ARB locker knockoff... Temping.

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Why? It is a lot of work to install a locker so I'm not sure why anyone wants to put cheap chinese junk in their differential only for it to possibly grenade and leave them on the trail.
 
APhelps said:
Why? It is a lot of work to install a locker so I'm not sure why anyone wants to put cheap chinese junk in their differential only for it to possibly grenade and leave them on the trail.
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ARB even made a video which I'm sure they handpicked the lowest quality one the could find and tested a few, keeping the poorest performing units footage. It failed within the margin of error in my opinion.

YouTube
 
Mackalicious said:
ARB even made a video which I'm sure they handpicked the lowest quality one the could find and tested a few, keeping the poorest performing units footage. It failed within the margin of error in my opinion.

YouTube
Click to expand...

You're interpreting the results wrong. The ARB locker suffered no damage at 6900ftlb, the axle broke inside of it. The knockoff completely blew up at 6400ftlb and everything about the locker was unusable.
 
Mackalicious said:
ARB even made a video which I'm sure they handpicked the lowest quality one the could find and tested a few, keeping the poorest performing units footage. It failed within the margin of error in my opinion.

YouTube
Click to expand...

So you're ok with grenading your whole differential? I don't see how that's an acceptable margin of error. Besides that you're only saving like 500-600 dollars since you still have to install it. Its a **** ton easier to swap out an axle than a differential on a trail.
 
Inv4drZm said:
You're interpreting the results wrong. The ARB locker suffered no damage at 6900ftlb, the axle broke inside of it. The knockoff completely blew up at 6400ftlb and everything about the locker was unusable.
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I may have to rewatch it later. I've been up for 30 hours.
 
Moral of the story: if you want to save a few dollars (or many) DON'T do it by getting a cheap locker. Get cheap axles so you can trail-swap easier.
 
If you are desperate for a locker and don’t want to spend the money on an ARB I would go for an Aussie locker before a knockoff ARB, I have an Aussie in my rear diff and have no complaints with about 5k miles on it
 
someone did a write up on these a while back, maybe on this forum.
I would not spend the money unless they had great reviews a a few years track record of someone who actually used them off road and im not meaning a few miles of flat gravel.
I was going to go either LSD or ARB or Aussie when a factory elocker came up for sale and I ended up going that route
 
RandyBobandy said:
If you are desperate for a locker and don’t want to spend the money on an ARB I would go for an Aussie locker before a knockoff ARB, I have an Aussie in my rear diff and have no complaints with about 5k miles on it
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Not desperate, I don't really think I need a locker atm. More so a curiosity on build quality. I'm willing to bet the spiders don't look cast and raw like they do in the ARB video. I bet they bought a bunch to find a real shitty one. It's not some crazy hard and complicated thing for the chinese to reproduce the locker with the same quality for half the price. They make soo many parts you already use on your car and everywhere in your life.

People act like this is some magical hard to copy with quality product when their phones are filled with chinese microprocessors that process trillions of calculations without missing a beat on the microscopic level.

Also, never take the word of a manufacturer when they test a knockoff of their product against theirs. There will never be an instance where a company will willingly submit an undoctored test where the products are equal or the copy prevails.
 
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APhelps said:
So you're ok with grenading your whole differential? I don't see how that's an acceptable margin of error. Besides that you're only saving like 500-600 dollars since you still have to install it. Its a **** ton easier to swap out an axle than a differential on a trail.
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Shit you still have fwd if you blow the rear
 
Inv4drZm said:
You're interpreting the results wrong. The ARB locker suffered no damage at 6900ftlb, the axle broke inside of it. The knockoff completely blew up at 6400ftlb and everything about the locker was unusable.
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Let's put that torque in perspective...

First gear ratio: 2.8 (auto)
Transfer case ratio: 2.28
Rear end ratio: 4.88 (say you re-geared while doing the locker)
Max engine torque: 221 (stock, full throttle)

Torque at axle: 6885 ft-lbs (assuming 0 drivetrain loss).

Basically, you could break the cheap locker without any shock loading...

-Charlie
 
Why did you post a thread for opinions if your mind was essentially made up, only to get semi-butthurt when you got backlash?

There is a reason ARB is more expensive and it's not just the name. It's the quality control, R&D, material grade, customer service, warranty, etc that goes into the product that makes it what it is.

I'm not saying there's never a time to buy knock-offs. There's certainly different products that I will and won't skimp on. For me, though, this isn't one of them.
 
The real budget selectable locker is a factory elocker. They are literally everywhere. I could spend $400 any day of the week and buy one still in good condition ready to go. Makes no sense to buy anything else until you get to the stronger and fail proof ARB. If I was going cheap and didn't want an elocker I'd just go with a mechanical locker.

Sent from my JSN-L23 using Tapatalk
 
So what is a guy saving, $500?

If you modify your rig such that an Air Locker is needed/warranted, then I'd think you'd be well past the point of saving $500.

For similar savings, buy the ARB locker only, install it yourself, make your own relay harness, and source a cheaper pump or make your own from an AC compressor.

I just cant see burying questionable parts so deep in the rig at such a critical point. Save your money somewhere less critical and easier to repair should repairs be needed.

That video doesn't show any of the internal spider gear machining (casting) that the ARB video showed and that you disputed. Looking at those spider gears I'd think that thing would grenade pretty shortly if you just spun one tire for very long working the spider gears. Especially if that one tire started hopping and grabbing.
 
UnderFire said:
The real budget selectable locker is a factory elocker. They are literally everywhere. I could spend $400 any day of the week and buy one still in good condition ready to go. Makes no sense to buy anything else until you get to the stronger and fail proof ARB. If I was going cheap and didn't want an elocker I'd just go with a mechanical locker.

Sent from my JSN-L23 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
just a slight point of contention. an ARB is far from failure proof. in fact, they will almost certainly leak, at the minimum. even properly set up, eventually the seal will leak. its just how it goes with that design.
 
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