Locker or Winch?

[Gerdo]

I assume you have an automatic transmission?

Also since you don't have a low range, I would get a trans temp gauge and LARGE trans cooler, maybe even with a fan mounted on it.

Wheeling with an auto and no low range will create lots of fluid heat. This heat will destroy the fluid. Bad fluid will destroy an auto trans.

I can turn off my front drive when in 4wd. I can wheel tons in 4Lo but it would be a strain in Hi.

 

[Dan.3]

so I guess I'll refine my preference even more. the purchase is supposed to resolve

1. not getting stuck while wheeling / exploring alone

This thread is pointless. Based on requirement number 1, get a winch. Thought it would be a no brainer. The fact that you had to even ask this question is concerning.

 

[Kraze]

If you think 4wp is "over-rated" then your idea of off roading and what it actually is are two very different things. 4wd isn't a crutch. Stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Haha that's what I thought when I first read his post. But if you read these two posts together, I think you can see what he was getting at lol.

My point is I think people are too quick to reach for the locker button. These vehicles are so capable open open and I think bad wheelers can use lockers as a crutch so to speak. Through my wheeling experience I've found that if you stop and analyze the obstacle some more, there is more than likely a way to get up it open/open. Out of all the trails I've run I think I've only ever really "needed" a locker once. And it was a front locker, not the rear.

I personally thing that 4wd is overated. My point is I think people are too quick to reach for the 4wd lever. These vehicles are so capable and I think bad wheelers can use 4wd as a crutch so to speak. Through my wheeling experience I've found that if you stop and analyze the obstacle some more, there is more than likely a way to get up it in 2wd. Out of all the trails I've run I think I've only ever really "needed" 4wd once. And it was a front differential, not the rear. blah blah blah......

 

[JohnBill53]

I assume you have an automatic transmission?

Also since you don't have a low range, I would get a trans temp gauge and LARGE trans cooler, maybe even with a fan mounted on it.

Wheeling with an auto and no low range will create lots of fluid heat. This heat will destroy the fluid. Bad fluid will destroy an auto trans.

I can turn off my front drive when in 4wd. I can wheel tons in 4Lo but it would be a strain in Hi.

yes it's auto, I've got a tripple gauge cluster with trans temp sitting on my desk, I just haven't had time to figure out where to put it or to put it in.

 

[SCRunner12]

I'd say a locker, since you really shouldn't be wheeling alone when you're 2wd anyways. You should be able to get out of most situations with another vehicle and a helping hand, so a winch isn't 100% necessary. A locker like others have said will get you further and be a lot more fun IMO.

Also you could get a locker and a cheap Badlands winch from Harbor Freight. They get great reviews and are only around $300.

 

[sn0wrunner]

Can someone ban this Dan guy please?

 

[JohnBill53]

This thread is pointless. Based on requirement number 1, get a winch. Thought it would be a no brainer. The fact that you had to even ask this question is concerning.

Well since I've never had a winch or a locker in my five years of driving experience you'll have to pardon my ignorance guy

I got stuck last week in sand and there wasn't a tree to piss on from my truck let alone anything within a couple hundred yards I could have winched myself out on

riddle me that one sir.

 

[Kraze]

Well since I've never had a winch or a locker in my five years of driving experience you'll have to pardon my ignorance guy

I got stuck last week in sand and there wasn't a tree to piss on from my truck let alone anything within a couple hundred yards I could have winched myself out on

riddle me that one sir.

I've heard of guys burying their spare tire out in front of them in situations like that and winching to that. You could also get a Pull-Pal for that scenario: Pull-Pal winch anchor, foldable land anchors for 4x4, Jeep, ATV, UTV, off-road, all-terrain-vehicles

Personally, I'd go with a locker, but that's because if I was 2wd, I wouldn't be doing any serious wheeling without others there that could pull me out. Hell, I'm locked front and rear and still won't do any serious wheeling alone.

 

[Dan.3]

um..... Clydes towing service duh

 

[steezemcqueen]

Keep in mind I said that they are over rated. I didn't say they aren't useful.

Let me ask you a question. Have your lockers really improved your ability to conquer obstacles, or have they improved your vehicles ability to go over the obstacles?

Let's say you're on a trail and you've attempted to get over an obstacle 2 or 3 times and you decide I need to turn my lockers on. You turn them on and you crawl right over the obstacle. Did the lockers make you a better wheeler? In my opinion, no. They made your vehicle a better wheeler. You didn't do anything differently besides hit a magic button. My point is I think people are too quick to reach for the locker button. These vehicles are so capable open open and I think bad wheelers can use lockers as a crutch so to speak. Through my wheeling experience I've found that if you stop and analyze the obstacle some more, there is more than likely a way to get up it open/open. Out of all the trails I've run I think I've only ever really "needed" a locker once. And it was a front locker, not the rear.

^^This. Plus its much more fun to see the look on peoples faces when you tell them you did that obstacle unlocked. Wheeling a open/open vehicle really teaches you about taking proper lines and not just doing the point-and-shoot over stuff.

Honestly though, you should do neither. Save your money and do the 4wd swap. Having the front wheels turning and most important of all, low range, will get you further than either a winch or a locker combined.

Finding a donor vehicle would be the easiest but all you really need is a trans and t-case, front diff, CV's, spindles, and the wiring harness.

Start by picking up a front diff ($250), CV's ($50), and spindles(~$100 each). swap that into your rig. You can then start looking for a trans and tcase and the wiring.

 

[JohnBill53]

[MENTION=9139]steezemcqueen[/MENTION]

If I graduate next year like I'm supposed to that is an option, depending on how long it takes to find a job, such a project just isn't feasible while I'm up here at school. hell I don't even have a garage.

And a moment of honesty here, I don't have the knowledge to do it, not by my self haha

the conversion is in the plans I promise, there's just other things that have to come before it. Like graduation, a career, total financial independence etc. haha

I just wanted to know which one everyone thought would add the most value in the sense of capability to the 4runner thats all
and as far as not "needing" a locked diff to get over something that would feel great! There's plenty of shit I've had to go at more than once, and I'm pretty confident in my driving off road since it all has been in 2wd. I get what you're saying but you're almost selling me on the locker. Now i feel like I need to prove my self haha paul walker type shit

 

[Kraze]

Another thing that hasn't been touched on yet regarding the locker--the sheer amount of fun it can provide. On flatter, harder packed desert roads, it's a blast to lock the rear and slide around turns in 2wd :thumb:

 

[nevada]

Well since I've never had a winch or a locker in my five years of driving experience you'll have to pardon my ignorance guy

I got stuck last week in sand and there wasn't a tree to piss on from my truck let alone anything within a couple hundred yards I could have winched myself out on

riddle me that one sir.

pull pal.
or get creative.

I've heard of guys burying their spare tire out in front of them in situations like that and winching to that. You could also get a Pull-Pal for that scenario: Pull-Pal winch anchor, foldable land anchors for 4x4, Jeep, ATV, UTV, off-road, all-terrain-vehicles

Personally, I'd go with a locker, but that's because if I was 2wd, I wouldn't be doing any serious wheeling without others there that could pull me out. Hell, I'm locked front and rear and still won't do any serious wheeling alone.

yup. this.

 

[541joseph]

holly SH*T that pull pal is awesome but for sure not the price for that price he should just do 4x4 conversion

 

[glenyoshida]

Are you sure you're asking the right question?

You've got a 2WD rig with over 200,000 miles on it. You should really be asking if you are truly dead set on spending the money on a 4wd conversion.

Jump ahead in time. Imagine yourself already with a rear locker and a winch. All things being equal, including driver skills, you'll never be able to match up in capability with 4wd rigs. I have first hand experience having wheeled with a 3rd gen 2wd rig running a doubler, ARB locker, and 33s. I was in a near stock 1994 4Runner with 31s and he was getting stuck. It's just not possible to equal the capabilities between 2wd and 4wd. If you want to verify that for yourself, get some of your 4wd buddies with a locker to do the 2lo mod and wheel with them. See for yourself.

A 2wd to 4wd conversion is going to set you back around 5k. Around $1500 - $2000 if you do all the work yourself.

If I'm gauging right, you'd be looking at someone else doing the conversion for you right? If that's the case are you sure that you'd rather put another $5,000 into a rig that will still get spanked by a non-locked 4wd? You would get much better bang for your buck to buy a 4wd rig with lower miles and spend a week swapping your mods. That's coincidentally about the same amount of time that you'd be without your rig waiting for the conversion.

If you're able to take a step back from the emotional attachment to the mods you've already done then you should save up and buy a 4wd rig. Save up sooner rather than later so that you won't take as much loss on the stuff you are not able to move over (like a locker).




BTW I have to agree with Sn0wrunner. Lockers are way over rated. They are not useless just over hyped. The number one excuse I hear for wheelers lacking driving skills is "If I had a locker..."

My rig is locked front and rear and I very rarely need them. Nearly every time I'm stuck, feeling so lazy that I don't want to back up to take a new line, and try the locker I'm still stuck. Anecdotally about 1% of the time, maybe not even that much, it allows me to go where opens wouldn't. Now that I'm thinking about it...sadly, out of the dozens and dozens of trails in the past several years, I can only think of one time where the lockers got me out of a jam that open/open couldn't. I slipped into a rut, was flexed out, and in deep snow.

But if you don't give a rats butt about my ¢.02 then go for the winch on the rear bumper. If you don't want to spend the cash to mod up the rear bumper then get a locker. A winch on the front would be my last pick. Winches on the front are fun (and look ooooh so cool) but they really are set up to help everyone else in your group more than yourself.

 

[02SE]

I just spin a little tire and hit shit hard and fast haha

That's the best reason for having 4wd, and a locker(s). You can crawl along nice and easy, not beating up your vehicle, and perhaps more importantly, not tearing up the trail, which can eventually lead to it being closed.

I'll just add that yes, low-range 4wd and a locker can get my 4Runner places without tearing up the trail or abusing my vehicle, that it otherwise couldn't go without those capabilities.

 

[slapdappy]

locker + come along/cable puller and recovery strap

locker locker locker. Amazing how effective it is.
I have this 4 ton come along $60 18 lbs. and a 30' snatch strap $22 Amazon just in case. Allied HEAVY DUTY DOUBLE GEARED 4-Ton Come Along(CABLE PULLER) at Arizona Tools.
My 4R weighs 2 tons. I'm thinking about carrying a snatch block and a 50'-100' length of wire cable, but I'm not planning to do any serious technical wheeling and there has to be a certain point when the gear buying ends.

 

[rideexileex]

Yup... I'm jumping on the train of doing "nothing". I would wait...

I also don't understand how people can truly "offroad" without low range...

Drive the rig as it is now, and once you have graduated and are setup financially, buy a 4wd rig. If you're looking for an even bigger jump, you can buy one of the 4runners with an elocker, and then you're set with both 4wd and a locker. You'll also have the benefit of lower miles.

 

[Kurtis]

Neither. Get 4wd first. Then a winch. Then lockers. Unless it comes with the e-locker, that's cool too.

 

[Mtssurf1]

it all just depends on the terrain in my opinion, where I wheel its sandy and people say "oh yours is a beach rig, you should get a locker" bull... in a test in 4wdL in low it spun all 4 wheels evenly. Lockers only help if your on a very sturdy terrain like rocks or maybe even packed dirt. Since yours is a 2wd im not going to pester you about the conversion because like you said its not really an option at this time. So for you id say winch, but even then always wheel with some buddies. Every one gets stuck once in a while.