Front locker - independent wiring or not?

fireball

Explorer
Expo Folks,

What are your thoughts on wiring for the front locker? I'll be installing an ARB front in my LC in a few weeks time. I was planning to use the OEM 80-series switch (which only turns on the front once the rear is already on):

locker.jpg


I got into a situation this past weekend at the Bill Burke training I did where it would've been nice to turn the rear off and front on. This is the first time in my admittedly hazy memory when this occurred. This got me thinking about wiring the front locker differently.

What do you think? Worth it to wire them independently which likely means a less elegant switch solution? How many times have you been out and wanted the front locked but not the rear?


Thanks!
 

pugslyyy

Expedition Vehicle Engineer Guy
I like to have it wired separately - three switches in a row,
1 - ARM (master for the other switches + compressor)
2 - rear locker
3 - front locker

That way they are in the order you would usually use them (1-2-3) and all I have to do is slap the closest one to turn everything off (useful when coming clear of an obstacle)

Like this - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pilot-PL-SW...l-3-Switches-With-Safety-Covers-/360883092407

$%28KGrHqMOKowFHkLwrv72BR5DVM4vdg~~60_12.JPG


On my Defender I have 5 switches (for ignition and crank) but you get the idea.
 

1stDeuce

Explorer
Yeah, the OE's like to make you lock the front as a "last resort" as the front axle is generally the weaker of the two. Used wisely, there are times when you need to lock the front to get up or over something, and the rear is fine unlocked. That said, the OE switch is nice, and I think the times where you want the front but specifically NOT the rear are not very common...
Do what works for you! :)
 

fireball

Explorer
I've got the OEM rear e locker and installing an arb front. I guess my real question was this:

How many times have you gotten into a situation where you wanted the front locked and rear open??
 

I Leak Oil

Expedition Leader
The ability to lock the front only is awesome in snow (or other slick conditions) when you want the front to pull around and the rear to kick out a little.

If you want both then simply push both little buttons. You have to change a switch either way right? Why wouldn't you want them separate?
 

craig333

Expedition Leader
I want em separate even though I agree its rare I want only the front engaged. I just like the ability to control things myself should the need arise.
 

fireball

Explorer
The only compelling reason to not want them seperate is to utilize the factory switch for a clean looking install. In this photo he is using the 80-series switch for the rear and front locker, and a OEM light switch directly above the locker switch which turns the compressor on.

IMG_2831-1024x768.jpg


I am now thinking I might use the 80-series switch first click to turn on the compressor, 2nd click to engage the front locker, then use an OEM rear locker button.
27620d1376942704t-rocker-switches-img_4163-medium-.jpg


This would give me independent control of everything and use OEM switches. The only issue is that it's a bit non-intuative.
 

1stDeuce

Explorer
I'm with the Rewster. But then again I only have a rear locker. (Front Truetrac) I have yet to find a situation where I would have wanted the front locked, and the rear unlocked, but I'm not rock crawling much, aside from the occasional trip to Moab. Generally speaking, you want the rear do to the majority of the work, and the front only when needed. Forcing the front to do more work than the rear is a good way to break stuff, and that's why the OE's set them up the way they do. (Uh, I think I already said that... sorry.)

Too bad you can't find an OEM "Front Lock" button... Then you could have a OEM button for each, and use that knob to contol the heater or something that knobs make sense for... :)

Hmm, can you find one on Ebay? They're making OE-looking buttons that say all sorts of stuff now for Jeeps...
 

Scoutn79

Adventurer
I can say in all the years I have been crawling, snow wheeling and exploring I have never, as best I can remember, been in a situation where I needed the front locked but not the rear. If I needed the front locked to climb something (a ledge for instance) I would also have the rear locked to help force the front tires into the obstacle for traction. There are situations I can think it might be helpful. For instance on a slippery side-hill you may want the front locked since you can point it the direction you need to go but not have the rear locked, so hopefully, only one tire pushes and the other acts as an anchor to keep the rear from sliding down hill.

Darrell
 

4x4junkie

Explorer
ARB has their wiring harness set up in a similar fashion (the rear locker has to be on before the front will work). I modified mine right from the beginning so that the lockers would work independently.
In the nearly 10 years since, I've needed to use only the front locker exactly two times. Both times were infact on highly technical rock climbs where I had to negotiate a wide crevasse or angled rock face that required making a sharp turn just as you crest the top. With both lockers locked it would push the rig straight ahead and my front tires would slip down into the crevasse, forcing me to back down and do it over (same thing also would happen with just the rear locked). I tried neither locker and couldn't get traction. So then I tried just the front... It pulled the rig right up the rock and through the turn. Made me glad that I had modified the wiring so long ago.


Have you pulled out that dial switch and examined the contact arrangement on it to see if maybe by chance it has an unused contact that closes while it is in the "Off" position? This would allow you to have a button that turns the system on, then you can set up the dial as: Right = Both lockers, Middle = Rear-only, and Left (push in) = Front-only (or some other order of the 3 if you prefer). Then for no lockers you just turn off the button. This would give it at least partial intuitiveness. (perhaps you can remove the O of the word "Off", and then a couple little dabs of white paint to turn the 2nd "F" into a "R")

Even without a contact at the "Off" position, I'd bet there's still a way to do it this way with a little creativity, a relay, and a diode or two put in the circuit.

Or maybe another option is to use two factory rear locker buttons, again modifying the text on one to say "FR"

Anyway, some ideas for you. If you're not doing technical rock stuff, I strongly suspect you likely would never have reason to use just the front locker.
 

Mundo4x4Casa

West slope, N. Ser. Nev.
My ARB's are in the OE setup, (rr only plus both when pushing the frnt button) but I've seen some off road runners with separate wiring. This could work well if your t.case has the Currie twin sticks (or facsimile) where you can select front or rear only drive in low range. I have used this feature many times trying to pull around a tight corner without using rear drive at all. But i've always thought doing this needed more traction on the front axle. I have two Toyota Corolla emergency brake rigs languishing in my garage waiting to be attached to my CJ8's Dana 60/disc brake separate e-brake cables. That way you can use the e-brakes as steering brakes. This would be a good time to have separate ARB's available. If you can figure out a clean way to make it work, I'd go for it.
jefe
 

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