Been out laning with my club again today in West Somerset (Uk)-  More of them are switching to land rovers all of the time, and the lanes etc are getting more challenging. I'm still tempted by a LSD for the rear, and given the $ rate the Calmini looks better all the time. But what's this with "lockers/lockrite"? - are they an alternative? do they lock the diff all of the time?

I'm assuming that unlike the LR's, with us having no central diff as such ( to lock), then drive always goes to the rear even if both fronts are slipping, so it seems to me just 1 LSD in the rear ( ooh err  ;x ) would be beneficial - am I right?

I've read the posts about welding rears and don't want to go that route really.

I have 1.6 8V, standard transmission, & 31's

When you shift in 4x4 mode your front and rear are locked together.

As for the LSD vs limited depends on you and how and where you drive.
George

I think a lock rite or an ez locker is an auto locker that will lock the diff 50/50 and only locks when one wheel slips or hard acceleration whereas a lsd will only give 80/20 power and much easier on the street

Correct me if im wrong!

any automatic locker will lock you axles together so both wheels spin at the same rate of speed regardless of anything else. They lock whenever there is power to the axle. They unlock when there is no power. They hace aknack to unlock when driving down the roads with a load CLUNK followed by the vehicle trying to change lanes!!   I like spools/welded for the fact you are ALWAYS locked, and there are no unpredictable respones when driving. This is for an off-road vehicle.

My DD tacoma has a LSD in the rear, and does wonderfully on the road, and even worked well off road. But it pales in comparison to my locked trackick.

So, if you do more off roading then on roading, go with a full automatic locker. If you do more on road the off, go with the LSD, and if you got the money, put a locker in the rear, and a LSD in the front!

Get the locker, you will soon learn how
to drive it on the street, I've been running one for
30,000 miles, in a daily driver, freeway driving, you
name it, no problems, you just get used to it

Limited Slip for front would be better than open, I might
do that if I don't do an ARB, that's what I really want.

Wild

I like a LSD in the rear and a locker in the front w/ 2wd low mod. Few side effects on the street daily with most benefits off road.

The locker locks both axles together under load, and unlocks the one side only if that wheel spins faster than the diff/other wheel.

I would not install anything but an ARB in the front if you need 4wd to get around on the street in the winter.

Where you can get into trouble with a limited slip differential in the rear is that it's easier to break the axils.

If you lift a tire under power, that tire can spin, then the locker kicks in and all the power is transfered to the oppsite tire and "Snap" goes an axil.

So, it realy depends on how hard core you are.  If your a light wheeler go for the limited slip.  If your hard core wheeler, go for the e-z locker, or another locker of some type.

Lastly, where are you located (snow or not).  A locker can be tricky in the winter.

There isnt much info on limted slips out there. In any on using them? My tracker is 99% street driven with maybe an offroad trip every 3 mounths or so. I dont rock crawl and maybe i would see more sand then any thing.

There isnt much info on limted slips out there. In any on using them? My tracker is 99% street driven with maybe an offroad trip every 3 mounths or so. I dont rock crawl and maybe i would see more sand then any thing.

I would just keep it open then.  You can apply your emergency brake if you have a tire up in the air and need to keep it from spinning.

spend the coin and go ARB. I won't ever suggest staying open if you ever go off road.

spend the coin and go ARB. I won't ever suggest staying open if you ever go off road.

That's a lot of coin for a 99% street driven vehicle, and given the stated use - no rock crawling, and probably more sand than anything, I don't see why an open diff can't suffice for 99% of the off road use.

What's the biggest problem he's going to face with an open diff in sand - burying it to the floor - what will an airlocker do for him in that situation - other than get him buried twice as quickly?

What he needs are decent tires, and an air compressor so that he can air up after he airs down 

I go all kinds of places in my open diff Samurais.  I wouldn't think of taking one out to Moab, but for most muddy, forest trails, the open diff is just fine.  It's all about knowing your vehicle capabilitles and how to approach various obstacles.  I've actually had quite a few Jeep runners on the trail that thought I was locked front/rear when I was driving an open diff Samurai-on bald ATs none the less.

I will digress from this thread. I just thought he was curious about "limited slip diffs V lockers".I don't know if someone would wast the time to make a post about traction aids if they were satisfied with open diffs. .to some people moneys not an issue so I gave the best advice I had.

I do agree good tires are paramount and on-board air is great too.

I've never had a Limited Slip in Samurai, but I know a lot of people stated that they do not perform well and the clutch mechanism wears out quickly.  Basically, they are not worth the money as they do not perform that much better offroad than an open diff.  If you get a tire in the air, that tire will still receive all the torque just like an open diff would.  I guess that I was thinking.  Don't even bother with a limited slip. 

I also think it's hard to warrant an ARB for such little offroad action. 

I have new AT's 30x9.5s and went every place I wanted to in the offroad park i went to. Just going up some hills I would spin one tire and slow down more then i wanted to. There was also a large hill climb that I got about 60% up and that was more then a Jeep that tried right after me on bigger tires no less.