Rear Diff Lock

[AndrewM]

Does anyone know if a rear diff lock can be fitted after-market (MY07) or is it a factory fit option only?
Does ARB do an Air-Locker for the D3?

[Psimpson7]

The genuine one is a factory fit only option.

Pretty sure there isnt an aftermarket one available.

[CaverD3]

Definitely Option at time of purchase only. Some have looked into the possibility of fitting but it is too difficult and very expensive.

[rmp]

There is no ARB, or any third-party version, and it would be extremely unlikely they would offer one. The few people that want it would order it new, or ensure they bought secondhand vehicles with it, and anything to do with complex vehicles like the D3 means greater development costs.

While the rear locker is a great addition you'll find other vehicles need a locker, or excellent traction control just to keep up with an unlocked D3.

The D3/RRS rear locker is automatically controlled and does not disable traction control, as in say the Pajero. Instead, it enhances traction by selectively and instantly locking and unlocking as required.

I wouldn't even look at a wreckers, even if you found one and that's unlikely the fitting would make it uneconomic.

[CaverD3]

It also needs a module and sofware upgrades.

As Rmp said the difference really is that does difficult sections more easily, one without will still get there with a little more drama.

[powella]

It would be interesting to understand the logic behind the factory locker, and what else it adjusts.

I do know that it can pre-load the clutch packs(which if tight lock the diff) to different levels depending upon terrain response mode selected.

But what does it also do to the Traction control? I would think for example it uses requires less brake applications on the rear wheels to ascend when the rear diff is locked. But then again I bet it unlocks and applies the brakes to one rear wheel if the D3 is slipping sideways (how it would sense this I do not know).

Too smart for me, now where is that D3 source code....
AP

[rmp]

It just locks the rear diff so torque is equally distributed to both wheels on the rear axle. It does this when the traction control system as a whole senses it needs to; ie that it needs to send more torque to a wheel on an axle than normal traction control could manage. As soon as it's done it'll unlock, the relock almost instantly. It is by far the most intelligent locker I've seen. Unlocking a diff and then using traction control can work better than just leaving it locked all the time. Once the e-diff is locked there is no brake application to the wheels on the rear axle as traction control (as in braking a slipping wheel) doesn't work on the rear axle, only on the front. It cannot sense the D3 slipping sideways. Only DSC can do that, and it won't be of any use if you're in the sort of terrain that the locker would make a difference on, in fact it'd work against you.