EZ Locker/Lockrite in the front only.

Hi,

Has anyone here fitted an EZ locker to just the front diff of their Jimny?

If so, how does it handle in 4wd? Does it tend to understeer a lot or does it improve manoeuvrability?

Front lockers can normaly be used when the wheels are straight or both spinning well thats what i hurd any way

Easy answer is when the front axle is locked its point and hope steering I very much compromised

This type of diff only locks when a wheel spins (regardless of whether you are turning or not) or if you are accelerating in a straight line.

When you are turning all drive goes to the inside wheel and the outside wheel freewheels. If the inside wheel looses grip, as soon as it reaches the same speed as the outside wheel the diff locks and both wheels drive at the same speed.

My question is has anyone ever fitted one to just the front axle, and if so what effect did it have on the steering and handling offroad?

Dave cc wrote: Easy answer is when the front axle is locked its point and hope steering I very much compromised

Have you used one Dave?

with a locked front diff aka ARB you can steer but you just break halfshafts

we only rarely use our front one - ususally when its doing this

And you brake 1/2 shafts coz both wheels want to turn at the same speed and when you steer they dont if im not correct if the 1/2 shafts didnt break you would find it very difficult to steer

To me a diff lock is a mechanical lock that allows both 1/2 shaft to be locked together big clonk big dog clutch or simaler
I beleive that unless im mistaken as i have never had 1 but a lockrite locks both 1/2 shafts together and will release one shaft if either wheel trys to exceed the speed of the other sort of the reverse of a LSD

There is a video here which explains it quite nicely:

Extra loading on the half shafts is an obvious downside. Do they break regularly on Jimnys? Compared to a Defender for example?

The bit I can't get my head around is the wheel speeds when turning (without the diff locked). The design of the locker removes the differential effect, so the inside wheel turns at the same speed whether turning or going straight. I want to know if this makes the car harder or easier to turn.

In my opinion, I would think (I don't actually know, but these are my thoughts) a Locker/ARB or similar in the rear and the FRONT would really only be used when the truck is ONLY used off-road and NOT on tarmac.

So i reckon that Off-road, the slippery surfaces, would allow for oppposing wheels/axles to rotate at differing speeds and therefore reduce (negate) the half-shaft breakages.

I have a Locker (Detroit PowerTrax) in my rear diff and i love it ... and yes you do get used to it!! Less right foot...

That was my thought Maverick. I'll be fitting a 2lo switch anyway, so I can still use low range on hard surfaces. I don't do pay and play days or rock crawling- the places where I'm likely to use 4wd are all soft mud or peat, where theere wouldn't be enough grip to break anything anyway.

The other issue at the moment, though, is that it seems nobody apart from ARB does a locker for the front axle on the Jimny!

Don't forget KAM Lockers

maverick wrote: In my opinion, I would think (I don't actually know, but these are my thoughts) a Locker/ARB or similar in the rear and the FRONT would really only be used when the truck is ONLY used off-road and NOT on tarmac.

So i reckon that Off-road, the slippery surfaces, would allow for oppposing wheels/axles to rotate at differing speeds and therefore reduce (negate) the half-shaft breakages.

I have a Locker (Detroit PowerTrax) in my rear diff and i love it ... and yes you do get used to it!! Less right foot...

Don't see how that makes sense. At least when it comes to the ARB locker. When driving onroad it's disengaged and the diff acts as a normal diff. So an ARB locker rear/front would be the best option for an offroad/onroad vehicle.