Hey guys! It's been awhile since I updated this but the E-locker retrofit is DONE! Sadly, I didn't get around to doing it this summer, and with working this semester, I did not have time to do it myself. So instead, I worked it out where I dropped it off at a local shop, Southeast Overland. They did a killer job, and the new owners are the best people. They got me taken care of and did it for a great price!
So, before I picture dump, here are some notes:
They did the E-locker retrofit per a write-up I found on a different forum (I don't remember right now, but I'll summarize). To make the E-locker fit, you have to use a plasma cutter and cut a notch out of the axle housing to make room for the fork to slide over when the locker is disengaged. Additionally, 4 new stud locations must be drilled and tapped for the actuator studs to work.
MAJOR IMPORTANT NOTE
If you have a 4th gen and are going to install a 3rd gen 4Runner E-locker 3rd member, you NEED a new pinion flange. The 3rd gen differential pinion flange has 27 splines and a 60mm by 60mm flange bolt pattern. 4th gens (at least mine) have a 29 spline pinion flange with a 66mm by 66mm bolt pattern. The difference in the flange sizes is too different to just drill out new holes, so you absolutely have to get a new pinion flange for this to work. This was a catch that Southeast Overland solved quickly, and I thank them for it. The pinion flange I got is a nitro gear flange that is triple drilled.
Here's a link to the flange:
YOKT35040-MULTI
Along with the E-locker, I had them beat my lower link frame mounts back out since mine were pretty beat, and I had them weld on Outpost Offroad Lower Link Guards. I also had them weld on some RuffStuff universal tube reinforcements and weld on the eimkeith Panhard Correction Kit. Additionally, I had them install a Low-Range Offroad Actuator Motor Guard to protect the actuator.
Links to those parts:
FJ Cruiser/4Runner/GX470 Outpost Off Road Link Guards
Universal Tube Reinforcement (Single) - RuffStuff Specialties
PCK (Panhard Correction Kits) – eimkeith.com
Toyota Electric E Locker Motor Guard - Low Range Off-Road
Finally, I used the 12voltguy E-locker wiring harness to wire it up. It's an amazing wiring harness that is well worth the money. Southeast Overland slightly changed the wiring for the harness though. If you install the harness how it comes, you would turn the switch to the "on" position and the backlight for the rocker switch would turn on. HOWEVER, this would not mean that the locker was actually engaged, you would have to listen for the clunk of the locker actually engaging. So, to avoid confusion of when the locker is engaged, they changed the wiring so that the rocker switch backlight ONLY comes on when the locker engages. This means when I turn the rocker switch to the on position, the light remains off until the locker physically engages. Only then does the backlight turn on. This makes it far easier to know if your locker is actually engaged or disengaged.
Okay enough talking, picture time!
It's sad I didn't get to do it myself, but I'm so thrilled to have it all installed nonetheless.
To make things even better, my built front diff from ECGS with matching 4.30 gears shipped 2.5 weeks sooner than expected, and was delivered to me the day after I got the 4Runner back from the locker work. So naturally, yesterday I went ahead and installed the front diff too
Time to wheel!