Thread: To Lock or Not to Lock

In my opinion diffs,axles and half shafts only become a problem if the driver decides that the only way to drive is to use the right foot.I also don't use the engine to brake me going down hills,I aways use the brake and engine and sometimes use the brake going uphill to stop one corner from loading and unloading which is the most common way brakeages happen.But and it's a big but if you do do very serious offroading like climbing quarries upgrades should start happening. Pat

Myth IME.

I ran fully locked for nearly 5 years on 255/85 MT's all the time and 35 11.5x15 extremes some of the time on totally std axles and cv's and only ever broke 1 long rear axle.

I then fitted 35 13.5 x 15 Krawers and broke aother long rear nearly straight way playing in creeks (they are a massive tyre for a 35) and decided to upgrade.

IME if you dont drive trying to break stuff, you will be fine.

My car got used hard too.

I would actually say having lockers, meant I broke less stuff, due to the fact that I could drive with a more considered approach.

Rgds
Pete

i'm with pete, for general touring and moderate 4wding a reckon locker place less strain on the drive train

+1 for Pete.

Are people with lockers more likely to drive in a way that breaks things? I would say, in general, yes.

Originally Posted by flagg

+1 for Pete.

Are people with lockers more likely to drive in a way that breaks things? I would say, in general, yes.

er, i would say no for me, mines a touring rig and i use the lockers all the time to save the drive train i.e. limit wheel spin, shock loading etc

Driving style
I've had open 10 spline cars and flogged them hard but knowing a sudden wheel stop will break an axle, cv, or center.
And I've had a county now for a few km, never in any of my disco's, ranges, defenders have I busted a cv, axle or center. Only a tailshaft from lack of maintenance. So either I dint drive hard or I pick the right times to hold it flat. Note that the 10 spline rangie had 35" simex on it. Lockers are kinder to your driveline. But then again. You drive further and harder with lockers than you would an open diff

Clarkie

I was always too tight to buy lockers, but then I bought a double diff locked Defender.

Diff locks mean there is so much less strain on the vehicle and it's occupants.

Where one had to maintain a degree of momentum to crest a hill, because the traction was poor near the top, now one can drive up slower with more traction. I've noticed way less shock loading on the transmission, when spinning wheels finally grip, because everything turns together at the rate of traction. ie: if the wheel's in the air, it's spinning at 5kph, not 50kph!

Diff Locks have contributed to a more sedate driving pattern in my case, and a lot less reversing down treacherous tracks for another run up - which in itself poses risks to the vehicle.

It depends on how you drive.

However! Note that MD always used to supply upgraded axles with its lockers!!!

If having a locker(s) means you idle up hills with less wheelspin, then it may reduce loads compared to pre lockers.

The scenario of lifting a wheel (spinning) and it then coming down hard will of course be eliminated by fitting lockers - however this was just as likely to break diffs rather than axles.

There are also scenarios where lockers put a lot more load on axles:
(a) rock crawling where one wheel gets wedged hard in a crevice - with an open diff it would not turn, with a locker it is forced to.
(b) lockers have been found to increase the chances of breaking CVs quite a lot, since again the locker will force them to turn, even when bound up/on full lock etc...