Maxi Drives

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Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

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ARB require air pressure to remain locked, is rather a disadvantage than an advantage. The reason is that if you are negotiating an obstacle that requires the locker and you either, pull an air line or lose the compressor you are immediately unlocked. This may or may not be associated with an indication on the dash.

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Yes it is a disadvantage but only a minor one IME. The compressor that runs my lockers in the 110 also runs the air springs. So if I "lose the compressor" I have bigger problems. I would also have enough air in the tanks to operate the lockers a couple of hundred times with no compressor.

The only problem I have had with the ARBs was the OE electro-pneumatic solenoids getting gummed up with oil and dirt and not working. Mainly due to poor location of the solenoids in what was intended to be a temporary install. Funnily enough this has only been the front. I unlimately will dump all the ARB switchgear and solenoids for purely pneumatic switches.

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Originally Posted by VladTepes

I have a Maxidrive on my Sals diff. Love it.

For Rover Diffs (e.g. my front, which I'll do one day) I reckon the e-diff is the way to go.

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If I ever do it, I'll be doing E-Locker front and back. They make them for all LR diffs now. For the Sals you just need to give them your first born and your left one.


The best price I have seen so far is the P38 diff in the E-Locker, then the LR.


I like the idea of one wire and a switch.

Oh, and my mates had Maxi Drive front and rear in his 130 for years, they are great.

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Originally Posted by isuzurover

Anyone who uses an MD locker for serious offroading knows that the light goes off instantly, however in many cases (especially when cornering or windup) that there will be a 2nd hiss later when it disengages fully. (I use 15psi compressed air to actuate my MD locker as I have no vacuum system - so no shortage of pressure to overcome detent spring tension).

Because ARBs need air pressure to keep them locked, and disengage instantly when that pressure is lost, it is one of the (few) advantages an ARB has over an MD.

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Well I use my Maxidrive for "serious offroading" and I know that when I turn it off the light doesn't turn off till the diff unlocks because the switch for the light is on the actuator and can't turn off until the actuator moves the locking dog away from the carrier. I have 2 airlockers on my suzuki and they don't disengage any quicker when the locking dogs are under load. I think they're both a good product.

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Originally Posted by 2stroke

Well I use my Maxidrive for "serious offroading" and I know that when I turn it off the light doesn't turn off till the diff unlocks because the switch for the light is on the actuator and can't turn off until the actuator moves the locking dog away from the carrier.

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The two bolded bits are contradictory!!!

As explained, the light turns on when the locker is fully engaged and the actuator piston touches the isolated bolt that provides -ve to the light. However, when unlocking, as soon as the piston starts to move away from the bolt, contact is lost, the light turns off, but the piston still needs to move another 1" or so until the diff is unlocked.


EDIT - I have attached a pic which hopefully makes things clear.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

I see what you're getting at now but mine unlocks all the way in one go, as in push the valve in and the light stays on until the locking dog unloads and the diff unlocks, all the way. Thanks for the pic by the way, I have a set of instructions for the Rover style Maxi somewhere around here but couldn't find it.
However my airlockers still don't unlock instantly if the locking dogs are loaded.
I prefer the Maxidrive but at the end of the day they all do the job.

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Originally Posted by Crocodile Dundee

Hello to All ,new to this world of LANDROVER Paradise, looking to put Maxidrives to my 130 crew cab, what do you experts believe what would be the benefits and the positives and negatives in the Maxi Drives
Am really loving my 130 and want to make the right choice:cool:

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Good Morning to All, thank you everybody for replying to my Post much appreciated, just to let you know will be getting Maxi Drives for My Defender 130 Cant Wait and looking forward to Enjoying the Defender Love:wasntme::wasntme::wasntme::wasntme::wasntme:: p:p:p:p:p

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Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

To address the first comment first.

ARB require air pressure to remain locked, is rather a disadvantage than an advantage. The reason is that if you are negotiating an obstacle that requires the locker and you either, pull an air line or lose the compressor you are immediately unlocked. This may or may not be associated with an indication on the dash.

With the Maxi-drive you have to command the change. i.e. it will remain in it's locked state until you command it to unlock.

In regard to the light on the Maxi, it is a simple electrical connection attached to the actuator, when the actuator/slider is in the fully locked position it closes the circuit to ground and the light on the dash illuminates. When the actuator moves to unlock the circuit is broken and the light goes out.

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er, yep I understand how the ARB works.

so the way I read the other posts the light only comes on when engaged however there could be a delay in unlocking

I have never experienced a delay in locking the ARB, I assume all manual lockers would require the diff to be unloaded before it unlocks

I have had both - I had a 1986 Range Rover on 35" tyres with full F&R Maxidrive lockers, axles etc.

I now have a 1998 130 with F&R ARB lockers, Maxidrive axles, drive flanges and Ashcoft HD CV's.

Both lockers are great and really can not say there is any disadvantages with either of them.

There is a still a chance of both styles of lockers not working if a stick etc, damages the lines going to the diff. On my current rear locker I have used the ARB HD air line along with an extra protective casing, all securely tucked up to help to minimise the chance of a stick causing damage.

To me this is the only disadvantage of any locker - the vulnerability of the lines (air line, wires etc) going into the diff