I thought I would throw this out there since there's all this talk of front lockers. What's the opinion for rear lockers in snowy conditions?

Well I don't have a locker, but I do have LSD and I've been in situations where, IMHO, it's enabled me to get through without even going into 4wd. I guess a locker would do the same thing only better. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I didnt have the locker, but I had a limited slip. Its good to get you going, but you just have to watch it around corners. You get on the gas too soon around a corner and you will go sideways. It also caused me to spin out twice on snow covered roads. First time was pure stupidity, I wont get into that, but the second time I was going up a mountain and figured I didnt really need 4wd, had decent tires and figured I would be ok, nope got a 1/4 of the way up and went sideways. Had I backed off the gas and not hit the brake, I would have been fine both times. The locker would have similar effects. Given the choice, I would love to have a rear locker, those times when I was off the road and in deep snow, having a locker would have been extremely helpful.

Dan

Here's my initial review of how i like my rear lockright web page

After a couple months of having it in there, the locking and unlocking and shocks to my drivetrain have gotten kinda annoying. But I can certainly live with it, especially for the price. If I was made out of money, of course I'd go with an arb.

On the street in dry or wet situations, its really really hard to get it to fishtail around corners. I'll go into the corner real fast, flip the wheel and mash the gas pedal, and the tires just grab. There might be a chirp, thats about it.

Haven't driven it in snow yet, should be interesting. Have seen some rear locked and fully locked rigs trying to wheel in the snow, it looks like in most snowy situations its a big disadvantage. Then again the rigs in question were jeeps <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

i had one before my arb. It was fine in the snow as long as i drove like i hade a lockright. Youust have to make sure you are paying attention on the road and not go flooring it all the time.

Good point! --- Once a Lock Right has been installed, you first have to learn its quirks, and then always take them into account... no matter what the road conditions might be.


In snow - while I know that M/Ts donÆt help matters any - so far I've learned that very careful and prudent throttle modulation is the key. --- The same tendency that it has toward locking-up when youÆre getting heavy on the throttle in normal conditions is multiplied 1000-fold once thereÆs no real traction (ie: light or packed snow, etc.) --- Therefore, you have to make a conscious effort to apply the throttle very gently (particularly when shifting between gears on a manual - in turns - and/or on steeply crowned roads) --- IÆve also noticed that being in 4-wheel-drive greatly improves things - as opposed to being stubborn, and keeping it in 2-wheel-drive until you ôneedö 4-wheel-driveà That extra bit of pull from the front provides a great deal more directional stability and confidence, especially on steep/curvy roads.


From what IÆve heard à Once the stuff gets good and deep (especially in virgin snow), itÆs a whole`nuther ball game - And I hope to confirm this, very soon! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

HTH!


Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley

My wife has a lokrite in the back of her daily
driver.It is going on over 30,000 miles and she loves it.

She drives it back and forth to work 30+miles and no complaints.

As for snow she uses 4 wheel drive or 3 wheel drive <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
she won't mess around with 2wd,if 4wd is needed.then it's
needed.
She won't drive around in 2wd on snowy/icey roads,If it's slick it's in 4wd.
The front wheels pulling help reduce the fishtailing from the rear being locked up.

If the trails are dry or damp,Well it's a different game.
She will use the locked up bonuses during the non-snowy
4wheelin' trips and see how far she can go in 2wd low-range.

She thinks and I agree that she can go further in 2wd now
than when she ways open/open 4wd.

Lunchbox lockers work and are cheaper than other options
and I honestly have not noticed any odd,weird rear tire wear
in two different set's of tires.

Bansil

Ummm... DidnÆt I say pretty much the same thing?




And DUDEà For once, I used fewer words!!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />



As for the off-road capabilities, I totally agreeà
I too honestly believe that mine will æGo FartherÆ in 2-Low with the locker than it did in 4-Low open/openà

As for being in 4-Low with the locker, hereÆs an excerpt from a conversation that took place between Doug and me, about 24-hours after he installed mine:

ôSo, whatÆd ya think, Bro?ö

ôIt kicks major ass!ö

ôYeahà ya like it, huh?ö

ôIt felt like the truck is working FOR me, where it used to always feel like I was busy working IT.ö

ôSeeà I told ya!ö



Despite all of the on-road quirks, I still give it two thumbs-up <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />
(But yes, I would rather have an ARB)


Cheers! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Smiley

Thought I'd add an update here since I finally got to try driving in the snow with my lockright.

We only had about 2 inches, some streets had been plowed or packed down by other vehicles, some was virgin snow, so I got a nice mix.

Overall it was a pretty scary change over open. My biggest problem was whenever I hit the brake a little too hard, if I locked up the tires at all the lockright will lock and it does not want to unlock. So going slow and careful braking along with downshifting is the name of the game.

The back will slide back and forth a bit easier when accelerating, especially from a stop.

I found it interesting, when I do get on the throttle and hang the tail out, with an open diff if you try to straighten back out the back end will often shoot back over the other direction and try to make you spin out. With the locker it will slide just as easily, but its much more controlled.

The doing doughnuts in a parking lot ability seems to be about the same.

note- did not have 4wd ability, as my front and rear ratios do not match for some reason, so that may have affected a few things.

From what know the No-Slip is a little more street-friendly than the Lockright...a little more $$ though.