98 SR5 Lock Diff Options

[sittinpretti03]

Im looking into the lock right for front and rear. 4r is still a dd so I don't want anything too harsh on the road. I live in the pnw and my concerns with the locker on the road is control with snow and ice. Arb or a elocker retro isn't in the budget. looking for input. thanks guys

 

[88yota]

Selectable lockers are pay to play so the lunchbox style is the next cheapest option that I have found. The spartan has had some great reviews and is the one I will be going with

 

[Dous]

A step down from a selectable would be a Detroit or Grizzly locker. They will be stronger than a Lock-Right, but function in the same manner. They replace the whole case rather than just the side gears.

 

[sittinpretti03]

how do these locker do on-road w/ rain, snow and ice? Its my wife's dd/weekend family off-road vehicle. Thinking about just freshen up the lsd in the rear and lock the front

 

[the great him]

how do these locker do on-road w/ rain, snow and ice? Its my wife's dd/weekend family off-road vehicle. Thinking about just freshen up the lsd in the rear and lock the front

you dont have an LSD... you are open 100% for a DD that is your wifes(unless she is used to wheeling and driving a locked vehicle or the likes and has spent most of her life on the road) i would not put in a auto-locker or soft locker ect. id go either a trutrac or fully selectable locker like a e-locker or ARB, all it will take is for that "auto-locker" to lock at the wrong time for just a split second and cause the driver to lose traction/control on a slick road(wet, snow, ice, even gravel) and thats the end of your 4runner and heaven forbid your family. yeah imo a auto locker in a DD is not a good idea especially if driven by someone who is not used to it. just my .02

 

[thebrandon]

If you are going to lock one end, it has to be the rear. The front IFS will not hold up as well under the stress compared to the rear. You can lock the front, but IFS is just naturally going to be weaker and you have the potential to experience more breaks and problems.

 

[sittinpretti03]

what are the weak links in ifs (CV'S)?

 

[the great him]

yeup

 

[thebrandon]

CV's are the main weak point. Being a jointed axle, it has more failure points and will naturally be weaker.

You can lock the front, but you have a greater chance of something breaking. If you lock the rear, you can also still use the locker in 2wd. This is a huge bonus for me, because I broke a CV recently and had nothing but the locked rear end to get me out of the trail, and across a river coming up to my doors.

This is just my opinion, but I feel having a selectable locker in the rear, has many more benefits than locking just the front.