rear locker

Hey anyone with a 2wd X put on a rear locker. If anyone has how has it preformed offroad compared to with just 2wd. Oh and what brand do u have.

Thanks Matt

great improvement whether it's a 4wd or 2wd. although the extra axle stress due to a locker AND having 100% power to only one set of axles might be something to look into. i'm sure others will pitch in as there are a lot of 2wders here as well.

You're just wasting $ putting a locker on a 2WD...and no, this isn't to start another 2WD vs. 4WD debate

This is America, you can do whatever you want to do with your vehicle, if you want to put a rear locker on your X, well by God, do it...it's your $$$ not theirs...

does anybody think it will be worth it.

There is only one rear locker for the Xterra, the ARB. Putting a locker in a 2WD Xterra is a waste of money.
A locker is really only useful in low-speed situations and your lack of a low range ratio (no transfer case) makes your powerband pretty useless at the speeds where you could put a locker to any real use, that's just a fact, not a cut on 2WD. It could help in mud and sand to some degree, but on most "trail" situations you're not going to realize any significant benefit.
If you had a low range available on a 2WD, a locker would make a pretty dramatic difference, but you still wouldn't approach the ability of a 4WD.

Brent

Brent, I think you fell off your horse and hit your head...

A locker in a 2WD is a good idea, and I have personal Before/After experience with one...

However, being that Parts+Compressor+Install for an ARB is about $1,000...it probably isn't cost effective.

My friend has a lifted 2WD Explorer sport, on 32" MTR's. We ran it a few times without the locker, and it sucked. After installing the cheapest lunch-box locker (lock-rite) it was a changed vehicle.

Take a couple of examples at the (weak) OHV test area at Gorman...He went through the mini-sluice box with the locked 2WD - he couldn't even get into the rocks when it was open. Crossing gaps/crawling over boulders in Calico - same experiences, it went from worthless to good.

So the guy goes out and buys his "dream" 4x4 - a YJ wrangler (leaf sprung). Lift and the same 32" MTR's...The vehicle couldn't go through a lot of the places the locked 2WD could on the same exact terrain...got stuck crossing gaps/crawling over boulders...He eventually installed a locker in the rear of the Jeep so it could at least surpass what he had before.

This is not to say a 2WD with a locker is better than 4x4...just in some areas they are not too far from each other in capability.

How much is a ARB Locker?

But without the roughly 2 : 1 low range ratio, the 4x2 system puts out only half the torque, which would probably offset the rear axels taking all the power.

True Experience...a couple of things...

I no longer have an X but it works te same in my KJ. With a rear locker, I sometimes test how far my KJ can go offroad. It is amazing how much further two rear wheel locked will go than only one wheel turning. It really helps on climbs since the rear tires are doing most of the work. The other trick is to lift for ground clearance and put on some agressive tires.

We have a 2WD member of L.O.S.T. that put a 2.5" lift and some tires on his Liberty and then thru in a PowerTrax No Slip in the rear. He goes many places that some stock hieght 4WD KJ get highsided. So it is not totally useless IMHO.

A link to the thread about his ride...

L.O.S.T. 2WD with locker

Yes, an open or weak-LSD 4x4 will go nowhere with opposite tires unweighted, and a rear locker will help both equally. And yes, a locker will help a 2WD do things it can't do otherwise in nearly any situation to some degree, but it's still a far cry from a 4x4. Of course you can come up with examples to the contrary, but in general I still say a 4x2 with no low range and a locker is still severely handicapped compared to an unlocked 4x4 in low range, especially when trying to climb or crawl.

Brent

hey thanks for all the help you really did help me out alot thanks.

Matt - Here are my thoughts on Locked 2wd's

Take a look at Toyota's Tacoma Prerunner- Its a 2wd truck (same suspension as 4wd) but has a factory optional rear locker. This is a real full locker (not LSD). This is a great piece of equipment to have on 2wd or 4wd Tacomas.
Locked Prerunners are very offroad capable and can "keep up" with 4wd trucks on many trails. Just don't expect a locked 2wd truck to be a match or superior to a 4wd with open diffs.

FYI, I have a 4wd Toyota Tacoma (Open diffs)- The guys with the rear locked Prerunners are always testing their limits, and are usually the guys that need to be strapped or winched out.
With that said I have been very impressed with rear-locked 2wd Prerunner capability.

If you already have a 2wd Xterra, I personally could not justify the $$$ to add a rear ARB. If you want to go wheeling, you're better off trading in for a 4wd.

When you hit the trails with a 2wd/rear locker) - You are gonna be more at risk at to break something (especially the hill climbs) because you will have to rely on speed & momentum than crawling in 4-Lo

Instead of a locker for a 2wd, buy a POS Jeep that you could bash the crap out of without worrying about it.

don't think a 2wd X can do as much as a 2wd Prerunner, that thing's got like twice the ground clearance if you measure from the body.

No arguments there-
I just wanted to present a practical example of
rear locked 2wd's.

i would trade it in but im only 18 and would never get the money to trade it in and my parents gave it to me so they would get mad. So im kinda stuck. But i have a 3 inch suspension lift already so i do have some ground clearence.