100 serious series

[adventuredanz]

you might remember the cruiser from issue 112 of the mag and dvd its the big white one ,, well i brought it from mark and am very happy with it ,, to be honest its probably more capable than me !!! im trying to fix that problem though .
a couple of things that trouble me is ,,
it has no diff locks what so ever and im still getting stuck on some hills ,, i havnt lifted a wheel yet as it seems to have endless travel and full on articulation but i still seem to loose tractin and forward motion .
is there another option besides air lockers ,, keeping in mind its still essentially a tourer and will be taking me the handbrake and the boy around the rest of oz .
second ,, if you havnt noticed is that the diesel fuel is going for upwards of $1.80 a litre ,, has anyone got a over drive thing fitted to there manual cruiser and did it do enough to warrant getting one or should i look into something else .
lastly thank god i saw the light andf brought a cruiser it rules

[roscoFJ73]

You could put a Detroit locker in the rear.
Most overdrive units ,if they are still availble are not very strong.
They kind of died out when Landrover series 2 were no longer the premier 4wd in australia.
Bigger tyres do the same

[Peter @ Aawen4x4]

There are other lockers around, TJM do a Pro-Locker, similar to the ARB Air Locker, and there are a few different varieties of Auto-Lockers! The Auto Lockers are absolutely forbidden on the front of constant 4WD vehicles, I assume the 100 is constant 4WD? But they will do wonders if you get one fitted to the rear!! You can get a Lokka from 4WD Systems in Adelaide for about $500-$600 and most are able to fit them into their diff themselves, they simply replace the cross piece and planetary gears; I firmly believe that you get what you pay for, and in the case of that supplier, it's not much! My experience with them and their equipment has not been good, to put it EXTREMELY politely! Others have varying opinions, but it's up to you to decide if you want torisk it! However, there are other options, the PowerTrax Lockright & the PowerTrax Traction Solution, or the locker that started it all about 60 years ago, the Detroit Locker - my personal preference! These others are slightly more expensive in the case of the Lockright, a bit more expensive for the PowerTrax Traction Solution, and about $1,2-$1,300 for the latest Detroit Locker (sometimes specifically called the Detroit SofLocker)

All Auto Lockers work pretty much in the same way, by keeping the cross axle diff locked when you are driving straight ahead, thereby turning both the wheels on that axle at the same speed. When you turn, you force the 'outside' wheel to travel faster thru it being driven faster by the ground, and that 'ground driven' wheel will be disengaged automatically by the diff, allowing full differential action. With the 'lesser' brands, they use the same teeth that do the locking to provide the engage/disengage action too, resulting in a more notchy & noisy action than you get out of the latest Detroit Lockers! It can be noticeable in High power vehicles, and it is more noticeable in SWB vehicles than LWB vehicles.

The Detroits use a different set of teeth or'Cam Ramps' to provide the engage/disengage action, and they also have spring style dampers similar to an LSD clutch pack that make the engage/disengage action very smooth! In fact, a Detroit Locker will interfere with your normal driving no more than a good LSD will, AND they will disengage if one wheel gets turned as little as 2" further at the tread than the slower engine driven wheel. When they are locked, they provide 100% of the torque to both axles, yet they still disengage to give you that full differential action! You instantly get about a 100% increase in your 4WD ability, AND if you are driving a part-timer you get 75% of your former 4WD ability available to you in 2WD! In my experience they will be a great enhancement to your On-road driving as well as your Off-road driving, especially if you tow much! And while in the past, they were associated with sudden engage/disengage action, noisy operation, and even significant tyre wear; the latest version has none of those issues, in fact in my experience the latest Detroit will improve the tyre life on your Detroit equipped rear axle, as well as being quiet and no longer notchy at all!

I've run Detroits in 2WD and 4WD's since the late 60's, and the improvements to your traction are fantastic (NO, I don't work for them, I DO however get annoyed by people with little or no real idea bagging them!). They are certainly worth a look if you are after unmatched traction and an ability to drive significantly further than you can now. Check them out at Professionals use Detroit Diff Locks (http://www.locked-drive.com.au/) the company who imports them to Aust, or Opposite Lock, who sell them to the 4WD community! They are also available thru Harrop Engineering in Melbourne, I believe. And if you can find someone nearby with a Detroit fitted, especially in the rear of a vehicle, ask for a ride. Where's home for you?

Good Luck in your hunt for traction!

BTW, just a thought, Detroit also do a Geared Limited Slip Diff, the TruTrac! It is one of the absolute best LSD's around, even better than the Nissan LSD, AND you can put them in the front of a Constant 4WD vehicle (if they make one to suit!)

Cheers!

[keebie]

I had a 4wd systems lokka in the back of my 73 series and couldn't bust it. That was with 12psi boost and 35" tyres, so from my view they are a sound unit that many of my mates are still using. However they are a little harsh on cornering and thats why i opted to not use one in my hundred series. I have put a tjm prolocker in the front because the limo in the rear if fairly tight(not brilliant but beter than nothing) and the combination seems quite good so far.Hope this helps.

[Rick_P]

Agree with Peter, I've looked at the Detroit Lockers for my 100 Series. I've done a lot of homework on the subject, and I'm going to go for the Detroit Full Locker in the rear, and Trutrac in the front. No compressors, air lines, fully automatic, super smooth. The less moving parts the better. Once installed, just forget about it, no additional maintenance. I'm an engineer by profession, so looked a little closer into how they work. Best to check out the website below for some drawings and explaination (better than I could ever explain). The Trutrac is one of the diffs shown, the T2 I think, can't remember.

Torsen Products Page (http://www.torsen.com/products/products.htm)

My 100 series has such good articulation you don't often lift a tyre (well I don't anyway), and the torque always goes to the wheel with the most traction, as long as there is some resistance, i.e. on the ground. These things are fool proof for 99% of the time, that's why they were used in the all conquering Audi 4WD quattro's over 20 years ago. If you do lift a wheel, then lightly apply the brake to simulate some resistance. Why the car manufacturers don't just put these into their serious 4WD's as standard is beyond me. Well we know why, cost. When I finally get approval from the Commercial Manager (wife), these two diffs will be my first install.

[Rick_P]

Oh, and by the way, I did get a quotation from Opposite Lock in Brisbane for both units, so they are available for 100 series LC's in Australia.

[adventuredanz]

i like the sound of these ones the less things to go wrong the better ,, once fitted is there going to be more of achance of breaking other parts ???