[therealdill]

hey just got done ordering my Aussie locker...price goes up Jan. 1st...2 days, so i had to get it in. has anyone installed one? i really don't have that much mechanical work to my credit on my cruiser yet but hope to learn....how hard is installing the locker?

 

[B43]

i dont think that you will have a problem wit the install....i just got mine and the directions are pretty easy to follow, and i have no real experience with diffs. the only problem that i ran into was the fact that i have a posi carrier in my 44, the AL requires a stock/open carrier, so i am now in search of a nnew carrier...........other than that the directions are straight forward and easy to follow, godd luck, just take your time

 

[fj40john]

its extremely simple...you shouldnt have any problems.

 

[therealdill]

awesome...thanks guys
after i install it i will write how it works for me

 

[woody]

piece of cake, same as the EZ-lock or LockRite

See my tech links for pics I took of the process during a bench install...might help some.

 

[7FootYeti]

piece of cake, same as the EZ-lock or LockRite

See my tech links for pics I took of the process during a bench install...might help some.

Do what woody says. The install is almost identical. I used his tech article when I installed mine, and his directions made more sense than the regular ones.

 

[peesalot]

locker

pay attention to thrust washer thickness and center shaft dia. as the wear on these combined with wear where the thrust washer rides caused my brand new locker to skip after one trip.

 

[therealdill]

what can you do if there is wear on the parts mentioned? and what tools will i need for the install? and if my existing parts wear out will it break the locker?

 

[7FootYeti]

what can you do if there is wear on the parts mentioned? and what tools will i need for the install? and if my existing parts wear out will it break the locker?

I don't think it would break, just would not function as well. Prolly will bang a lot.

What you have to do, is after you have it all installed you need to measure the clearance between the 2 halves of the locker. If it doensn't make sense now, it will. If the clearance is out of spec for the locker (somewhere between 3.xx and 4.xx mm) then you need to either get thinner or thicker thrust washers. You may be able to go to the toyota dealer and get 2 of each size (4-5 sizes I believe) then return the ones you don't use.

The instructions also tell you to take a file to the center pin to make sure that it is hardned or not. I think the only option between material and wear on the center pin is to order a new one.

 

[peesalot]

wear

if the carrier is worn you can use the thicker thrust washers to compensate. Check the spread between locker halves as mentioned in last reply. Really is more critical than seems. You can also use the locker till it starts to skip then turn the halves to the other side and this puts pressure points on fresh side of notches. Probably just buy air-locker and wait for Aussie to crap out.

 

[therealdill]

how can you tell if the washers are worn? and how big of a deal is it to replace them...prices...and the center pin as well? how can i tell if i need to replace these..i would rather do it all at the same time while its all apart

one last question...if I install it and it starts to slip has the locker been ruined? or if i replace the worn parts will it function as it should?

 

[woody]

how can you tell if the washers are worn? and how big of a deal is it to replace them...prices...and the center pin as well? how can i tell if i need to replace these..i would rather do it all at the same time while its all apart

one last question...if I install it and it starts to slip has the locker been ruined? or if i replace the worn parts will it function as it should?

Visually, you can't. Replacing is easy, you can see the two large washers in the pics on my writeup. They are about $8 each, available in a handful of thicknesses. Before you button up the locker install, a measurement can be taken, too high a number means the washers are too thin.

I had my EZ-lock installed with 33's and it worked great. Put on 38.5's and it didn't work at all. Thicker shims would have solved it. Zero locker damage, but I pulled it after only a few miles of trail use. Road use won't hurt it at all, even if it does slip. It's high traction/slip situations (mine was snow) where it will act VERY poorly, and where damage might occur.

 

[7FootYeti]

Ice and snow have yet to be much of an issue for me. The first real snow we got this year was really wet and slippery. I couldn't go anywhere in 2wd. All my rear end would do is spin and slide to one side or the other. Other than that it's been more than managable.

 

[therealdill]

thanks guys

so if the measurement is too far, go by toyota and get some new wasers(shims)...are the washers and shims the same thing???

 

[7FootYeti]

Yes, they go between the side gears and the diff case.

When I did mine, I thought I was going completely mad. I kept reading about these washers, but upon dissasembly I couldn't find anything. So like 30 minutes later I figured they were stuck to the backs of the side gears.

 

[therealdill]

yeti.....did you have to replace them??? how do you like your locker in the rear?

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

put in aussie locker last night. Still need to measure the space between the two halfs. Didn't have 3.? to 4.? mm feeler guages to picking those up today. But Couldn't get it to ratchet at all.. Nada nothing.. I've had 2 lockwrongs before.. Never ever had this problem before.. Only thing is I never did the "Coat it with grease" thing before just put em in?
Would the grease be causing more friction on the locker than normal? Or is the "flashing" they talk about causing it to act up? This thing is acting like a spool.. Not gonna be a fun ride..

 

[7FootYeti]

I believe the grease just aids when installing it to keep everything in place. It is certainly possible it helps it to ratchet before you add the 90w.

I got mine to ratchet, kinda. I was a little concerned that I did something wrong because it did like to lock up when rotating the tires. Once I put everything back together and drove it it was fine.

 

[tornadoalleycruiser]

I"m gonna measure the gap.. Button her up and give it a shot. I just remember my lockwrongs being much easier to ratchet.

 

[7FootYeti]

mine liked to lock more than ratchet, but I did get it to ratchet. Hope I'm not offending you but I'll ask anyway...I'm assuming you are holding one tire still, while turning the other right, or turning each tire in opposite directions?