Granted, I know nothing about the X and it's hubs & diff's. Just want to ask if it's possible to swap to manual hubs in the front? Run what locker you want with no in town drawbacks and when trail day shows up, lock them in, then put in 4 when you need it. May be a cheaper way out than the ARB.

Yes they are available. The problem is no one makes a front locker besides ARB.

Hmmm...What if you left the autohubs on and welded the front chunk? What's the worst that could happen?

back to the original question here. so far in all of these posts no one has mentioned the fact that putting only one locker in is usually not the greatest idea when it is installed in the front end. when climbing a hill, most of your weight is being transferred to the back, making it the most effective place for a locker, not to mention the fact that the driveline components are much stronger in the rear. if i were to only run one locker (which i see happening in the near future) i would definately put it in the back. I can attest to the difference that it makes.

my $.02
michael

jquest000, I don't quite agree. Yes when going up hill most of the weight is on the back, but most of us have posi. It's when one tire is in the air the posi fails. It's easier to keep the rear in contact with the ground than the front. True the front isn't as strong. When on flat trails the weight is on the front, with one front tire off the ground the rear has to push the front over the obsticle( like a 2wheeldrive) until both front tires have traction. On a straight axle front end I would agree though.

Welding the spider gears like that is called a Lincoln Locker (for some reason). Maybe Abe invented it on his wagon? Anyway, that and some manual hubs would take care of the front pretty cheap. Kind of hard to reverse when the lockers come out, and expensive to replace.

It is named that because of Lincoln Electric who make welders.

I've also heard of putting lead in the spider gears to fuse them. If it lets go, it will just get chewed up. If one of the welds goes, you're hosed.

Either way, nothing I would mess with,
Brent

Lincoln lockers are very prone to fail. You have to use a certain rod type, and basically retemper the steel to do it correctly. I read an article about it once. Not a bad option for a trail rig, but how many of us only drive our vehicles off road?

Yo Guys...

This must be one of the longest threads on the board. Perhaps I am not the only one with locker envy?

Well I did it... I got the ARB installed in the rear and waiting for the front. Its a time and money thing.

The final decision came down to ALL the good advice I got on the board and ARB's experience with X's.

I know there will be half a dozen choices next year, but ARB has been doing lockers for the X for several years now and most owners seem pretty happy.

I was surprised how quiet the compressor is and how quickly the locker engages and disengages... click, click... that's it...

Again... thanks for all the constructive advice on the board.

See ya at the Owens Valley Salt Works,
Doc

hey Doc.... ok now im excited about Calico on the 18th... I have never seen a locked X... should eb interesting

yeah, your skill as a wheeler should diminish now that you have the locker. I suggest you learn to use it only when you have to, I like the 2 try method, try it twice with an open diff then try with the locker. You don't learn anything if you cheat the first time... I'm not saying having a locker is cheating, but don't just drive up to a hill and say, oh yeah, this is gonna need a locker. Think of it as a last resort, a piece of recovery gear if you will, and try to NOT use it, but revel in the fact that it's there for when you can't get up something.

Do you understand what I mean now by don't let it make you a worse driver?

Try, try again, then flip the switch.

The worst is that guys with stock Xterras will be able to get up stuff that you will need the Locker to get up. Why? because you now have an open diff.... It always sucks to do something cool then have a guy in a stock vehicle walk the dog....

Congrats Doc! I look forward to seeing what your X can do on future runs with SCCX.

Did you have 4Wheel Parts install it?

what, like break steering components?

I understand what you are saying Matt, but I also think you can use the locker to go places the stockers can't. That is the point of improving your vehicle after all. This will be my next purchase after I pay down the credit cards.

only 120 more payments. hey, maybe the earth will all be flat by then, and you won't need em.

Don't look for me to be climbing walls or doing black runs... just yet. I have only had the X since last November and am still in the "learning stage."

Wheeling with jeeps, it was obvious that there was a big difference in locked and unlocked vehicles... the locked jeeps could go slow and pick their way up routes.

Us old guys like to take our time and go slow... Some things are better like that. :p

See ya at Calico on the 18th,
Doc

Doc:

Rear locker = good.

Rear locker + front locker = GREAT.

PS: The ARB install requires you to
engage the rear locker before engaging
the front locker.

It is an easy wiring mod to allow the
front locker to be engaged separately.

See: ARB mod

And I disagree about not using the lockers without trying a route unlocked first.

Yes, using locker(s) is like cheating.
Yes, you 'may' learn a little faster/better not using them.

However the ability to go slow and not tear your rig up by using the locker(s)gets my vote.

And - lockers work better with auto transmissions. Auto + lockers = SLOW.

Let the flame wars begin.....

On second thought, I say ‘phooey’;
if you have lockers – use them.…….

Running without lockers teaches you to
‘put the pedal to the metal’ because that
is the only way you can get up/over some
obstacles.

Using lockers teaches you to think about
taking lines you may not be able to consider
otherwise..

They also let (require?) you drive differently
so you might as well learn from the beginning.

That way you will have less to ‘unlearn’.

Toy Man – ‘adding fuel to the flames.’

Amen! Lockers are no more "cheating" than any mod on your stock rig. I don't know how it could be cheating since this isn't a competition and no one takes score? If they are, so are mud tires, larger tires, lift, airing down etc. I love my locker because it helps be do obstacles slower with less chance of screwing things up mechanically and body-wise. I don't have to air down for traction so much so I keep my clearance to further reduce damage. That's like getting a little more lift. Had a LSD before but the locker does a *much* better job.
I also agree that driver skill should not be substituted with mod's, but get where you are comfortable over all with your skill and your rig setup. At some point, the more mod's you have the fewer trails you will enjoy--they will just get too easy. If you roll over *everything* with no problem or effort, is it still fun? I don't really want a front locker for a long while. The trails I do now are just right with just the rear and still have a challenge. The front too would make them no fun. For now.
Bottom line: It's your rig and your money. Do what makes it more fun to YOU, not what makes me or the other guy enjoy it more--whether that means more mod's or fewer or how you use them.

Enjoy,

you guys are losing my point. You lose skill by relying on the locker. When it does break (it's an ARB, that's when, not if) and you actually have to rely on your skill, you will be SOL, using lines like "Man, I can get up this with a locker, there's no way in hell I can do it without... WINCH!"

Relying on the locker is but a crutch. I have seen people outwheel the most modified rigs with nothing but a 50 yr old Land Rover with open diffs and bald tires and a mastery of what his vehicle can and can't do.

You guys seem to think not using the locker requires bashing the truck into the ground, and that I am afraid, is because you have not learned how to finesse a vehicle without the crutches. You are a perfect example of what I was trying to explain to Doc earlier. The more mods, the lower the trail IQ. A locker does give you traction that will not be gained with an open diff, but if you think of it, it doesn't give you any more clearance. So technically, someone who is masterful at throttle and braking could potentially traverse the same terrain without a locker.

There are a few obstacles that it becomes obvious that a locker is the only way over it (at least for you) and that is when you engage it.

Do you use nitrous to get out of your driveway? No, why not? Because you don't need it.

I would just like to see people get to the point that they can wheel without a spotter.

Get out, spot yourself, get in and drive.

Matt:

I think we have different goals.

It does not bother me if someone
can out drive me.

I just assume everyone can.

I am not interested in becoming a master of 4x4.

I just want to go interesting places with
a minimum of fuss and effort.

Lockers let me do that.

Toy Man - crawling with crutches..

:rolleyes: