Spartan Locker

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tommudd

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The ARB is much more street friendly than a lunchbox locker and your not venturing offroad enough to warrant a auto locker,LSD at best would better suit you.

If you want a auto locker I'd highly recommend the Detroit locker(full case locker),much cheaper than a ARB and a 100,000,000 times better than any lunchbox locker.

I think that is where many are confused, some think one brand of lunch box locker is better than others maybe, when in fact they are not.
As far as " turning one on" ARB for example if I see i will need it, i kick it in, its not a 5 or even 2 minute job
A locker such as ARB is way more user friendly than any lunch box locker out there.
 

sota

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damnit, tom, stop trying to spend my money! :D
I have caviar dreams but ramen noodle budget... if even that. :(
I need a locker for winter plowing duties, so I'm going to have to stick with a lunchbox for now.
 

Juggar

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The ARB is much more street friendly than a lunchbox locker and your not venturing offroad enough to warrant a auto locker,LSD at best would better suit you.

If you want a auto locker I'd highly recommend the Detroit locker(full case locker),much cheaper than a ARB and a 100,000,000 times better than any lunchbox locker.

Why would I want an LSD when I can have a locker???? Im not driving this like some soccer mom pavement queen jeep.

All the LSD ive had in the past had clutches, which can and do wear out. Ive even heard of people wearing them out from only a few off road outings.

I wanted a locker and I am very glad I chose the Spartan over anything else. Price to performance ratio is stellar.
 

Phil + Neela

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Thanks for the info Myke!

My main reason for wanting one is piece of mind offroad. We go camping/fishing fairly often in some remote places, typically involving sand or mud. Getting bogged etc in the middle of nowhere is frustrating. Plus i dont like being the butt of 'Jeep jokes' when it does happen..

My front air locker was installed by the previous owner so thankfully i didnt have to fork out for that one. This Spartan seems like an affordable and effective upgrade for the rear.

I watched this video about the noise it makes. Has yours ever made that loud clunk sound? The whole vehicle seemed to jump! Had me a bit worried, like the housing exploded or something!
]


I’ve heard that the lunchbox lockers have some—unpleasant—road manners sometimes. If you made sure everything was within proper tolerances after you installed it, then you should be good. I’ve only heard on one instance where someone’s locker was popping all the time and eventually grenaded—but it was because they decided the gaps in-between the locker pieces “would be fine” instead of taking the time to get the right measurements.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Juggar

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I’ve heard that the lunchbox lockers have some—unpleasant—road manners sometimes. If you made sure everything was within proper tolerances after you installed it, then you should be good. I’ve only heard on one instance where someone’s locker was popping all the time and eventually grenaded—but it was because they decided the gaps in-between the locker pieces “would be fine” instead of taking the time to get the right measurements.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sure, an LSD will be slightly better in that regard. If someone wanted to upgrade a daily an LSD might be right for them.

My Spartan locker has been smooth though.
 
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tjkj2002

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Sure, an LSD will be slightly better in that regard. If someone wanted to upgrade a daily an LSD might be right for them.

My Spartan locker has been smooth though.

If you get snow or ice in the winter just wait and make sure nobody else drives it that is not expecting it or have experience driving with a auto locker on snow/ice.
 

tommudd

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If you get snow or ice in the winter just wait and make sure nobody else drives it that is not expecting it or have experience driving with a auto locker on snow/ice.

Or even if you do have experience, sometimes it will catch you off guard if not fully paying attention. Trust me, flipped a 68 Bronco like that.
 

Juggar

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If you get snow or ice in the winter just wait and make sure nobody else drives it that is not expecting it or have experience driving with a auto locker on snow/ice.

Yes, I will have to go very slowly to see how she handles in the snow at first.

I do have a new set of Blizzaks that will go on for winter.
 

Damotee

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Im still on the fence with this locker. My main concerns are the locker binding up around corners and then releasing in an almighty bang. I know people say its normal, but I just cant accept a big bang that jolts the whole Jeep as normal operation.

Second concern is the safety on slippery, corrugated dirt roads. I'm worried that if I'm going around a corrugated corner at speed and lose traction, the locker will engage and send me shooting off in the wrong direction. Perhaps my understanding of the workings is a bit off. I'm hoping so. For anyone whose driven on snow and ice with one of these, how does it go?

I have a 2 week camping trip coming up and we will be going to some out of the way places. I do have my front air locker so maybe ill just stick with that..
 

tjkj2002

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Im still on the fence with this locker. My main concerns are the locker binding up around corners and then releasing in an almighty bang. I know people say its normal, but I just cant accept a big bang that jolts the whole Jeep as normal operation.

Second concern is the safety on slippery, corrugated dirt roads. I'm worried that if I'm going around a corrugated corner at speed and lose traction, the locker will engage and send me shooting off in the wrong direction. Perhaps my understanding of the workings is a bit off. I'm hoping so. For anyone whose driven on snow and ice with one of these, how does it go?

I have a 2 week camping trip coming up and we will be going to some out of the way places. I do have my front air locker so maybe ill just stick with that..
The best combo I have found for a IFS KJ is a Detroit Trutrac up front and a ARB in the rear.
 

Damotee

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The best combo I have found for a IFS KJ is a Detroit Trutrac up front and a ARB in the rear.

Yea, that would be the ideal combo. The ARB locker was installed already when I bought the Jeep.

I'm just a bit paranoid because this trip I have coming up will involve many water crossings, with depths over the bonnet (hood). I got stuck last time we did this same trip and the footwells filled with water until I was snatched out. Id like to avoid that if possible! Driver error was certainly a factor last time, plus the fact my front locker wasn't working due to a 10 cent fuse blowing out..
 

hadtomer

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Dude - it's just a locker.

you should be happy you live down under - in the land of ARB,LOKKA, Fosters and vegemite (all i ate at ayers rock, it is a miracle i am alive) . for us there is import tax and shipment and all sorts of crap on top. I wish i paid like...200$ for a locker. since u can do it in your driveway- install it and if u dont like it just sell it. I guess anyone with a 8.25 axle will be glad to buy.

Me - I am running a TRUTRAC front and AUSSIE LOCKER rear - and i am as happy as i can be. however i am not gonna tell you it's all smiles per mile. here is the thing - We do not have snow here. only up north in the winter - and i had one snow trip - so i Can't say if it is good on daily driving.

I keep my libby for mostly offroading purposes (i must be insane. had me an XJ and a yota, a zook - all with big lifts etc - like....what the **** was i thinking? like...we have wranglers you know...) and i am happy with the setup cause my daily drive does not include the jeep.

Whenever i do some daily driving - I can't really feel i have a locker - cause..well...this is not a bmw X5. nor is it a lexus. It is an old jeep. I adjust the level of my requirements to what i paid for (jewish - all we do is adjust to what we pay for - i think it's like in the bible).

what i am saying is yes- it clicks on roundabouts. do i hear it? nope. "heavy metal took my hearing doctor"...but seriously- I don't really listen to it that much and you cant even hear it with AC and windows closed. I do not take the time and effort to listen to things non metallica related. Does it pop and bang? yes. 25,000 kilometers in 2 years (we have something called the metric system. we have big macs so no quarter pounder) I had it go bang twice. so what? I do not expect it to be flawless cause i drive a 12 year old jeep.

As for going fast on dirt - or anything rock/dirt related - well - this is the part where it is indeed flawless - here is my kj - before i had the DTT installed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq_KBZnYMSs

No buttons to push - no compressors to turn on and fail- no air pipes to burst - just iron. never had a problem with going fast - on sand or on grass or dirt or whatever- it always performed real well.

In conclusion - It's all about funds really. If you expect a flawless product - look elsewhere. It is not perfect. as far as i can tell - It is 95% perfect. and if you get very picky about how you want your jeep to perform then a lunchbox locker is not for you. if you know full well that you get what you paid for - enjoy the ride. let's not forget that we are not talking about shit solutions like welding the spider gears or any other dumb redneck solution. this is a product that works and has worked more or less since world war 2 - but you need to know what you are getting.
 
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Juggar

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Im still on the fence with this locker. My main concerns are the locker binding up around corners and then releasing in an almighty bang. I know people say its normal, but I just cant accept a big bang that jolts the whole Jeep as normal operation.

Second concern is the safety on slippery, corrugated dirt roads. I'm worried that if I'm going around a corrugated corner at speed and lose traction, the locker will engage and send me shooting off in the wrong direction. Perhaps my understanding of the workings is a bit off. I'm hoping so. For anyone whose driven on snow and ice with one of these, how does it go?

I have a 2 week camping trip coming up and we will be going to some out of the way places. I do have my front air locker so maybe ill just stick with that..

Ive never had any of those issues, its certainly no LSD but its better/smoother than I thought it would be.

I bought some new Bridgestone Blizzaks for the winter, to help with traction. I know its not ideal with the rear spartan locker but with 4x4 on and the blizzaks I should be fine.
 

Myke

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I stayed away from lunchbox lockers because I was scared off by people saying how poorly they are on road.

That was the biggest crock of bull ever. I could put someone new in my jeep and I doubt they'd know it's there. If yours is jerking the whole jeep or making very loud bangs something is wrong with your locker.

I'm in NJ I've had 1 winter of use already and it drives great in the snow. If you mash the gas it will want to bring the rear end around but if you drive normal it's made snow driving better. I feel much more comfortable in 2wd and rarely need to go into 4wd on snow.


If anyone wants I can try to take a video of me making a turn at full lock. Not sure how well it'll turn out.
 

Charlesthe2nd

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Just wanted to chime in on the locker conversation. I've had f/r ARB for 5 years now. They are excellent and have never let me down. When my water pump failed in Moab I couldn't turn on 4wd b/c of overheating; the only thing that got me off that trail was the rear locker. I typically leave it on if I'm offroad with 4wd engaged which really increases the Jeeps ability, and my confidence. A flip of the switch, you hear the compressor pump the system up, and you know that it's working. It makes life easy as there is no need to get the tires spinning to engage the locker. You can just come up to an obstacle that looks difficult, flip on the front switch, listen to the pump pressurize the locker, and crawl up. A liberty walking up a rock garden typically turns heads.

The only thing that I would change is the air-lines themselves. They aren't necessarily cheap, but they are plastic and could fail, but also would be easy to repair sans ripping it out of the diff housing. An upgrade to braided line would be easy. A backup pump would failproof the entire system.
 

pivert

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Since I have a limited slip in the rear differential and that a Spartan blocking is not compatible. Is it possible to install a Spartan in the front differential without this being a problem ?
 

Disco95

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Just wanted to chime in on the locker conversation. I've had f/r ARB for 5 years now. They are excellent and have never let me down. When my water pump failed in Moab I couldn't turn on 4wd b/c of overheating; the only thing that got me off that trail was the rear locker. I typically leave it on if I'm offroad with 4wd engaged which really increases the Jeeps ability, and my confidence. A flip of the switch, you hear the compressor pump the system up, and you know that it's working. It makes life easy as there is no need to get the tires spinning to engage the locker. You can just come up to an obstacle that looks difficult, flip on the front switch, listen to the pump pressurize the locker, and crawl up. A liberty walking up a rock garden typically turns heads.

The only thing that I would change is the air-lines themselves. They aren't necessarily cheap, but they are plastic and could fail, but also would be easy to repair sans ripping it out of the diff housing. An upgrade to braided line would be easy. A backup pump would failproof the entire system.

No doubt air lockers are probably the way to go, but they are expensive. It can be hard to justify that expense on a hobby when there are so many things of higher priority that require our funds. These "lunchbox" lockers are good compromise for the money, and by all accounts from those using them they seem to work pretty well. Also, arent they actually auto UNlocking rather than auto locking? Wouldn't this really negate that wheelspin you mention?
I ask as I personally have not used one.
 

tjkj2002

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Since I have a limited slip in the rear differential and that a Spartan blocking is not compatible. Is it possible to install a Spartan in the front differential without this being a problem ?
If you could put manual locking hubs on sure but since you can't unless you do a SFA swap it will be a wild ride and wear/break parts on the street.

No doubt air lockers are probably the way to go, but they are expensive. It can be hard to justify that expense on a hobby when there are so many things of higher priority that require our funds. These "lunchbox" lockers are good compromise for the money, and by all accounts from those using them they seem to work pretty well. Also, arent they actually auto UNlocking rather than auto locking? Wouldn't this really negate that wheelspin you mention?
I ask as I personally have not used one.
Lunchbox lockers are a budget locker for offroad,if you can't justify the cost of ARB's said vehicle spends to much time on the street were said lunchbox lockers get there bad rep.Might as well just Lincoln locker it,the cheapest locker on the market but the most destructive.

If your a "occasional" wheeler lunchbox lockers are not a good choice,more so if you live in areas that see ice and snow.The better choice is a good LSD like the Detroit TruTrac,yes more $$$ but half the cost of a ARB,much more street friendly(where you spend most of the time),and overall a much better product.
 

Disco95

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If you could put manual locking hubs on sure but since you can't unless you do a SFA swap it will be a wild ride and wear/break parts on the street.


Lunchbox lockers are a budget locker for offroad,if you can't justify the cost of ARB's said vehicle spends to much time on the street were said lunchbox lockers get there bad rep.Might as well just Lincoln locker it,the cheapest locker on the market but the most destructive.

If your a "occasional" wheeler lunchbox lockers are not a good choice,more so if you live in areas that see ice and snow.The better choice is a good LSD like the Detroit TruTrac,yes more $$$ but half the cost of a ARB,much more street friendly(where you spend most of the time),and overall a much better product.

I considered putting a trutrac in the front of my Disco, they do have an excellent reputation. Where i live it only hits single figure temps overnight (celcius at that) and days are 20 in winter to 40 odd in summer, so snow and ice are not really an issue. Some of the tracks here are very challenging, is the trutrac as effective offroad as say, a detroit locker, or lokka locker?
 

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