Please recommend a locker for a newb

S

shadowschild

New member
Hello,

Last night I did some small, simple off-roading (really basic stuff) over some gravel hills behind a farm. There was small raveen covered with an inch & 1/2 of ice. My front tires cracked it & sank in about half way into muddy water.

Moving foward was difficult in 4low because it would slip on the ice. & moving backwards was tough too because 1 of the rear tires would not spin. Eventually I got out, using 4-high & crushed some of the ice i guess in front that let me escape.

Anyways, it's clear that the only thing this truck really needs is an lsd. But im confused about a few things.

1) Do i need to change the front & rear differencials?
2) Im very concerened about regular driving with 4high or low on. (i have 2x4) Which lsd would allow turning of the wheels without destroying or snaping them (or without loud pops & bangs)?

Experienced lsd'ers only please ^_^

Thanks!
 
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Your thread title asks for locker advice but then the post asks for LSD info. Do you understand that the two differentials are actually different? There is good reading in the sticky thread about diffs in this section if you want to learn more.
As for the situation you described (which sounds like fun!) I think an LSD would not have helped much, you needed a true locker.
You can install a locker either front or rear without having to do the other, as long as the ring and pinion gear ratio remains the same. If you do one locker, it will be more useful in the rear. A selectable locker gives you the most freedom since you only use it when needed so regular driving is not effected at all. An automatic locker is designed to still allow differential action on high traction surfaces and it depends on what brand you buy as to the level of noise it produces.
 
I checked the link & did some more reading. Im starting to get a grasp on this stuff. Just need to weed through all the marketing & find something of use. Perferable something i can engage myself when i need it.

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It would help if we knew what truck year you have .

Also it looks like you have a 2x4 (4x2) in your post , but you talk about 4hi and 4lo , which is it ??

If you have a 2wd , yes a lsd or locker or ATRAC may help but driving into a frozen ravine / river and breaking through and sinking in mud is 4wd territory and good aggressive tire territory. Tires also can make or break whether it has a locker , ATRAC or LSD .

Give us more info
 
shadowschild said:
More Info:

1997 4runner Manual SR5 - 2 x 4 (4 hi, 4low, 2hi) extra gear shifts
215/75/15 studded Goodyear Nordic Winter Tires
3.75 Gear Ratio I believe
Everything else is stock..
Click to expand...

Thats impossible !! I am baffled !! What makes you think it's a 2wd vehicle ???

Its actually called a 4x2. Stands for it has 4 wheels and 2 drive wheels.4x4's have 4 wheels and 4 wheels that drive .
 
shadowschild said:
More Info:

1997 4runner Manual SR5 - 2 x 4 (4 hi, 4low, 2hi) extra gear shifts
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have 4x4, 4hi and 4lo. IIRC, the early 3rd gens have a transfer case shift level on the tunnel next to the transmission shifter.
 
shadowschild said:
1997 4runner Manual SR5 - 2 x 4 (4 hi, 4low, 2hi) extra gear shifts
215/75/15 studded Goodyear Nordic Winter Tires
3.75 Gear Ratio I believe
Everything else is stock..
Click to expand...

Wow, thats a really small tire for an suv, probably a contributing factor to you getting stuck the other day.

Also FYI, there is no 3.75 ratio, but depending on what size engine you have it will be either 4.1 or 3.909.

Those are good video that you posted, a picture tells a thousand words...
 
Just to clear some things up

Yes it a manual gear box
Yes there is another (small) lever to switch between 4x4 or 4x2

Not sure what a good tire size would have been to put on. I just took the size from the previous owner (225/75/15) and narrowed it a bit for winter.

If I put a locker in the back, I can put larger gears and run bigger tires without screwing with the odometer reading. It's got 230,000 km btw.

thanks for the replys would still like to hear from some experienced locker owners though I can't imaging there is much to say =P
 
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Installing a locker is the perfect time to change gear ratio since everything is disassembled, but a new ratio and bigger tires will always effect the odo. (Dont forget that a ratio change must be done front and rear)
You do realize that you already have an error with those smaller tires, they are not just narrower, they are smaller in diameter too, only less than an inch though.
I don't have a locker in my 4Runner but my two previous vehicles have been locked. I had a '99 Hilux with front and rear ARB air lockers and a '77 Nissan Patrol first with an open rear diff, then an LSD then an ARB locker. The LSD was a great upgrade but the locker was even better.
 
shadowschild said:
thanks for the replys would still like to hear from some experienced locker owners though I can't imaging there is much to say =P
Click to expand...

I had a 2002 4runner with ATRAC (4-wheel traction control) and now, i have a G500 with ATRAC and lockers. I can tell you that off-road, nothing beats a locker. Yeah, there are some rare situations where traction control is a bit better, but overall, lockers rule off-road. This is why in some off-road competitions, having a locker alone will put you in a higher competition class.
 
Ah , you do have a 4x4 not a 4x2.

I agree with Thai. on the atrac / locker. I just have ATRAC (as most of us do ) and think it works awesome Better than a LSD and not as good as a locker , but still being able to have all wheels driving is excellent for off road.
 
Dude, this seems to have escaped everyone else, but you need to learn how to work what you have before considering dropping big $$ on gears and lockers.

Once you've learned the basics of 4wheeling, then it may be time to upgrade.
 
fourwd1 said:
Dude, this seems to have escaped everyone else, but you need to learn how to work what you have before considering dropping big $$ on gears and lockers.

Once you've learned the basics of 4wheeling, then it may be time to upgrade.
Click to expand...

The ice thing wasn't the first time I got stuck. This summer, on my birthday no less, got stuck trying to escape from some wet sand that had dried out. Again, same problem with the open differencial.

Then a few months ago, in clay only 1 of the back tires was spinning.
 
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