So now it needs an air compressor... right????

The air compressor was necessary from the very beginning. There were few special installations with mechanical actuators after customer's requirement.
The difference now is that the pneumatic actuator is inside the housing of the diff instead of outside. So the complete locker is more compact, easier to be installed without any critical adjustment at the stroke of the actuator and the rod allignment.

this is amazing. I am excited about this becoming a reality. is there any idea on an estimated price for these?

now if we could only get the gears from tf that would be awesome!!!

Good to hear you got it all together.... As you may have read elsewhere here I have just moved house 2600 km and haven't really had much time to follow up on any of the leads I offered, sorry about that....

Definitely looks the goods, and I hope two of them will find their way under my Sportage real soon... <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Since we are dicussing it and with no intention to sound like a smart#$%^% <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> isnt the "cable" that was at the original design a more reliable, and in the event it broke " user replacable" instead of all the compresors and its cables, pipes & connections that must be air-tight that if and when they brake they are not "on-site" fixable??
What "trigered" me on the forst design was exactly that, its simplisity, noe it looks like an ARB-copy ( at least at its philosophy...)

As I said the above is for discusion purposes and not trying to lessen the value of the project..

If you snag the air line on a tree stump or rock and break it off, the diff only unlocks, but nothing else is in danger. If you snag the acuating cable going to the diff then it is possible the oil to come out of the hole in the side of the diff, or water/dirt/mud to get in, none of which is particulrly desirable.

Practical upshot is both systems are "unfixable" unless you have spare cables/air lines...

Got the point...
I waw refairing basicaly to a simple cable change versus airline-compressor e.t.c.

either way, cable actuators and air actuators have trouble with lines running to them. neither is ever perfect, but in my opinion, a cable actuator would have been a little sturdier and cheaper, abeit old school. there are also systems that run on vaccuum that could easily be had by running a line up to the intake system, just like the vaccuum actuated locking hubs on some later model Sportages. but again, you got lines running to the diff. only way to solve the problem of having more vulnerable parts like that is to get a Detroit-type automatic locker or a lock-right-type automatic locker, or you could go for a spool, mini-spool or just weld the side and spiders and call it a day for pennies.

That's a great option for a dedicated off-road machine, but in my situation I use my sportage for a 100 mi/day commute over hilly, curvy roads in an area of the country that sees several ice storms each winter (two so far this year). If you've ever tried to drive even a limited slip equipped vehicle on glare ice you know that there is no directional stability. Folks like me need the selectability that the greek locker will provide-whether it is cable or air actuated. Air is fine with me-I already have onboard air-the air line won't be any more vulnerable than a rear brake line. How many times are they damaged?

I can hardly wait until they are available!! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I HAVE DRIVEN ON THE ICE WITH MY WELDED DIFFERENTIAL, in fact, it was a week or 2 ago. it was fun, but yeah, a little squirly. the thing is, wheelbase helps, the more you have with a welded or spooled rear end, the less likely it is that you will have the rear end passing up the front end, especially if you also have good snow tires, i run 38" swampers, not the best for anything other than mud or rocks. our wheelbase is actually pretty long for small suv's even though our overall length is short. so, it helps, but, yeah, i'd imagine no matter what precautions you take, if you are fully locked-up in the rear, you can lose lateral traction on ice, it's just the nature of the ice, though, not the differential. it's my opinion that ice should not be driven on if at all possible anyway, but, hey, i'm not the company bigwig that can tell you not to come to work that day.

so then let me rephrase:

if you live south of say, Nebraska, welded is good for you, if you live north of Oklahoma, selectable is prolly better, but it all depends on when and where you drive, too.