Quote:
Originally Posted by bondvagabond
I have heard on the suzuki samurai sites that the lock right type lockers that engage through sentrafucial force are more likely to break things, because they get spinning up to speed then engage. The spool is harder on the truck than stock, but if you are easy on the pedal, like anyone who wants to get the big mpg's is, I should be fine.
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The only locker that engages by centrifugal force is the Gov-Lock, it has a clutch that ramps up to a full lock when wheel differentiation occurs in excess of 9mph, and combined speed does not exceed 20mph (assuming 30" diameter tires) . They take a bit of driver education to use effectively, and the need for wheelspin does suck, as does the sudden slam when it ramps into a full lock. But these are relatively expensive full carrier replacements, so I can't imagine anyone installing one aftermarket. They're the OEM de-facto locking option on GM pickups.
Lock-Rite and similar "lunch box" lockers engage before wheelspin has an opportunity to occur, and remain engaged any time torque is applied to the axle. If you apply power through turns they behave mostly like a spool - the advantage being that you can learn to coast through turns to avoid the tug on your steering wheel and the scrub of the tires. The other advantage of course is you can cram 'em into your existing open carrier without having to set up your gears again. Half hour start to finish install on non-3rd-member axles.
The tendency of any type of locker to be "hard on the truck" depends entirely on the driver's attitude. Some drivers consider off-pavement vehicle enhancements an excuse to drive more aggressively, push their vehicle harder, and those drivers will break more parts and blame everything but themselves for the breakage. Other drivers consider such enhancements to be safety devices which allow them to get from A to B with less fanfare, allowing them to choose a safer line rather than necessitating a risky line because they believe it'll have more traction. When used in this way, no locker will be hard on the vehicle.
So now this thread is 5 pages deep consisting of you telling all comers why you're sticking with your original plan. Cool I guess, but why post in the first place?