Chinese Diff-locks (RD128)

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Originally Posted by Tombie

If you have a vehicle with an LSD rear fit to the front, otherwise go rear.

Rear axle has the highest traction loads when climbing.
Only when the surface becomes so loose or slippery that traction is lacking (eg bog hole) does the front come into its own and pull you forward.

Lower tyre pressure up front compared to rear also assists in these situations.

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not trying to start an argument, isn't it when the surface becomes so loose or slippery that traction is lacking (eg bog hole) that you want the locker to have maximum impact. When climbing, if the rear has a higher load, it is less likely to loose traction and spin one wheel, whereas maintaining drive to both wheels at the front end would be more advantagous.

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Originally Posted by jackz

not trying to start an argument, isn't it when the surface becomes so loose or slippery that traction is lacking (eg bog hole) that you want the locker to have maximum impact. When climbing, if the rear has a higher load, it is less likely to loose traction and spin one wheel, whereas maintaining drive to both wheels at the front end would be more advantagous.

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Yes, but up a steep hill a loss of rear traction will definitely stop you, a loss of front traction might/might not.

It's just a weight transfer issue - imagine you had a blown diff and had to get up a steep hill to get home - would you rather a blown front diff or a blown rear diff?

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Originally Posted by CraigE

The question I have is are ARB lockers completely 100% Australian made, not assembled but made? I doubt it. My understanding is most of the casting is done OS, someone else may be able to confirm this.
Have also seen many ARB lockers fail and as said they use fittings that are hard to replace off the shelf.
What also annoys me is it is cheaper to buy an ARB locker in the US, so how does that work if they are made here. There is no excuse for this.
Not against an ARB lockers and if I fit one would be would probably be an ARB or Ashcroft.

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I know that the ARB casting for the lockers is carried out in NSW and heat treatment is done in VIC.

I cannot comment on the ARB lockers failing statement but at least you can buy spare parts for the ARB lockers, try to source parts for a chocker (I'm sure someone will now jump in and say 'that's because they don't break.....'). A lot of the chockers are 'hand made' ie. parts are made to fit each other which makes it almost impossible to provide spare parts without measuring the mating parts. ARB parts are all made to tolerances which allow full interchangeability.

When you say 'fittings that are hard to replace off the shelf' do you mean the airline fittings ? I work in the pneumatics industry and the 5mm tube and fittings are available if you know where to look. The company I work for has access to them but we don't stock them because nobody asks for them (one bloke every 6 months wanting one fitting is about the limit).
If it's a problem replace both fittings & the tube with 6mm OD. Also I think that ARB sell a repair kit with a 5mm tube joiner or they'll sell you the 1/8"BSP to 5mm fittings.

It's often cheaper to buy from the US because of the sheer volume of sales.
For example, a reseller in the US might shift 20 lockers per week, a 4WD shop in Melbourne sells maybe 2 per month. There will probably be a reccomended sell price but the US reseller can decide to reduce his profit margin because he is selling lots of units. He advertises the lower price and generates more sales (including overseas sales to Australia).
More purchasing power = better prices so as the US reseller's sales increase he probably gets a better price.
You also have to factor in exchange rates and whether you end up paying GST when you import.



Colin

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Originally Posted by n plus one

Yes, but up a steep hill a loss of rear traction will definitely stop you, a loss of front traction might/might not.

It's just a weight transfer issue - imagine you had a blown diff and had to get up a steep hill to get home - would you rather a blown front diff or a blown rear diff?

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Is it easier to push or pull, is that what your saying?

That's fair enough if you have to choose to only have one operating diff, however in the case where you have TWO operating diffs, which, let's face it, is the ideal scenario when out using your vehicle, I prefer to be able to drive the front end up onto obstacles being as that is where the majority of the weigh is in the Ute, the back end seems to just be pulled easily up anything that the front has traveled over.
It seems to be a similar thing to getting a loaded wheel-barrow over a large rock; is easier to pull it over than push it!

Up hill the weight transfers to the rear(?) then there is torque screw that might also lift the front and cause traction loss. In worse case flip vehicle front to rear on its roof - my understanding why you should drive tractors backward up steep hills.

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Originally Posted by workingonit

Up hill the weight transfers to the rear(?) then there is torque screw that might also lift the front and cause traction loss. In worse case flip vehicle front to rear on its roof - my understanding why you should drive tractors backward up steep hills.

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Wheel standing a fergy 135 up a hill is a scary experience.

My take is that everything I have come across that has a locking device, be it automatic, limited slip or detroit etc, if there's only one it's in the rear.


Martyn

I think the whole argument about front or rear lockers is one of those that comes down to personal opinion. luckily I have one in each end so I can still drive up really steep hills forwards or backwards, depending on which diff is blown. We are doing a trip/blokes weekend to Mt Walker over Easter, (can you still call it Easter??), so will try to compare and video a few different scenarios using one locker at a time to see what works best.(for me!)

Inonce saw a videobwhere the 4wd action mob ( yes I know they're a bunch of yahoos) dd a test on all the possible locker options and the result was 2 are better than 1 but the front only took them further than the rear only- rather puzzling: that said, mine is in the rear :)