Locking the rear of a DD 5 speed?

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scpa0501

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I've read everything that I can find on the subject and I still cannot decide...

I want to lock the rear on my 2000 5 speed and I've decided to not mess with the cost of the e locker swap. I know that a selectable is best for dd, but I'm not willing to go that deep into the pockets. im completely torn between the lunchbox Aussie and the full carrier Yukon Grizzly. The biggest question is not about off road performance, but rather on smoothness of on road manners. Does the Grizzly actually operate more smoothly? I can't tell if there is much justification to the nearly doubled price tag, and I want to decide by Black Friday.

Like I said, I've read all the posts on a variety of forums about each separately, but I'm wondering if anyone here can offer a clearer picture of the comparison.

Thanks!
 
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shootmymime said:
Wow wait. You want to lock it up while on the road? Explain a bit more please.
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There seem to be quite a few people that daily drive trucks with auto lockers. It's not too big of a deal to adjust to the minor quirks, and the added capability off road is what I want. I'm not saying that I don't off road, I just mean that I expect that there is a greater difference between the types of lockers in on road performance and that once off road they are pretty much the same.
 
I'm trying to build more for expedition travel than purely off road. That makes on road manners as important as off road capability.
 
Brilliant said:
A yard pulled elocker is 4-600. Isnt a LSD or auto locker towards 600 as well?
Click to expand...

300 for Aussie
565 for Grizzly

Aside from not feeling at all motivated to do the axle housing modification for an e locker swap, I'm finding it difficult to find the 4.10 third with a locker. It's a little harder for us 5 speed folks. Additionally, I like the pure simplicity of the auto locker.
 
scpa0501 said:
I've read everything that I can find on the subject and I still cannot decide...

I want to lock the rear on my 2000 5 speed and I've decided to not mess with the cost of the e locker swap. I know that a selectable is best for dd, but I'm not willing to go that deep into the pockets. im completely torn between the lunchbox Aussie and the full carrier Yukon Grizzly. The biggest question is not about off road performance, but rather on smoothness of on road manners. Does the Grizzly actually operate more smoothly? I can't tell if there is much justification to the nearly doubled price tag, and I want to decide by Black Friday.

Like I said, I've read all the posts on a variety of forums about each separately, but I'm wondering if anyone here can offer a clearer picture of the comparison.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I ran a Aussie in my 95 pickup. You will not notice it at all while driving down the road. It's like it's not there. However, in parking lots, tight turns, and the few occasions of jerking while turning while starting off you will notice it quite a lot. I got tired of the clicking (thought it wouldn't be a big deal). It worked great but got annoying after a while.

Off-road = Awesome
Onroad (DD) = Good
Tight turns and Parking Lots = Annoying

Selectable is the way to go. For me anyway.
 
HuntG212 said:
I ran a Aussie in my 95 pickup. You will not notice it at all while driving down the road. It's like it's not there. However, in parking lots, tight turns, and the few occasions of jerking while turning while starting off you will notice it quite a lot. I got tired of the clicking (thought it wouldn't be a big deal). It worked great but got annoying after a while.

Off-road = Awesome
Onroad (DD) = Good
Tight turns and Parking Lots = Annoying

Selectable is the way to go. For me anyway.
Click to expand...

And he lives in MN, it gets.... icy and snowy and shitty there. This will have an effect on your winter drivability no questions asked, even in 4x4. I drove around a 1980 Toy P/U with a detroit locker and 33's for several years.

I don't think you will see a lot of difference in performance on or offroad between the two you are looking at, but the grizzly will be the stronger unit naturally by design. Both will kind of suck when its icy and crappy out.
 
He wants it for expedition rather than off-road, which I take to mean rock crawling and difficult trails. I don't think a full time locker is really required for "expedition" use (long distance over simple terrain) and is certainly not good for DD duty.
 
HuntG212 said:
I ran a Aussie in my 95 pickup. You will not notice it at all while driving down the road. It's like it's not there. However, in parking lots, tight turns, and the few occasions of jerking while turning while starting off you will notice it quite a lot. I got tired of the clicking (thought it wouldn't be a big deal). It worked great but got annoying after a while.

Off-road = Awesome
Onroad (DD) = Good
Tight turns and Parking Lots = Annoying

Selectable is the way to go. For me anyway.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think I could happily go with an aussie. I have a lot harder time finding more info on the Grizzly. It's supposedly even smoother and quieter, but I don't know.

As for the use, the kind of travel I would do is definitely enough to warrant a locker. Auto lockers aren't locked 100% of the time, and I'm certain that I would adjust easily to driving one, even in the winter conditions... Even still though, if I go aussie and end up not liking it, it would be easy to revert back to open diff.

I'm definitely going to do one or the other. I'm not concerned about daily driving an auto locker. Like I said, I just want to end up with the smoothest one.
 
I miss my old auto locker like I miss a hole in my head. It made driving my last 3rd gen very irritating, and I sincerely regret not going with a selectable locker. It's a few extra hundred bucks for a salvaged E locker, and worth every penny.
 
Have patience with the elocker and you can score those for 250 or better.

I did my whole setup for about what you say you can get an elocker for and that's with swapping the front diff to 4.30.

Elocker is your answer. I dd my runner and I wouldn't run an auto locker period.
 
Short of a selectable, the best traction device for a DD is the True track limited slip. I'm not aware if they make a version for the Toyota axle however..
 
i had the aussie in mine, install was easy and it worked great off road. I got real tired of the clicking and trying to accelerate into traffic and squealing tires real fast. so much that i got air lockers and love them.

selectable for the win.
 
coming from a 76 bronco on 33's with detroit locker and tru-trac upfront... on road wasn't bad. I could tell they ratchet often, tire scrub was there, but I didn't care. the other thing to think, it was a shorter wheel base.

things to note... on slippery places, it's bad, snow/ice/lots of rain... I hated it, felt like it would peel out or fish tail EVERY second.

going to my 99 with the elocker is just wow... so much better. I recommend you going elocker or air locker. In the LONG run, you'll love it MORE than anything.

how long are you planning on keeping the truck? What's the LONG... + term goal of the truck? do you have a road map of you mods?
 
I was in the same boat. I kept an eye on craigslist, and picked up a locked rear axle, and matching front for $500. That wasn't much more than the aussie locker, and i wouldn't have to worry about snow and ice.
 
scpa0501 said:
I've read everything that I can find on the subject and I still cannot decide...

I want to lock the rear on my 2000 5 speed and I've decided to not mess with the cost of the e locker swap. I know that a selectable is best for dd, but I'm not willing to go that deep into the pockets. im completely torn between the lunchbox Aussie and the full carrier Yukon Grizzly. The biggest question is not about off road performance, but rather on smoothness of on road manners. Does the Grizzly actually operate more smoothly? I can't tell if there is much justification to the nearly doubled price tag, and I want to decide by Black Friday.

Like I said, I've read all the posts on a variety of forums about each separately, but I'm wondering if anyone here can offer a clearer picture of the comparison.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

To answer your actual question, the full carrier Grizzly or Detroit will operate a little smoother, but not much. Unless you're installing it yourself, it'll be much more than double the price though because installing it requires removing and reinstalling the ring gear, which most guys need to pay a shop to do. If you run bigger than 33s or have a heavy foot the extra strength might be worth the premium, but otherwise the lunchbox locker will do you fine.

An elocker would obviously be awesome, but if you can't find one at the right price get an Aussie or a Spartan. $250-$300, you can install it yourself in the garage, and if you don't like it you can pull it out yourself too. And unless you're highly sensitive, which it doesn't sound like you are, it's on-road quirks aren't that bad. Not even on snow and ice.
 
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I have no experience with the yukon locker, but I have had lunchbox lockers of one variety or another on three different vehicles. On road performance is fine. Really the only downside is the noise (makes people think there's something wrong with your truck). You will attract unwanted attention at the grocery store parking lot when you chirp the tires pulling out of your parking spot.

I was very happy with the investment for $300. Keep in mind, all three of these were rusty trail beaters, so I didn't really care if they chirped and popped at the hello kitty trade emporium parking lot.

Another thing to consider is your location (Minnesota), are you going to be driving it in the winter? Things can definitely get hairy with a lunchbox locker in the rear in snow/ice. Driving requires your 100% attention in these conditions and you will have to be very careful. Doable, but it makes driving more exhausting. I never DD'd any of my lunchboxed trucks in the winter, but I did take them out a handful of times.

I have since owned 4 vehicles with a selectable locker (e-locker or ARB) and it is hands down better and was worth the investment to me, but I am older now and have a bigger budget.
 
csp said:
Short of a selectable, the best traction device for a DD is the True track limited slip. I'm not aware if they make a version for the Toyota axle however..
Click to expand...

This. I had forgotten about these. I ran one in the front of my 95 pickup and loved it. Works perfect for just about all situations. The only situation it doesn't is when you have a tire lifted off the ground, it switches back to open. But you can apply the brakes to offset that.
 
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