Thread: ATB or locker in sand

LOL.....I predicting this thread will go on for ever about how good ATB’s are and don’t consider the rest, happy to be proven wrong.

My experience

is with twin ARB Lockers...only ever used well tried the rear in sand...given I always lower tyre pressure and picked my lines, ie stay out of ruts when you can I didn’t find any benefit by engaging the rear locker based on my style of driving therefore never engaged it on sand only surface, open diffs are just fine for me, haven’t been stuck to daye. All my sand driving had been on beaches except for

Crossing the Simpson.....again I tried the rear locker on one of the early dunes and didn’t notice any improvement so cruised across with open diffs.

I have follow a defender with a Detroit in the rear on beaches....given it locked most of the time I didn’t notice any issue although we didn’t talk about performance.

If you want to keep cost low and keep it simple I would suggest a Detroit.

For me, well I already have onboard air so it will be another ARB Locker.

Atb’s front and rear in our Defender.
Towed our KK camper down the CSR last year and they were nothing short of brilliant!

No real trouble in soft sand and didn’t get bogged once, much more likely to stall than get stuck.
The right tyre pressures and ATB’s in sand made the Defender virtually unstoppable, money very well spent.

Paul.

A Detroit auto-locker or Tru Trac would be a cheaper option and no compressor to much about with.

Originally Posted by Meccles

Anyone have experience with ATB in rear diff on sand? Was considering one for my 77 RRC which will never be in extreme off road work but may visit Fraser Island. Was trying to avoid locker if possible as I don’t want to mount air compressor. ....Note I’m only interested in people’s real findings not opinions

If as above the answer is do nothing, save your shekels, you don’t need one.
There is a lot of drivel around the “need” for lockers or ATB or triple plate picnic sets.

For your posted intended, you could spend around 1k better than that.

I’ve had all 3... ATB, Locker, Un-locker (Detroit).

Both locker and Detroit on sand (mud, loose shale) are great - until - you get a cross slope. Then they will try to slide you to the low side under power.. this isn’t always desirable or safe!

The least obtrusive is the selectable locker - when you don’t need it you wouldn’t know it’s there.

The ATB is the all rounder, relatively unobtrusive in daily use, engages when slip detected and has a pretty decent amount of power transmission to ground.

Detroit’s - my opinion are horrible, always engaged they unlock rather than lock - increases wear and some driveline stress and some notable handling changes when turning etc.

I was once a staunch advocate of Selectable lockers.

Now a fan of ATBs and driver knowledge.

With all due respect to other replies, my fisho mates and I all agree that lockers are no real benefit in loose sand. I'm talking 40 years odd of beach driving on Moreton, Fraser and Bribie with locked and unlocked vehicles and dare I say it.............tyre pressure is your friend. I'd be spending up on a decent compressor (and tyre gauge) before a locker.

Just my mates and my opinion though.

Yep, tyre pressure is the first priority. Get it right down. TC stops wheelspin. Lock the centre diff. Keep momentum up.

I think a lot just depends on your preference and budget.
I have had 3 Land Rovers and until recently just standard diffs, never bogged where I could not get myself out and usually actually doing the recovering in sand.
For your moderate off road work in sand Torque Biasing diffs like the ATB or something like True Trac or Detroit Lockers would be fine. The benefit of these is no external moving parts, air lines or electrics. Simplicity at its best. I have recently fitted a front ATB and when funds allow a centre ATB and Truetrac in the rear (Salisbury Rear so no ATB.
Diff Lockers are of course better for hard core 4wdriving but more complex and more expensive.
I find the front ATB in my Defender makes the steering more direct.
How much difference you notice off road is debatable.
But as said first purchase should be a decent compressor. I always drop tyre pressures to around 18psi before going on sand such as beaches whether it needs it or not, less environmental damage to tracks and beaches. Over idiots in lifted Nissans hitting the beach with 45psi in their tyres and just tearing up the access tracks and beaches.