If you haaad to choose a locker for the rear, which would it be.
ARB or detroit locker?
And why?

Detroit. Because you want it to work :flipoff2:

Too many things to go wrong with an ARB. Solenoids, air lines, carriers breaking, bolts coming out of the carrier, o-rings failing, air supplys failing, etc.

Plus with all those points of failure, they still cost way too much ;)

JMHO,

Phil
With dual Detroits.

Originally posted by 1TONTJ
Detroit. Because you want it to work :flipoff2:

Phil
With dual Detroits.
TRUE TRUE TRUE! Go detroit!
Scott

well do u daily d this thing or not? look at the down side, no more clunky ratcheting in parkin lots or 3 point turns, i had an arb rear for 2 years and loved it(drove my turd everywhere) id either want the locker fully on (spool or weld) or off and on at my comand! jiMMy

what jimmy said, ARB if it's a DD or spool if it's not.

-Steve

Spool if not a DD but a Detroit either way I think.

For the money Detroit.
I could deal with the clunking and tires chirping. :D

I LOVE my ARB's, the guys that usually piss and moan about then not working, are the same guys who cant wire there own rock lights. I agree that there are so called "point of failure" but I aint never had any fail. If you install it all correctly, not 1/2 assed, they've worked everytime in All the guys I wheel with.:D Just my 0.02

I'd go with a Detroit over an ARB in the rear anyday. Onroad, they are no big deal (compared my old EZ Locker) :D Offroad is where they shine. I wouldn't put an ARB in the rear anyday. I'd weld/spool it before that. My $0.02

Having had two sets of ARBs - one on an XJ and one on a TJ without ANY of the problems that people tell me plague them and then going to dual Detroits in the TJ I'd say DONT get a Detroit if it's a SWB rig. Espescially a TJ.

I'm going back to ARBs in my 60 rear :)

DS

BTW - Did I mention I fawkin H8 Detroits ?

My answer would depend on what axle it is going in, and what your uses are(daily driver, trail only, etc.)

Until I know those answers - I can't really suggest something....

I love my detroit!!
so what it lets go once in awhile and couple w/ my bump steer and causes me to change lanes........ I still love it!

GO OX!!!

yeah definitely OX if they make it for your axle.

-Steve

Detroits wear tires out nearly as fast as a spool. Might as well go spool. Hell of a lot cheaper.

Personally I like the idea of and ARB in the rear if it's a daily driver. Open on the street, spool offroad. Spools just plain kick ass.

Up front I prefer a detroit.

detroit or spool. spools are cheap but for a daily driver i'd go full detroit. you just put them in and forget about them.

I vote Detroit, just bolt it in and forget about it

ARB Enough said

I would go with an ARB if $$$$$$ isn't an issue!!:D :D
For daily driving it would be a lot better than a detroit:eek:

I have a detriot in the rear now and for dependabilty its pretty hard to beat, It's got around 8 years on it and not sure how many miles and they seem to smooth out with time.
I dont even notice it any more on the street unless my tires are below 20 psi.
I also think that they are way easyer on tires then a spool, But if and when it fails I'm putting an arb in to replace it, cause I don't like the way it side hills in slippery conditions deep snow, mud ect.
It would be nice, to be able to turn it off and not always have the ass end tryin to pass. just my opinion :beer:

OX! :D


and get these cool shifters!
http://www.oxtrax.com/oxlockerfile/oxwebpics/1oxswitch1.jpg

and this awsome dif cover :D
http://www.oxtrax.com/oxlockerfile/oxwebpics/oxcoverndiff.jpg

and the point of this thread is?

Ron

PS don't run an ARB in water/mud unless you are 110% sure that all the seals in your axles are tight. Contamination leads to the pssssssssssssstttttttttt seal failures.

Originally posted by evilfij
and the point of this thread is?


and your point is?

I've never had an ARB, just detroits...

but, on my last trip to Tellico a TJ with ARB's was with us. He got pretty pissed when after all his build-up (dual 60's, 38.5 SX's, 4 to 1), drive to the trails, camping, etc. He got up to slickrock and his ARB's failed. Then he couldn't fix them on the trail so he had to winch.

I just wouldn't want that to happen to me after all that we put into trips and build-ups

Kevin
also with dual detroits

I went to Teellico last spring and there were three guys with us with ARB's - ALL THREE HAD ARB problems :flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Fawk that, I'm sticking with Detroits. Don't know why you all bash them on the street - mine handle fine. Maybe your suspension is poorly set-up and that is being amplified by the detroit?

Phil

Run manual pneumatic valves and you eliminate 90% of all the ARB "problems". They are cheap (like $10-15 each) and easily replaced on the trail (not that you'll really ever have a problem with one)

Hose is cheap (I use Parker 1/4" poly with push connect fittings) and can also be easily trail replaced/repaired.

Two of the guys had broken/backing out carrier bolts (tiny little allen head things) Apparently ARB recomends TIG welding the case together to solve this problem! :eek:

Phil

yeah, the ARB models for some axles are known to have problems, for example, the D30 ARB is known to have the carrier bolts to come out. The D35 ARB is another with problems...although these are mostly attributed to the weak axle housing. The early style 8.8 ARB had side gears that would go.

The new design 8.8 (for example....8.25 is the same too) has one piece case (two piece really) that does not require the installer to install the o-rings (one of the biggest sources of "installer" problems), the o-rings come installed in the unit from the factory.

Also, the carrier bearing cap does not need to be drilled so you can run the copper tube through. (tweaking the copper tube when the cap is torqued down is the other major "installer" problem). the copper tube comes out mext to the cap.

So, honestly, with one of these new designed units, anyone who can install any other full case locker can do a great job....all that's needed is to drill and tap the housing (which is pretty much the easy part).

All standard ARB units will be incorporating the new design elements as soon as the stock of the old carrier blanks is gone (or so I am told).

Originally posted by evilfij
and the point of this thread is?

Ron

PS don't run an ARB in water/mud unless you are 110% sure that all the seals in your axles are tight. Contamination leads to the pssssssssssssstttttttttt seal failures.

WTF are you trying to say?

First off My diffs dont get water/mud in them. Do yours? Why? (sounds like you need some maintance)

Secondly No one on this bbs has blown up more ARB's than I have. 7 so far....

Yes I have ARB front and rear. I have since 1998. Yes I have nuked 7 ARB's in the rear (of a Dana 35-c) :rolleyes:

Yes my ARB bolts have come out of the front one 2wice so far.
DANA 30 with 4:10's and 35's :rolleyes:

No the front one hasn't ever given me a bit of problems. Heck it even worked when 6 of the bolts had busted off and were laying in the bottom of the pumkin.

Yes when I did my build up on my DANA rr 44 rear I thought long and hard about another ARB. But I went with it. So far over 1 1/2 years not one problem with it.
I never had a leaky seal. (in the diff)
I never had a line break. (be carefull where you run the lines)
Yes the ARB switches suck. (buy good ones)
Yes the ARB compressor leaks. (lube the o ring on the seal)
Yes you have to change your diff fluid more often (big deal)
Yes it side hills way way more control able then if it was spooled.
Yes its fun to run an obstical Open open when your friends are all locked up ..... ( Ha , I did that open/open)
Yes it drives great on the street. (no kidding its open/open)
Sure the Detroit is strong, But install the ARB the right way and its just as strong. PLUS its spooled when its locked.

I have seen Detroits spinning and not completely locked up when in a tire up situation. (this will cause you to use more go pedal then you want to)

If you cant decide which one to buy. You cant go wrong with a good ARB install. What axle are you running?

This will help in the answers you will get.

Originally posted by 1TONTJ
Two of the guys had broken/backing out carrier bolts (tiny little allen head things) Apparently ARB recomends TIG welding the case together to solve this problem! :eek:

Phil

Yep that happens to alot of Dana 30 ARB's..

And yes they recomend welding them in. we Mig'd mine. So far no problems. And it took about 5 minutes to do it.

oh yea one more thing..

Pssst psssst ahh the lovely sound of ARB's disengaging. :D

I'm running a spool in the rear because after driving both I preferred the road manners and predictability of the spool over the detroit. Unless you really abby teh detroit, it is not much better thana spool as far as tire wear goes. In the front I put an ARB for pure and simple reasons: I want to be able to amke nice smooth turns on the rocks (if there is such a thing) and being able to turn the locker on and off will place less stress on ujoints/axles etc than a locked front end. We also do a lot of snow wheeling up here in the winter, often times at 30+ mph. I feel a litle safer with an open front end when I'm going that fast and save the front locker for slower speeds and deep snow crawling. I'm porbably going to put an ARB or elocker (if they have it out) when I build my new rear end because I want to run cutting breaks, which to work the best requires an open diff.

bert, you gotta alot of good points, but with a detroit you have no worrys just get it! my arb shit the bed..... carrier comming apart in tellico, i was down for three days waiting for a carrier and a lock wrong.... they both have there benifits but ill stick with DETROIT

Originally posted by 1TONTJ
I went to Teellico last spring and there were three guys with us with ARB's - ALL THREE HAD ARB problems :flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:

Fawk that, I'm sticking with Detroits. Don't know why you all bash them on the street - mine handle fine. Maybe your suspension is poorly set-up and that is being amplified by the detroit?

Phil uhhh huuh, i have had detroit since 1998, it dont bother me nun.....

hey guys im in the same boat .had detroits front and rear and well they are great no doubt...
but i drive mine everyday and well doing 90 on the interstate with a detroit is fucking scary
yayayayaya so dont do 90 right well my jeep can do it and my suspension is fawking awesome...
but the whole on/off deal about the arb is sweet now that the ned electric lockers are comming out i dont know what to do either..
i have 60's front and rear and well i can't go with ox as they dont make it for a tera 60 what i have in the rear so what do we do ...


good luck man let me know what you choose:confused:

I have had my ARB for 11 years in two different vehicles and have had only minor problems. had detroit a couple of times. You break an axle with a detroit and it can damage the locker. had that happen twice, and know of many other cases like that. And if you don't break axles now and then. Then start wheelin and stay off the fireroads.

This is a boxers or briefs discussion... two ways to get the same thing done, and neither side will EVER see the merit of the other side. :rolleyes:

As for you guys with spools? You're just going commando. :p

This thread would be WAY shorter if only the folks who have run BOTH posted... and even shorter still if folks fessed up to poor maintence, poor installation, or poor air pressure regulation. :rolleyes: ...still shorter if Detroit users would spend less time trying to convince themselves that they get great road manners and no increased tire wear...

This topic will NEVER be fully hashed out... not even if Ox ever hits full-scale production, McNamara ramps up their import business, Eaton broadens their install base, or Powertrax ever releases their E-Locker. It'll always be boxers or briefs.

Me, I'll take boxers... and dual ARBs.

Randii

Originally posted by randii
This is a boxers or briefs discussion... two ways to get the same thing done, and neither side will EVER see the merit of the other side. :rolleyes:

As for you guys with spools? You're just going commando. :p

This thread would be WAY shorter if only the folks who have run BOTH posted... and even shorter still if folks fessed up to poor maintence, poor installation, or poor air pressure regulation. :rolleyes: ...still shorter if Detroit users would spend less time trying to convince themselves that they get great road manners and no increased tire wear...

This topic will NEVER be fully hashed out... not even if Ox ever hits full-scale production, McNamara ramps up their import business, Eaton broadens their install base, or Powertrax ever releases their E-Locker. It'll always be boxers or briefs.

Me, I'll take boxers... and dual ARBs.

Randii

goddamn, I couldn't've said it better myself.

Originally posted by Charly
Run manual pneumatic valves and you eliminate 90% of all the ARB "problems". They are cheap (like $10-15 each) and easily replaced on the trail (not that you'll really ever have a problem with one)

Hose is cheap (I use Parker 1/4" poly with push connect fittings) and can also be easily trail replaced/repaired.

Hey Charly, Do you have a write up on this or know any where I can get more info? I would like to learn more about this.

TIA
Scott

Also Randii, I completely agree!!:)

Originally posted by randii
This is a boxers or briefs discussion... two ways to get the same thing done, and neither side will EVER see the merit of the other side. :rolleyes:

As for you guys with spools? You're just going commando. :p

This thread would be WAY shorter if only the folks who have run BOTH posted... and even shorter still if folks fessed up to poor maintence, poor installation, or poor air pressure regulation. :rolleyes: ...still shorter if Detroit users would spend less time trying to convince themselves that they get great road manners and no increased tire wear...

This topic will NEVER be fully hashed out... not even if Ox ever hits full-scale production, McNamara ramps up their import business, Eaton broadens their install base, or Powertrax ever releases their E-Locker. It'll always be boxers or briefs.

Me, I'll take boxers... and dual ARBs.

Randii

This is what I should have stated. I am looking for real world experience. I like the threads where the user had both and formed a good opinion.
Currently I run a spool in a 9 inch and love it. Though it does not see the street. I am currently building a YJ to run D60 rear and RC D44 front. running either 5.13 or 5.38's. (oh well there goes the gas milage) The front, with out question will get an ARB.
I am sure that ARB has problems and guess what, SO does the detroit. Also, if billy Bob Joe and his sister billy bob joe installed it, and have never seen the inside of an oil can, install it, guess what.:nuke: :nuke:
Also, I could give a rats a** about tire wear. I am dumping all this money into this thing for the single purpose of haveing fun. If I want good tire wear I would drive a Geo.

well if you're already using an ARB in the front why woudln't you throw another in the rear?? The only drawback to the ARB that I can see is the questionable reliability. That obviously isn't a worry for you so go for it. I'd go with the ARB if money wasn't an issue, with proper installation and proper maintence they can't be beat (cept by an OX but i can't get that for my 60s)

-Steve

Originally posted by Johncm


Also, I could give a rats a** about tire wear. I am dumping all this money into this thing for the single purpose of haveing fun. If I want good tire wear I would drive a Geo.

Uhhh, then a spool is your answer. Far less moving parts than a detroit, and spools have virtually no slop. Did I mention a spool is much cheaper?

"This thread would be WAY shorter if only the folks who have run BOTH posted"


So how many of us have run both ?

1 Ton - there's fawk all wrong with my suspension.
Detroits are attrocious in TJs. Ask anyone who is man enough to admit it :)
Maybe your suspension is setup poorly and thats why you can't travel on the freeway to find out how fawkin attrocious the Detroit really is ?

If Detroits were so great don't you think I'd have saved the money and stayed with my 35 spline 9" ?
Nope, it's so fawkin terrible I'm willing to spend $5K on a HP 60 from Dynatrac just so I can get back to an ARB :)

DS

Sounds like a ARB to me.

The TJ thing is true. Kinda wierd, but a good friend loves his. And that is on a TJ with a 6 inch lift on 35 MTR's. Let me tell you, the first time we made a left hand U turn was an experience. I do not know about you, but I do not thinks tires should leave the ground when just turning. Slowly at that.

hell ya.... the first time i installed them look out i was like a fucking mexican jumping bean hahahahah it was sick in the begining but then i got used to it.
i cant get ox's either in my 60S and im not sold on the arb's
maybe ill just wait until te ox comes out or the electric shit from eaton or detroit.if your going to go detroits go spool in the rear save you alot of money and stress....

Maybe my TJ handles fine becuase of the long arm kit, and high un-sprung weight? I don't know.
But mine handles fine, really. And I have friends with TJ's with short arm lifts and theirs handles fine on the freeway - only problem THEY have is the left hand wheelie from a stop, and I do not have that. Doing 70 on the freeway is no big deal at all. Mine tracks straight and handles fine.

The two things that made the most possitive difference in my Detroit locked TJ were the long arm kit, and the HD rear swaybar.
If anyones TJ handles bad, look into those. The swaybar was cheap and made a big difference (I run it with disco's for the trail). The long arm kit from RE also made a lot of difference but it was expensive...

JMHO,

Phil

Well, I've had both in mine. I, too, have not had any of the problems most people bitch about ARBs having. It lasted about 5 years and then the side gear shattered. It was a 8.8.
The one I had fits the description Charly gave for the newer one. The bearing caps are intact.

I now have a Detroit and its not as bad as I thought it would be on the street. It does bark up the tires if you try to gas it around a corner, and makes the truck jerk sideways a bit, but its tolerable. I can see it being scary with a short wheelbase.

Originally posted by Johncm
Sounds like a ARB to me.

The TJ thing is true. Kinda wierd, but a good friend loves his. And that is on a TJ with a 6 inch lift on 35 MTR's. Let me tell you, the first time we made a left hand U turn was an experience. I do not know about you, but I do not thinks tires should leave the ground when just turning. Slowly at that.

Johncm,

I have 8 inches of lift on a ARB ARB TJ. I have a front swaybar (stock with Teraflex quick disconnects that we lenghtened)
NO REAR SWAY BAR.
And when I get a little bit of gas on a pull out left hand trurn. the left front tire comes up, stays up, stops spinning cause its been in the air so long then when I am ready to shift to 2nd it sets down (this is at about 5000 rpms) Makes a neat sound too. Like an airplane landing!
And I have a long arm kit.

Good friend of mine had a TJ DETROIT REAR lock wrong front.
He had swaybars both ends. RE 4.5 lift (shortarm) And his left front wheelies were sooo bad he bought a RE long arm kit.
Then he Got pissed and sold it.
We have a pic (somewhere) of it parked on level pavement with the left front tire 3 feet in the AIR! :D (I'll see if I can find the pic)
Point being Detroit in the rear of a streetable TJ is a bad idea.

Sure Badassjeepguy has a detroit in his, AND has had them for years. But he has no swaybars at all. And he dont do 80mph in his either.

In 1999 I rode to the Smokies in a no swaybar'd TJ with LOCK WRONGS at both ends and THAT WAS SCARY BIG TIME!

On the converse, MILKMAN's 1996 XJ with 10" of lift has lockwrong in the rear and ARB front and his is fine without swaybars. I think it has something to do with the leaf springs.

overall my 0.02 Buy what you want, But you cant go wrong with ARB.

Originally posted by 4x4junkie
Well, I've had both in mine. I, too, have not had any of the problems most people bitch about ARBs having. It lasted about 5 years and then the side gear shattered. It was a 8.8.
The one I had fits the description Charly gave for the newer one. The bearing caps are intact.



The new style ARB for the 8.8 (RD-81) has only been available for a year.

It's a brand new design......if you go to Explorer's (guy on here who runs an Explorer forum) forum, you will hear what they haveto sy about this new style ARB.

I've run mine for just under a year. I love it, but I'm swapping in a 14 Bolt this summer.

Originally posted by Bert

We have a pic (somewhere) of it parked on level pavement with the left front tire 3 feet in the AIR! (I'll see if I can find the pic)


I'd like to see that.

Don't get me wrong, he loves his ddetroit in the rear. It get quite a reaction when that front left comes of the ground. Me, well being in the passenger seat felt like I was sitting on the ground looking up. This was on a semi level street.
I was mostly intrestred in opinions and thoughts, because everyone has an opinion, on their likes and dislikes of the 2.
By reading what people have to say and my thoughts, it seems that a spool would be as well as a detroit. Although I have no long term experience with a spool on the street, I Love them off road.
So, if I do not get an ARB, which is the way I am now leaning, i will more than likely spool it.

Thanks everyone for your input.:)