Heres the scoop: Powertrax is not going to be releasing the locker for the X/Frontier/Pathfinder until 2002 the reason being lack of interest. So....

We are seeking your support in an effort to have PowerTrax accelerate their efforts to introduce a No-Slip Locker application for the Xterra. For those not familiar with the details of the No-Slip, the below listed URLs are provided.

Powertrax No-Slip web site
http://www.powertrax.com/noslip.htm

Review of No-Slip for the Isuzu Amigo
http://www.outdoorwire.com/4x4/reviews/no-slip/

The two key elements of the No-Slip are price and ease of installation: most current applications can be acquired for between $400-$450 and can be installed by the owner using the existing differential carrier (with or without LSD).

We plan to submit a petition to PowerTrax citing that at least fifty (50) Xterra/Frontier/Pathfinder owners are serious and committed to obtaining the type of performance enhancement that the No-Slip can provide their vehicles. We have a point-of-contact at PowerTrax who we will be submitting the petition to and ask that with your permission we add your name and email address to the list that will be forwarded.

If you know of other Xterra/Frontier/Pathfinder owners who are interested in getting their names on this petition then please forward this information to them. Please respond to the e-mail address and include your name, year, model of truck and if you have the Nissan LSD. Thanks in advance and with luck we will have the No-Slip available shortly.

Thanks,
EOE
EOEpetition@hotmail.com



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They should make one. Let's face it, I see too many of you guys getting stuck in the grocery store parking lot.

Uh oh, more trolls. Why are you here? Jeep in the shop?

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If love is blind, why is lingerie such a hot seller?
Eric Konarske & Lara, my X
'01 Solar Yellow XE 3 Pk. 4x4

These guys are funny, aren't they? On my last local outing I left a Jeep at the bottom of the hill scratching his head trying to figure why I was at the top and he couldn't get there. The ironic thing was, I said to my passengers before climbing the hill "Let's see if we can get this Jeep stuck". I guess it's just a matter of driver and how you build them.

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Gordon "The Warmonger" White

I made my monthly call to Powertrax today and they seemed very enthusiastic about getting out their products for us and our X's. The No-Slip and the Lock-Right locker are still in the R&D process and should be in production by the end of the year.

Apearantly Calmini is on the job with a steady stream of requests to prod them along. Their locker will be automatic with the power going to the wheel with the most traction without having to engage any switches or buttons like the Eaton or the ARB. And no need for a compressor!

Powertrax has a great relationship with Calmini and wants to get it done . Unfortunately they do have other projects that are going into production first. The marketing department is aware of the various X events like go and and are working with Calmini to get a product into an X for one of them. Perhaps GOX?

Off the record the price of the "locker" would be arround $460 through Calmini when it's ready.

Is there hope for us 2WDers arround the corner?
Powertrax

can add that to the list of mods for the T.E.X.

Guys,
I'd be cautious of Powertrax and their "lunchbox" lockers. Yes, they are a cheap, easy way to get traction but they have inherent design flaws that make them not the best choice for a locker.

I work at an offroad shop and have talked to the SW regional marketing rep for Lockright/Powertrax on several occasions. (I've also made the mistake of using their product and going through their laughable warranty process)

The rep for lockright told me what I'd already figured out from my own experience: namely, that stock carriers were never designed to have a load on both sides of the case at the same time.

This is how the lockright and powertrax No-slip operate. Basically, you are relying on the strength of the stock carrier. With the additional load on both sides of the case, the lockright drivers end up forcing (spreading) the carrier after wearing through the thrust washers and into the side of the case. Then slop develops and if not caught in time, the center pin drops and all kinds of stuff goes south in the diff quick. Warranty on your stock parts is non-existant and since the locker is made of Zytel, a much harder compound than the cast material your case is made from, only stock parts are damaged; thus no warranty.

Powertrax claims they only see failures like what I'm describing above in 10-20% of vehicles in which they are installed and usually only by those running 33" tires or bigger. In my personal experience, running a lockwrong or a No-slip in anything less than a D60 sized case, the failure rate is much closer to 50%.

The rep even went so far as to claim that the company would not be offering the No-slip in a full case version b/c they were occupying a niche market between their low cost lockright and the Detroit Softlocker.

He went on to say that the No-slip wasn't really designed for offroad use and was simply for "the guy pulling his boat out of the water at the loading ramp" and that they'd leave real offroading to Detroit.

Sounds like an advertisement to me.
Sean

thanks for the info... so i guess i can jack up the cost estimate and continue looking at detroit or ARB...

its not something i want to do soon... in fact i dont want to do it till i get most of the other common prerunner items completed

I have heard mostly good to great reviews of the newer lock rights with the exception of their warranty. Of course this is coming from a guy who broke his.

I will let you know how the warranty process goes.

Sorry, what I posted was out of line.

Sean K. what do you drive? I've got a Lockright, it's never failed me, and I have been everywhere that an ARB'd or Detroit'd truck has been. Lockright's are great lockers for those on a limited budget. I have a friend who runs lockrights front and rear on his SAS'd Toy 4roller. He has 5" susp. lift and 3" body lift, and runs 35's. He is moving to 37's as soon as he sells the 35's. Never had a problem. Only problem was him stripping the ring and pinion (NOT the locker) on obstacles.

Sean K, are you going to be at the Second Annual AZ Run? I hope so. I want to show you what the Lockright and Lincoln Lockers can do.

[ 02-04-2002: Message edited by: McSoo ]

McSoo,
Not sure what you posted you felt was out of line? Care to elaborate? Heck, I'm not even sure you're talking to me.

Anyways...I also drive a Toyota (most people just call it a rock buggy though) and you are very much correct....a lockright is a very good locker for someone on a limited budget.

A lincoln locker is even better in a rear diff as long as the spiders are welded to each other and to the carrier/case. The only downside to welding the spiders is the heat distortion that can occur and tear up the carrier itself.

ARBs, Lockrights, and Detroits basically function in the same manner (ARB is a spool when locked; Detroit has much more positive engagement than Lockright) so there is absolutely no reason you shouldn't have been able to follow those vehicles. Having said that though, what we're basically discussing is longevity of the various units and in that respect, the Lockright is the weakest of the bunch for the reasons in my first post.

I am running 38" tires, 227:1 gearing, have wheeled/opened some of the toughest rock crawling trails in the country as well as competed in ARCA and Warn events. I have witnessed just about everything break at one point or another and have also witnessed every locker out there (except OX trax and MacNamara)in action. If you don't believe me on the strength of the locker, you absolutely don't have to. I say run whatever works for you and the type trails you run. However, if you're going to spend the money, you might as well do it right the first time. It's always more expensive to do it wrong once and then right, IMHO.


As for showing me what a Lockright and Lincoln locker can do...I already know they are quite capable, but thanks for the offer.

What 2nd annual AZ run are you referring to? I'd probably go if I knew what you were talking about. Where and when is it?

Thanks,
Sean

Hey Mikey, what's up? Still shittin Jeeps?

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In the printing business we say, "there is never time to do it right, but there is always time to do it over."

Marshall

Sean, I'm glad I retracted my prior comment. 38's are some big tires. Anyway, check out the 4x4parts.com web site and thier discussion board. Then check out the south west forum, or better yet, the Upcoming Events link. That give in detail what trails we will be running. There will probably be quite a few stock rigs out there, but there are places like lower to mid woodpecker where we mess around a little. Probably nothing you would find challenging.

Say is that truck your daily driver? Or just a "Toy"? Oh, the AZ run is March 11th-16th.

Stone4x4, yup, still shittin' Jeeps. Just on a much more frequent scale. I think I'll keep the Yota comment to myself though.

McSoo,
I forgot to mention that I've run a Lockright, a full spool, lincoln lockers, ARBs and Detoits; so I have a fairly good knowledge base to work from. The lockright I had when I was running only 33" tires and it blew threw a carrier in less than 4K miles. Since that incident, and after seeing how many of them fail, I've been a little outspoken in my dislike for them. Hopefully that doesn't taint the facts I tried to present here.

I've frequented the AZ Xterra clubs forum quite a bit but there has been no mention of the event there. Are all makes of vehicle welcome? Last thing I want to do is step on someone's toes.

My truck is no longer a daily driver. It's been a trailer queen for about the last 9 months or so. I LOVE being on a trailer. It's so much better. Before that, it was my daily driver. With the type of trails I like to run though, it just isn't safe to be using that vehicle on public roadways with the amount of stress the components see in a typical weekend of wheeling. Well, that and my insurance company dropped that truck like a bad habit when they found out I used it for 4wheeling.

I'll check out the Upcoming Events section.
Thanks,
Sean

I hear ya. 38's on the road on a Toyota would be pretty crazy.. Anyway, check out 4x4parts.com, and go to upcoming events. The entire itinerary is there. There isn't any specifications as to what makes and models. Only requirements are to have food and water for 3 days (camping), and a CB radio. If you don't have a CB, you can't come.

Actually, mine drove just fine on the road with the 38's (a little soupy with 32" of wheel travel, but okay). The comment I made about being on the trailer being better has to do with the metal fatigue you induce from wheeling really hard trails. In particular the steering box/sector shaft and all the linkages get serious load placed upon them. I recently sheared all the bolts off the steering arm on my driver side knuckle. Had that happened on the freeway, someone easily could have been killed. Luckily, it happened on the dirt road after we got off the trail.

I do have a CB, just not that much time off work. Thanks though. Maybe we can run something together another time. Whatcha got planned for this weekend?

Take care,
Sean

Well, I might head out to Woodpecker if you are gonna be setting up some obstacles. I'll only play around one some of the smaller stuff.. I can beat the crap out of any Nissan, alot of Toyotas and Jeeps, but I know when I see something that will pin me down...

Sean K.,
Thought I'd let you know that on the 23rd, I'm gonna be running Martinez Canyon with the AZVJC guys. They said they got an unlocked, box stock Wrangler through it, so I figure it should be cake. (Not literally)