel it will work incredibly better than the stock open front!;D

To each his own IMHO ARB's r da bomb!;D

 

[Bart]

There are times when getting out of the vehicle to lock the hubs is not an option. Also, when my selectable locker (OX) is engaged over a period of time the power steering fluid starts to boil, so will your spool. The unit is always trying to turn right so you'll have to counter with a left turn. The fluid has no time to cool down. 90% of the time I don't need the ox but when I do, it's great. Simply move the lever and make a right turn to feel it lock up. I wheeled the Rubicon with a fellow who had a Detroit up front and he fought it all the time. Yes, he unlocked the hubs. When he needed the hubs engaged he had to turn off the engine (manual trans) get out, lock the hubs, get back in, start engine and get it to move again while on a serious up hill grade. No thanks, I'll keep my OX locker.

 

[Letsgocrawling]

My bronco's not a daily driver for sure, but at the unevent last month i did more driving on the pavement than i had ever done before. Detroit up front, spool in the back. While in 2 high the only signs of the axles were the spool when turning sharp of course---tires chirping. During rough 4 wheeling and encountering very tight corners and i mean jockeying once, twice maybe even 3 times to make the turn the truck never wants to go strait during turning. I do have full width stuff so there is a lot of that. I've got plenty of ackermans steering concept now and i attribute the handling to that, even at a crawl, just my .02 cents

 

[R.P. Coltrane]

I think tons of them are sold to late model guys that do some winter on-road driving. Either front or rear, there's a lot of benefit to open diffs when trying to maintain a straight line at 30 mph on ice.