Thread: Maxi vs Lokka vs ARB vs Detroit vs..

Could you answer
Make of Locker: ARB
Type of Locker: Air Locker (older type with olives not o'rings)
Front, Rear or both: Both
Main Type of Off-road driving: As difficult as I can find
Verdict: Fantastic. we fitted them ourselves though and the car was basically new. They have been in for 85k km now and have never ever not worked faultlessly.

Could you answer
Make of Locker: Maxidrive
Type of Locker: Vac
Front, Rear or both: Both
Main Type of Off-road driving: Anything- Victoria mud and rocks- WA sand
Verdict: Best thing I ever bought for the Rangie. Totally reliable for the past 5 years. Upgraded the CVs to Ashcroft and used Maxi drive flanges on the front as well.

Around summer of 2002/03 a few of us got together with one of the 4WD magazines and did a comparison test of various types of diff locks / traction aids. We all had 110 Defenders similarly set up and with similar tyres (all but one had 235x85R16 BFG AT's) but with different traction aids.
Following is the conclusion to a report written for our club newsletter.
Probably not what you were after but I jst thought you might find it interesting anyway.

Roger

Conclusion
In sheer traction terms the three lockers came out in front - no surprises there. All performed equally well and only the drivers knew of any operational differences.
Next best was the Electronic Traction Control. Not quite a match for our three lockers, but it performed admirably. What let it down was the fact that you had to push it to perform.
Finally the poor old open diff Defender struggled, but was only ever intended to be our yardstick, from which to judge the others.
If it comes to limited traction conditions like sand, the traction method is less significant. Mud is much the same - no traction available, no progress, no matter what system powers the spinning wheels. Here it's all down to technique and in sand (and mud) it's the combination of momentum (not speed), weight and engine power that determines progress, given equal tyres.
When the going gets really rough and you have loose, steep terrain that can also lift wheels in the air, the ability to minimise (or better still eliminate) wheel spin is the key to success.
Detroit Lockers provide a fuss free entry level locking diff. Once installed all the driver does is steer. But while it's off road manners are impeccable, on road is a different story. It's here they earn their reputation for being ‘noisy’ as they 'clunk' into and out of mesh. Likewise their poor handing reputation, while engaging and disengaging mid-corner. Also, they mightn't prove as cheap if you add the stronger Maxi-Drive axles like Darren did, once his were pulled out and were found to be twisted.
ARB Air Lockers have earned themselves an enviable reputation throughout the world with 4WD enthusiasts. Relatively cheap, very effective and available for a wide range of vehicles, they've become the measure for which all other traction methods are judged. One thing they are not is bullet proof. Standard axles are prone to breakage once controlled by an Air Locker and the mechanism itself becomes unreliable over time, with leaking seals and faulty electricals being the prime causes for concerns.
Unlike the Detroit Locker, you must engage and disengage the locker, requiring some thought on behalf of the driver. You must do so before committing yourself to an obstacle (rather like engaging the centre diff lock) and the need for a set air pressure means that the compressor must be switched on earlier again, so the lockers will engage.
Maxi-Drive Lockers were originally developed in the mid-seventies, have built a reputation for being bullet proof. The reason for this is that they are simple, yet over engineered. Operation is via a pull-push brass button (pull-on and push-off) and a light illuminates only when the locker is engaged. So there is often a minor delay for it to light up, or for the light to go off - just as you get with your centre diff lock.
In fact it was the original Range Rover's centre diff lock that gave Mal Story the idea in the first place. Not the cheapest or easiest to fit of this bunch, but certainly the strongest and most reliable.
Electronic Traction Control (ETC) - The best part about it is that it's free (or at least standard equipment). You can't go to a shop and buy one, but you can always get a new Defender for $50,000 instead. Like the Detroit, it requires no input from the driver. It's simply there doing its job.
And quite a good job too. For not only do you get an effective off road tool, you get the bonus of having it there for when the conditions get tricky on the road as well.
Where it is let down is in its complexity and to a lesser extent its execution. By relying on the computer and all its related sensors you place great faith in Land Rover's ability to provide long-term electrical reliability. Something they've earned a poor reputation for over the past 55 years. There is also the issue of brake pad wear if used to excess.
In operation, the system favours the inexperienced driver. For those people, when confronted with an obstacle, the natural instinct is to put the foot to the floor. ETC requires the wheels to spin first before it can react. It then applies the brakes to retard the spinning wheel/s. So putting your foot down not only gets the wheels spinning, it also helps you drive through the braking force and eventually you overcome the obstacle.
For experienced drivers, who have learnt to modulate the throttle to achieve the best results, it means that you must adapt your driving style, or else you'll be constantly fighting the vehicle's in-built system.
Without doubt adding a locking rear differential will make a significant improvement to your vehicles off road abilities. Our test proved that for certain. But our photographer Michael Elem had brought along his highly modified Toyota 100 Series, just to keep us in check. It was equipped with an eight-inch spring lift and front and rear Air Lockers. I'd just tackled a section that was even harder than those used on our test, so Michael decided it was too much for him and he had to have a go. It was once again very steep and loose, but with a foot high vertical rock face at the top. Using only the rear locker, he reached the point where the rock face was and stopped. Being an auto he was able to punch in the front locker and start off again - effortlessly climbing over the rock face! It just goes to show what an auto and twin lockers is capable of.
But don’t for a minute think that by fitting locking diffs, your vehicle becomes unstoppable - far from it. My own experience with my rear Maxi-Drive was to go out and get stuck within half an hour of collecting the newly equipped Defender! In Mal Story's words, ‘you can get away without a winch if you don’t have a diff lock, but you'll need one with one diff lock fitted and a damn good one if you've got two diff locks fitted!’
In the right hands, a Land Rover fitted with one, or better still, two diff locks will not only go further but also do so with less strain on both the driver and the vehicle.

Hi

I have a rear detroit pro locker got it from the states landed to me
for $780. It took me not even 2 hrs to fit. Most of my driving is hard offroading. I still use it as a drive car every day. I cant fault it, you dont need a compressor, there are no electrics its just there.
I wouldnt have it any other way

Detroit locker, rear, salisbury diff.
Open front differential, (soon to fit true track due to front end traction problems)
I must add that the one fitted to my vehicle, (took 55minutes to fit) causes NO road handling issues whatsoever, and is the best thing I have fitted to my RR apart from the 4BD1T.

Type of offroading; rocks, mud, sand, touring on dirt and towing.

It is also dead silent and works with no intrusive noises or has any side slip problems or any of the perceived issues these diffs are supposed to suffer from. I am using Maxidrive rear axles and drive flanges too.

I am completely happy with it and don't hesitate to recommend them.

JC

Make of Locker : Detroit
Type of Locker : Trutrack front , Full Detroit rear
Front, Rear or both : Both
Main Type of Off-road driving : moderate to extreme small amount of comp work 60% mud & Rock 40% sand
Verdict : Simplicity, drives nice on and off road. mobility off road and steering is better than a solid locked front diff (like Full detroit or AR and its much nicer on your front axles and CV's !

Cheers

Could you answer
Make of Locker: ARB
Type of Locker: Air Locker
Front, Rear or both: Both
Main Type of Off-road driving: A bit of everything, when touring solo i try not to engage the front, its my get out of jail card if i get stuck with the rear engaged
Verdict: Fantastic.........fitted by the previous owner. I have driver approx 80Kand have never ever not worked faultlessly.



re: search, there would be dozens of threads covering locker/axle combo's

This is a great thread guys. I've been sniffing around at these options for mine.

Without hijacking the thread, what sort of dollars would someone be up for when it came to axel and flange ugrades?