Automatic or selectable locker for front axle?

I'm getting ready to build my front Dana 60 and can't decide if I want to with a automatic locker or selectable? It's going to be for a expedition build suburban. I live the Victor Valley in So Cal, so I only have to deal with icy roads a few days a year, and hardly any snow. I've been looking at the OX locker and also just a lunchbox locker like a Lock-Rite or something.The rear is a 14-Bolt Ff w/ a Detroit if it maters. Just looking for opinions and experiences from you guys before I decide what to buy.
 

1leglance

2007 Expedition Trophy Champion, Overland Certifie
selectable locker 100% for me...
I like that I have full control of my front and rear lockers...I am working with ARB air lockers in my 70 burb and I love them
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
Selectable.

I love a Detroit locker rear, but up front I want an open diff or close to it, most of the time. Open, Truetrac, OX, or ARB for me up front.
 

superbuickguy

Explorer
selectable. I have (installed) electric lockers front and rear in my H3 - honestly, I don't use the front that often because it wants to go straight (since it is locked). With that said, I'm building a FJ40 with lock-rite lockers front and rear mostly for simplicity's sake, however, it tends to be the best of both worlds since it will allow a wheel to spin faster at pretty much anytime (with that said, you need to know how they work to effectively use them). I'd run away from limited slips because they simply aren't that useful - they work okay on occasion, but they can only give up to at max 40% of the power to the slipping wheel and they do heat up and slip as much as an open differential. I'd also avoid detroit lockers in the front because once they lock you have to take steps to unlock them... not to mention they will lock in the most inopportune time.
 

I Leak Oil

Expedition Leader
Selectable on the front.
As for Detroits I think they are normally locked and simply unlock momentarily.
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
Selectable on the front.
As for Detroits I think they are normally locked and simply unlock momentarily.

Exactly. The Detroit is always locked. The outside wheel ratchets free when it goes faster than the inside and the input shaft. That's it. If you stomp on it and spin the inside tire, it'll snap shut.

The Lockrite expands and locks when force is applied to it. On the gas it locks. It won't unlock and diff when turning under power as easy, you have to back off the throttle to unlock it. Or at least, you have to apply less throttle to it than the outside tire is relieving. The Detroit will unlock the outside tire even if plenty of force is going through it to the inside tire. The Detroit or Yukon are much smoother than the Lockrite or Aussie style lockers. I'm not sure whats different about FJ40's.
 
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4x4junkie

Explorer
Selectable here also. It's there when you need it, and it's not there (fighting against your steering) when you don't need it.
 

superbuickguy

Explorer
Selectable on the front.
As for Detroits I think they are normally locked and simply unlock momentarily.

Those are loc-rite or spartan lockers... Detroit have gears that spool to tighten and cause the wheel that's spinning slower than the driveshaft to spin at the same rate as the driveshaft - that's also how you can go for a ride if you let off the gas while travelling down hill on a rain-slicked surface. Detroit says 3 -10 revolutions before it's locked tight. Ratcheting... those are loc-rite/spartan locker type gears. They won't let the other wheel spin slower than the driveshaft, ever - they also make the distinctive noise, and cause great understeer if you stomp on the throttle in a corner.

The other thing about detroit, if you do lock it up in the manner I described above, you need to drive backwards at least 3 tire revolutions to get it to unlock (because it will not allow the tires to roll forward). It took me about 10 minutes to get my wits back enough to remember that...

I'm one of thousands who've learned this and all their stories share the common elements of downhill, rapid deceleration, slick road, short wheelbase, and traveling backwards. My story has a "nothing damaged but underwear" many others, not so much. I was driving down US 26 into Portland - a place called Zoo hill (because the zoo is at the top of the hill). I was driving a 74 Blazer on 44s and I was booking. It was rain slicked. At the tunnel (bottom of the hill and the freeway makes a bend into the tunnel), cars were dead stopped. I let off the gas and was immediately travelling backwards at 60 mph. Rear tires were locked up and I was the meatsack in the driver's seat. It stopped with the rear bumper about 4" from the poor lady who was stopped because of traffic. Honestly, it's why I tend towards spartan or loc rite lockers now... I don't ever need to repeat that spin.

as for steering. if you really run into trouble, you get your spotter to unlock one hub.
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
A '74 Blazer on 44's is obviously a terrible vehicle to take onto slick roads. Completely wrong tires and short wheelbase for snow and ice. Also compounding this is if you were running custom 1 ton axles under the Blazer. The Detroit lockers are setup for heavier vehicles when they're spec'd for heavier axles. And even an open diff has to respond to engine braking and can still spin such a Blazer.

A Detroit Locker is a completely different story in a LWB Pickup with more appropriate tires. Or something like a Kenworth W900. And when they are run in lighter vehicles, like a NASCAR, they require different setups.

One of the key features to the Detroit locker is that the outside tire can overspeed the ring gear and ratchet loose while under power as long as the inside tire is not slipping/spinning.
 
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98dango

Expedition Leader
Those are loc-rite or spartan lockers... Detroit have gears that spool to tighten and cause the wheel that's spinning slower than the driveshaft to spin at the same rate as the driveshaft - that's also how you can go for a ride if you let off the gas while travelling down hill on a rain-slicked surface. Detroit says 3 -10 revolutions before it's locked tight. Ratcheting... those are loc-rite/spartan locker type gears. They won't let the other wheel spin slower than the driveshaft, ever - they also make the distinctive noise, and cause great understeer if you stomp on the throttle in a corner.

The other thing about detroit, if you do lock it up in the manner I described above, you need to drive backwards at least 3 tire revolutions to get it to unlock (because it will not allow the tires to roll forward). It took me about 10 minutes to get my wits back enough to remember that...

I'm one of thousands who've learned this and all their stories share the common elements of downhill, rapid deceleration, slick road, short wheelbase, and traveling backwards. My story has a "nothing damaged but underwear" many others, not so much. I was driving down US 26 into Portland - a place called Zoo hill (because the zoo is at the top of the hill). I was driving a 74 Blazer on 44s and I was booking. It was rain slicked. At the tunnel (bottom of the hill and the freeway makes a bend into the tunnel), cars were dead stopped. I let off the gas and was immediately travelling backwards at 60 mph. Rear tires were locked up and I was the meatsack in the driver's seat. It stopped with the rear bumper about 4" from the poor lady who was stopped because of traffic. Honestly, it's why I tend towards spartan or loc rite lockers now... I don't ever need to repeat that spin.

as for steering. if you really run into trouble, you get your spotter to unlock one hub.

Ha been there done that in a toyota on 35s same place I hate coming down that hill. Who's idea was it to put a tunnel and 3 road forks at the bottom of a shady hill.
 

superbuickguy

Explorer
A '74 Blazer on 44's is obviously a terrible vehicle to take onto slick roads. Completely wrong tires and short wheelbase for snow and ice. Also compounding this is if you were running custom 1 ton axles under the Blazer. The Detroit lockers are setup for heavier vehicles when they're spec'd for heavier axles. And even an open diff has to respond to engine braking and can still spin such a Blazer.

A Detroit Locker is a completely different story in a LWB Pickup with more appropriate tires. Or something like a Kenworth W900. And when they are run in lighter vehicles, like a NASCAR, they require different setups.

One of the key features to the Detroit locker is that the outside tire can overspeed the ring gear and ratchet loose while under power as long as the inside tire is not slipping/spinning.

no where did I imply that it was the right thing - with that said, I was 20 years old and it was an amazing truck to have at that space and time. right now I'm building a fj40 on one tons and 38s. That said, the '40 has custom axles, the blazer had axles out of a truck and they were completely bolt in - no mods or cutting required.... but it will be nowhere near the stratosphere height of that rig... still, I never rolled it and I've seen it occasionally prowling the areas around Portland... to which I take a great deal of pride since I pulled it out of a yard and built it from the ground up - not one nut on that truck was turned by anyone but me, and the body and paint was done by me as well... in the mid 80s....
 

BushHead

Adventurer
Quick dumb question about a locker on my front axle. I've installed manual hubs on my X, if I throw a locker in there with the hubs unlocked I'm fine correct? Then can you simply lock one wheel at a time to meet whatever you need for the situation or does it not work like that?
 

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