Maxi Vs Now Arb

[Rocky4.4]

I allready have a Rear maxi drive locker with maxi axles and want to upgrade the front now, I will run maxi axle or jmac question is can i be botherd pulling front diff out to install a maxi, it would be easy putting a Detroit in, Which i now know i can't do so an abr locker?
mmmmmm.

[Corindi]

have u thaught about lokka lock right?? can get them of 4wd systems i think. There in mag.

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

For a Landrover of any sort, with the MaxiDrive Lockers allowing the easy upgrade of so many associated bits, even a diehard Detroit user like me can see the benefits of the MaxiDrive, axles, drive flanges, etc, etc, etc! Anything else is a compromise!

[tpj77]

Maxi Drive is still the best all-round option. I'm not a hue fan of self or auto type lockers as I apply the attitude that if I want it locked, I say so :thumb:

Plus with a MD set-up you upgrade all the bits such as the axles and CV if you wish to go to the larger County units (I don't see the point, the Std early Rangie CV's are quite good and never broken one).

The Detriot die-hards will argue the point of the auto lockers and it's realy a personal preference.

Trav

[101 Ron]

If the vehicle is a permanet 4wd system like early rangie a detriot locker cannot be fitted anyway as steering problems will occur.
Arb or Maxi drive are the only choices.
Detriot lockers work very well in the rear only of permanet 4wd systems.

[amtravic1]

As Ron said. You can not fit an auto locker to the front of a constant 4wd vehicle.

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

Hey 101 Ron, it's only in the front that you can't fit a Detroit on a constant 4WD, fitting one in the rear is OK, even fantastic!! But I still think that when you look at the associated bits that can benenfit along with the Maxi Drive Diff, things like drive flanges, axles, etc, etc as an option for the front you really can't go anywhere else! Go the Maxi Drive for the Landrover!

[cloughy]

Wouldn't put a detroit in the front, can run them in the rear of a constant 4 wheeler no worries, but wouldn't do it in the front

Stick an ARB or Jacmac locker in, if you don't want to play with the housing

[101 Ron]

I have done a bit of research on this Peter and the detroit works a charm on the the rear of a permanet 4wd system is my 101 Landy pictured left proves as the front diff taking some of the drive on tar roads reduces any side effects of a auto locker and fitting a cheap a narsty auto locker should be good too.
As you and I know the series 4 detroit locker is a good thing.
The 101 Landy has over sized axles and flanges like no other Landy so this was not a problem.
I own a defender 130 and I recommend up grading to maxi drive flanges from standard for any sort of use as the extra reliablity and removal of wear in the splines of the flanges makes for less back lash and better driving.
If the vehicle has done a few Ks the axle splines will be worn too.
Any diff lock fitting on a Landrover should be done with up rated drive axles as they are a safety fuse so to speak and are designed to break to save the diff centre in case of over load.
The permanet 4wd systems on Landrovers are designed to spread drive train torque over two diffs at any one time.
Any diff lock in a vehicle not designed for it from the factory will over stress drive train components in hard off road conditions if it is not beefed up to suit as full drive torque can be transmitted to one wheel.
My 130 has four maxi drive flanges and up rated axles in the rear waiting for its new series 4 softlocker.
The maxi drive or ARB is not consitered for the rear as the permanet 4wd with auto locker has no disadvantage in the rear and the cost is the same.......but the fitting is just so quick and simple with no drilling ,or hoses , switches ,etc.
The front is a different story as a lot of work has to be done to fit any locker as the CV joints have to come a part and it is a great time to up grade them for a locker.
Any auto locker will not work in the front of a permant 4wd system as the boys who run them in the front of a part time system will tell you they become a pig to steer at speed on a hard surface due to front diff wind up effects and the centre / third diff will not reduce the effects much.
Check the Tractec or detroit sites .......not recommended.
It can be done by fitting free wheeling hubs and therefore turning the permanet system into a part time system and only using the auto locker in the front off road just like the part time system boys.
My 101 Landy is crying out for a selectable locker in the front and as the system is permanet 4wd with extra heavy duty Salsbury on the front as well and no advaililble selectable locker advailible of the shelf I am looking a getting the splines from a Arb series 3 landrover Salsbury locker spark erosion cut to suit.
Auto in the back and selectable in the front I think is the best of both worlds..........and if time and money ever suits the Landy 130 will follow.
I have had experience of selectable diff locks in Halflinger and Unimog
My experience with auto locker has been with Isuzu trucks and a few others which only after a few hours driving you may even notice a auto locker is even fitted at all.
My daily trade is a motor mechanic.
Just one other point with a Detroit locker is a broken axle WILL break the locker and often the locker is blamed for breaking the axle when it is the other way around...............and we over stress the axles by fitting it in a vehicle not designed for it in the first place.
Regards Ron.

[101 Ron]

Just a few other quick points is the auto lockers come into there own with mud and snow as the extra grip is available all the time without affecting steering .........working much better than any selectable locker in these conditions.
A selectable locker comes into its own with rock climbing as the diffs are usually prelocked before hitting say a diagonal rock shelf and shock stress is reduced to the drive train whisle a auto will do this as needed and may cycle en gauged suddenly causing extra drive train stress.

Everything has a advantage and disadvantage.

Ron

[Redback]

have u thaught about lokka lock right?? can get them of 4wd systems i think. There in mag.

Can't run a Lokka or any type of auto locker in the front of a Rover, as they are constant 4WD.

You can run a Detroit TrueTrac in the front of a Rover, it's the only auto locker recommended for Land Rovers.

It's better than an LSD and nearly as good as a locker, sort of in between:)


Baz.

[cloughy]

Can't run a Lokka or any type of auto locker in the front of a Rover, as they are constant 4WD.

You can run a Detroit TrueTrac in the front of a Rover, it's the only auto locker recommended for Land Rovers.

It's better than an LSD and nearly as good as a locker, sort of in between:)


Baz.


Plus you can't get any insert self locker (Lokka, Richmond, lock rite etc) for a rover diff, as the crosspin and carrier would continually fail, as they're made from butter

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

....
You can run a Detroit TrueTrac in the front of a Rover, it's the only auto locker recommended for Land Rovers.
....


Not quite baz, a Detroit TrueTrac is actually and quite simply a geared LSD!

It still has all the issues that LSD's have, in that it needs friction AND wheelspin to work, but the inbuilt pre-load can be set such that the friction need is virtually nil ( so a wheel spinnin in the air will still transfer torque!) and the wheelspin required to kick it all off can be virtually negligible! Then at it's absolute best it's still only going to be able to transfer a bit less than 1/2 the torque available, or act as the True Torque proportioning Traction aid that it is, simply becuase it only LIMITS the SLIP! (ie Limited Slip Differential!)

The Detroit TrueTrac is so much better than most 'standard' LSD's with a few notable exceptions, like the LSD's in the rear of Nissan Patrols & Holden Jackaroo's. These same diffs are sold into the aftermarket field as the Dominator LSD & widely recognised as one of the best LSD's around, along with the only true torque proportioning LSD, the Detroit TrueTrac!

Funny isn't it?? Anyhow, 40% torque transfer is better than 0%, but 100% from a true diff lock would still win hands down! Except that as a constant 4wd, the Landrovers can't run an auto Locker up front, so a TrueTrac is a great 'full-time' option, and a manual locker is a good 'part-time' alternative. In the case of Landrovers, the Maxi-Drive gear is so much better than anything else due to the wide range of beefier bits that go along to making it all work properly, axles, drive flanges, etc, etc that their is really only one choice for a Landrover owner, which end to put the Maxi Drive FIRST!

Cheers!

[Big_Waity]

A mate has the detroit true trac in the back of his rangie. Does very well, until he snaps and axle(which happens a bit in a rangie) and he then can't spin either back wheel cause without friction it unlocks the diff.

[Rocky4.4]

Made a few calls today, Spoke to J mac, No help at all his customer service lost him a sale it 1 min, Spoke to Mal and he said maxi drive locker and 24 spine axles and upgraded C.v's and drive flanges will set me back about $2,725.

Or i can get an Arb air locker with pump for 1,225 and then 1,200 for the Maxi axles and Cv's and drive flanges So $2,425

Plus around $500 for the Maxi center to be set up, Shimed and new pinion bearing.

But if i do it though Arb they will only charge me an extra $150.

Aggghh, What to do???:confused:

[Bazza_rips]

i'd put another maxi drive in, you've already got one in the back. it's nice to have matching buttons. :D

seems to me that's what you really want to do anyway.

[Grimace]

If you have maxi, stick with maxi.

I dont have maxi so am goin with the ARBs (wish TJM had the Prolocker locker available).

Yes J MAC is a crunt on the phone and besides, his price for the air locker is 1350. I think he mainly sells axles to the comp/custom guys as I find it hard to beleive he could succesfully negotiate a sale to anyone.

[tpj77]

If you have maxi, stick with maxi.

I dont have maxi so am goin with the ARBs (wish TJM had the Prolocker locker available).

Yes J MAC is a crunt on the phone and besides, his price for the air locker is 1350. I think he mainly sells axles to the comp/custom guys as I find it hard to beleive he could succesfully negotiate a sale to anyone.

Agree, the bloke is a dead set prick and I don't like deformating a buisness but with his arrogance I won't hold back :(

I rang about a set of axles because I was going to score a cheap 24 spline ARB air locker for the front of my Rangie (had a maxi-drive in the back) knew what I needed and explained on the phone what I was after, he treated me like a idiot and his rude and abrupt attitude, I then told him to go and get ****ed, rang Mal and bought a front Maxi-Drive instead of the ARB/McNamara combo I was planning on. Plus I worked it out and it was about $300 extra to go full maxi combo than what I had planned after I had it all sorted.

That was 3 years ago and I stand by my opinion on McNanara's buisness ethics and wouldn't recomend them to anyone just on principal. If the bloke could improve his customer relations he would have a heap of buisness :D

Trav

[Rocky4.4]

Agree, the bloke is a dead set prick and I don't like deformating a buisness but with his arrogance I won't hold back :(

I rang about a set of axles because I was going to score a cheap 24 spline ARB air locker for the front of my Rangie (had a maxi-drive in the back) knew what I needed and explained on the phone what I was after, he treated me like a idiot and his rude and abrupt attitude, I then told him to go and get ****ed, rang Mal and bought a front Maxi-Drive instead of the ARB/McNamara combo I was planning on. Plus I worked it out and it was about $300 extra to go full maxi combo than what I had planned after I had it all sorted.

That was 3 years ago and I stand by my opinion on McNanara's buisness ethics and wouldn't recomend them to anyone just on principal. If the bloke could improve his customer relations he would have a heap of buisness :D

Trav

Spoke to him yesterday, Did'nt seem to bad on the phone but not overly helpful and i think he thinks we should know his product back to front before ringing.

[Rocky4.4]

I bought a Arb front Locker and Maxi axles and c.v's yesterday, Then only reason i went Arb on the fronts because i could not be botherd removing diff agian..:(