troyboy

I've been reading up on ausie lockers. I've read they are not recommended to be used up front in snow or ice.

Why?

When the road is covered with snow, I usually engage 4wd. It would really suck if I could no longer do that with an ausie locker. I have an LSD in the back so I thought a nice cheap add on would be an ausie locker for the front.

whatroads

I put over 60K miles on my old YJ with Lock-rites in the front and rear before I swapped out the axles. I did not find the front locker to be any problem in the ice or snow on the street. I only had one time off road where things got a little "interesting". Offroad with Snow on top of about 1/2-3/4 ice and on a side hill. Bad combination. I just took the Jeep out of 4WD until I got off the hill. Due to the back locker, I was still tracking a little sideway. Just went slow and drove out of the situation.
The Aussie locker is said to have better, less noisy, actuation characteristics. If you are serious about tackling some of the more difficult trails and don't have the $ for an air or electric locker, this would look like a good option

atomicmecha

wait whats the difference between a regular air/electric locker and one of these aussie lockers? or are they the same?

Bob Coco

A rear locker in the snow in managable but a front locker in the snow will just take you sideways. A selectable locker is fine because un locked it's either an open diff or some degree of a posi or traction device. As one of the guys wrote about being off camber (I think he used different terminology?) is really bad. Not only on ice or snow but even on wet surface or loose surface such as leaves. I've had almost every type locker or traction device made except the cheapest (Lincoln Locker) and I have come to the conclusion that the best combination is an ARB or any selectable locker up front and a Detroit in the rear. I've had Ox, Eaton, ARB, Lockrite, and now in my JK stock Rubi stuff. I've run so off camber that I couldn't stop. I would have rolled. And if I were locked in the front I would also have rolled. I've been in situations that I have had to run front wheel drive only, (My Jeep is twin sticked) and that was unlocked. If you start spinning with an open diff one wheel still has traction but if your locked and break traction then both wheels are slipping and your now going sideways. My TJ has a Detroit in the rear and an ARB in the front.
I've run every trail at Paragon including all the red trails there. I've followed buggys where we were all pulling cable andusually look for the hardest lines on every ride. Don't get me wrong, I've also rolled my TJ 5 times. Only once hard though. Hence the new multi colored scheme.

But back to the point, in snow unless your actually stuck run unlocked. For one it's fun and for two, It's safer. More controllable.

Bob C.

Sv650

Auburn Gear, the makers of the ECTED LS/Locker states that a limited slip or locker should be placed in a front differential only if the hubs can be unlocked.

auburngear.com/aftermarket/faq/#q7

This suggests to me that there might be issues with a LSD even if the vehicle is in 2wd. Or maybe it's just their lawyers.....

SV

TEEJ

Well, its really about WHY an open diff is used in the first place...after all, if you think about it, its easier and cheaper to make a diff that's always locked, than one that can make the outside tire go faster.

The front tires have to both steer, which requires traction to change your direction...and pull you, which ALSO requires traction, etc.

When you ask the same contact patch to do BOTH, at the same time...it can't do either as well, as it only has so much traction to go around.

This is why most front wheel drive cars understeer like crazy (Plow straight ahead with the wheel turned, or at least don't respond to steering input as well under hard braking or acceleration, etc...)

To go around a turn...the outside tire has further to go...just like the outside track at a race.

An open diff ONLY powers the fastest tire, assuming its on the outside track...and the outside tire pulls the rig around the turn.

A regular locker makes both tires turn at the same speed....so the inside track, and the outside track...are going the same speed IE: The outside's too slow, and the inside's too fast...so, the tires slip, and you crab sideways, etc. (ON ice, etc...in a turn...)

The key here is that the AUSSIE Locker, like a Torsen Differential, doesn't make the tires turn at the same speed like a regular locker, OR make only the outside tire have power.

Its unique, in that it makes the inside tire turn at the ground speed dictated by the engine rpm and gearing....and makes the outside tire go FASTER than that.

So - BOTH tires are getting equal torque, but the outside tire IS going faster, so it can corner more naturally.

So - Regular lockers are hairy on ice in a turn, open diffs only power the spinning tire, but the Aussie Locker powers Both Tires, but DOES spin the outer one faster to allow it to make the rig turn instead of crab.

SO - All front lockers warn against use on ice...and so do front LSD's, etc...but, if going for a Front Locker (OTher than an ARB or OX selectable type, etc...), the Aussie is probably the safest alternative due to its unique ability to act more like an open diff that ALSO powers the inside tire.

Hell, nothing short of ice cleats and maybe Blizzacks help much on ice...but the Aussie's benefits make it a strong contender, especially considering its price, and that you can do it yourself as a driveway mod.




There's a Torsen Differential that does the same thing...powers the inside and outside, but makes the outside go faster....but they must have sold the rights...because I have not seen it under than name for years.

Blue

A selectable locker i.e. ARB, Ected, Electrac, Eaton E-Locker, OX Locker etc. can be disengaged. The ARB, Eaton E-Locker, and OX are like an open diff when disengaged and the Electrac and Ected are like a ls diff when disengaged. The selectables generally act like a spool when engaged.

The Aussie, LockRight, EZ Locker are that way all of the time as are the full carrier lockers like the Detroit.

Blue

BTW, one of the reasons it is often recommended to not use ls or locker in snow and ice on the front and sometimes the rear is that open diffs actually provide lateral stability of the vehicle when the tires on one side are spinning.

It is also a function of driver skill and experience that allows people to run ls and lockers in snow and ice.

Its like the F4U Corsair fighter plane the Navy and Marines had in WWII that was affectionately known as the "Ensign Eliminator" but was one of our best planes in the hands of experienced older pilots and the plane became feared by the Japanese.

Cdash

I've done it with my XJ for years. I have a lockrite in the front and it is only bad if you are spinning. Otherwise NO PROBLEMS!!! Most of the "it's bad" commnets come from those who don't have one, or think about it acedemically.

If it is bad enough to need 4wd, you really shouldn't be mashing it anyway, you should take it easy. Don't worry about it. Best bang for the buck I ever got on my XJ.

joemauma

Non-selectable front lockers are great for offroad, but on road be prepared to hear a click click click everytime you turn.