Spartan Locker on 4th Gen, Opinions?

from what i understand the spartan locker is extremely easy to install and doesn't require fiddling with the gears. Is this correct? I found a brand new one for cheap!
 
from what i understand the spartan locker is extremely easy to install and doesn't require fiddling with the gears. Is this correct? I found a brand new one for cheap!

Yes, I've been told you basically just open the diff and drop it in. Whatever that means, I know you don't have to touch the gears.
 
Yes, I've been told you basically just open the diff and drop it in. Whatever that means, I know you don't have to touch the gears.
That's my understanding, works for me. Guy has it up for $225 shipped. Installed and hated it, took it out and is selling it. Would really help on the trails... And powerslides! Lol

Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
 
That's my understanding, works for me. Guy has it up for $225 shipped. Installed and hated it, took it out and is selling it. Would really help on the trails... And powerslides! Lol

Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.

Sorry for the late response I don't ever recieve notice on these threads for some reason it's just by chance I comes across them... also [MENTION=95421]Troymclure[/MENTION]

This is correct no touching of the gears...just remove 4 thrust plates and pins.
Make sure to put match marks on everything and lay it all out in order and put it all back in order and line up your match marks correctly on your pressure plate the last thing you when reassembling before dropping her back in the diff, this controls your backlash. You want it where it was originally so make match marks and count the rotations when you first remove it during disassembly.
If you screw that up you'll know right away when you take it for a test run and also if you don't have enough backlash set (threaded down) it won't even fit inside the diff when you go to drop it in...
It's a pretty straight forward job just a lot of tear down, then double checking, make match marks, keeping everything in order , remove a couple parts, install a couple parts and put it all back in the exact order you removed it so it doesn't notice you were ever in there like nothing happened. Seal hear up tighten all the bolts in rotating order, Then slide your axles in put in some new o ring seals on each axle put it all the rest back together and fill her full of new fluid and then it's time to find out if you did everything correctly. Which is what makes this job semi stressful cause there's no knowing until you have it all back together and drive it, you screw up one little thing and it's back to the beginning all over again, a buddy of mine screwed his up 3 times!!!

But no stress you got this hahahaahhana !!!

But on the bright side I've installed 3 of them now with no issues and all working perfectly.
 
Sorry for the late response I don't ever recieve notice on these threads for some reason it's just by chance I comes across them... also [MENTION=95421]Troymclure[/MENTION]

This is correct no touching of the gears...just remove 4 thrust plates and pins.
Make sure to put match marks on everything and lay it all out in order and put it all back in order and line up your match marks correctly on your pressure plate the last thing you when reassembling before dropping her back in the diff, this controls your backlash. You want it where it was originally so make match marks and count the rotations when you first remove it during disassembly.
If you screw that up you'll know right away when you take it for a test run and also if you don't have enough backlash set (threaded down) it won't even fit inside the diff when you go to drop it in...
It's a pretty straight forward job just a lot of tear down, then double checking, make match marks, keeping everything in order , remove a couple parts, install a couple parts and put it all back in the exact order you removed it so it doesn't notice you were ever in there like nothing happened. Seal hear up tighten all the bolts in rotating order, Then slide your axles in put in some new o ring seals on each axle put it all the rest back together and fill her full of new fluid and then it's time to find out if you did everything correctly. Which is what makes this job semi stressful cause there's no knowing until you have it all back together and drive it, you screw up one little thing and it's back to the beginning all over again, a buddy of mine screwed his up 3 times!!!

But no stress you got this hahahaahhana !!!

But on the bright side I've installed 3 of them now with no issues and all working perfectly.
Thanks man!
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Sent from the drivers seat of my 05 4runner.
 
Dial indicators are pretty cheap - $30 will get you an adequate one. I would buy one and check the backlash before you pull things apart and after you put it back together again - should be the same. That will save you from a mistake that you don't discover until you have it all back together and installed in the vehicle.
 
^ Yup. Sometimes the ring gear is too thick and you have to remove it from the carrier to get the center pin in place. It's best practice to doublecheck your lash after you put it all back together.

That said, I pulled my ring gear to install mine and never checked my lash, and it's been fine for quite some time now. So you don't have to. But you technically should.
 
from what i understand the spartan locker is extremely easy to install and doesn't require fiddling with the gears. Is this correct? I found a brand new one for cheap!

if you get it let us know your thoughts here, I really want a locker out back but the whole "AWD" system has me stepping back and rethinking my options.... I had a lunchbox locker in my tacoma and i loved it! Im really wanting to get an ARB air locker but my wallet isn't exactly agreeing with that idea hahah
 
I went with the yukon locker and have had it for several months now. By far the best thing i've done to the old girl so far. The ratcheting is hardly noticeable and the only time it makes any other noises is if you go from forward to reverse to quick. Turning on pavement hasn't been an issue. Since the install, i don't think I've spun a tire off road. I did the install myself, it took about 3 hours. I reused the old bearings and just set the lash back where it was to begin with. I bought it off of Jet.com of all places for about $350. We just got back from Big Bend. We drove 1200 miles on the hy-way at 85mph and another 500 miles off road, including several washed out roads in the solitario.
 
Rear lockers on the street are horrible, always. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to get a Tacoma Elocker from an 05+ and put YOUR gears on it. That way there is no break in period and you don't have to worry about buying new gears. That is what I have on my 05 and I love it. Its just too nice to come off the trail and unlock it from inside the truck and drive off...

Just swap and drop eh?
 
i have had a eaton trutrac for two years and almost 70k miles now and is amazing. i have not encountered anything yet that my friends e-lockers could get over and I couldn't. You never even know it is there until you get through stuff where people with open diffs get stuck. highly recommend it.
 
i have had a eaton trutrac for two years and almost 70k miles now and is amazing. i have not encountered anything yet that my friends e-lockers could get over and I couldn't. You never even know it is there until you get through stuff where people with open diffs get stuck. highly recommend it.
That's rad, I've been thinking about getting this done. Do you have the trutrac on just the rear diff?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
That's rad, I've been thinking about getting this done. Do you have the trutrac on just the rear diff?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk



Yes, unfortunately they don’t have one for the front diff if they did I would have it in their as well. It would then have the same setup as the Audi Quattro which I found to be almost unstoppable. I find it to be one of the best purchases I have ever made for a vehicle. I had a mechanical locker on a truck and found they it was amazing but terrible on the street and even though I spent a lot of time off road I still spent the majority of my time in town and it was a pain. The trutrac is absolutely amazing in all settings.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I have a 2WD, 2003 V6. I love the truck and love it more every time i have to work on it or need it to do something, but I've gotten her stuck twice in the woods. Got lucky and got out both times. I was seriously considering an ARB because I DD the car into Hollywood (shit traffic, city streets, and freeway) but if it's not a pain to drive with a Spartan I'd be happy to save the $1k.

Am I out of my mind?
 
I just installed a Spartan into my DD 4Runner and in addition to communting, I drive for Uber to the tune of about 1,000 extra miles a month. Besides the occasional load up and POP release, it's been okay.

That being said, if an ARB or Elocker were options for me financially, I would have gone that route.
 
Any of you guys from the beginning of this thread still running them? I'm considering one but wondering on longevity.
Thanks
Dusty
 
Any of you guys from the beginning of this thread still running them? I'm considering one but wondering on longevity.
Thanks
Dusty

As far as I know [MENTION=117408]Oneluv13T4R[/MENTION] and [MENTION=133319]MACT4R[/MENTION] are both still running lunch box lockers. Haven't talked to either one in awhile though so I don't know if they've had any longevity issues with the gears or axle shafts.
 

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