ARB vs KAM vs Lockrite

[mike harris]

No I'd not like kam lockers in an sj.

The place where there made is 100 metres from my dads workshop. I know them in there, I think the lawn rover stuff is very good. There shafts and lockers work well in them. But there suzuki stuff was massively under developed in my mind.

Arbs are the best no question.

Lock rites are a cheaper option, do what they say on the tin. Lock !! Get used to driving them and you will be amazed what an sj with lockers can do. I had people come up to me at slindon a few months back who where amazed as to what my samurai was climbing.

It's all in the lockers.... Anyone who knows about offroading understands open diffs offroad are a terrible idea. Flex and axle travel have minor enhancements compared to lockers. If I build any other off roaders in the future Suzuki or not the first thing it will get is lockers.

Mike

[Jordi]

How about lockrites on the road though?

Rear lockrite and a RW full float sounds like a nice plan.

[mike harris]

Jordi. If you own a ford fiesta and you boot it on a roundabout it will understeer.

If you own a 3 series Beamer. You boot it on a roundabout it will oversteer.

If you own a sj with a lock rite. You would oversteer. Yes, why not just brake before the roundabout?

I am pretty sure your sj doesn't see much scandernavien flicking anyway? You may need to adjust your driving style, as you would from a fiesta to a Beamer. Same principle.

[Jordi]

So driven sensibly on the road i wouldn't notice much difference with just a rear locker?

Its something i have no experience with bar truck diff locks. And they're a bit different at 80t

[Jordi]

Can i get an opinion on this too

http://www.rsmfg.co.uk/page19.html

[ScottieJ]

Jordi that is just another lockright/spartan style Difflock that RS make.

ARB, hands down, they have a lot more splines for engagement so they engage a lot easier than a KAM, ARBs are used worldwide, are KAMs? Plus it's a lot less hassle to fit a ARB, no need to cut up and modify the axle housing.

Personally though if mine was offroad only then the rear would be welded or spooled and the front would run the ARB.

Driving with selectable lockers is a lot more fun than running permanent lockers front and rear I think, gives you a chance to have a go at something unlocked first and then if you fail, flick the switches and drive right up also means you can unlock them to turn around sharp corners.

I don't think I would like driving with a lockrignt on road to be honest, I don't hang about when I drive and often corner at 50+mph so couldn't be dealing with the fact that I would need to drive gently and coast around every corner in order for it to not lock up, I was thinking about it the other day as well, surely with the way they work they would lock up under heavy engine breaking and deceleration as well. I'm not sure you can really compare driving any open diff vehicle to running a lockright either really. Yes you are correct about how fwd and rwd vehicles behave in cornering but they are a lot more forgiving and predictable than a lockright would be driven at speed.

[mike harris]

That is a lockrite essentially , rob Storr told me he was making his own one, he told me it should be better than a lockrite. Smoother engage and do engage. I would be inclined to give it a whirl. Hes an emensly clever bloke.

And yeah a rear lockrite on the road will be fine. Snow and ice and wet wet roads you would need take real care. But on a dry road I can't see them being dangerous by any means.

At wagtail have a go in mine see if you like them, bear it in mind I have them front and rear.

[mike harris]

That is a lockrite essentially , rob Storr told me he was making his own one, he told me it should be better than a lockrite. Smoother engage and do engage. I would be inclined to give it a whirl. Hes an emensly clever bloke.

And yeah a rear lockrite on the road will be fine. Snow and ice and wet wet roads you would need take real care. But on a dry road I can't see them being dangerous by any means.

At wagtail have a go in mine see if you like them, bear it in mind I have them front and rear.

[Jordi]

Bring this into too, one you mentioned a while ago Scott.

http://www.chinasoong.com/Air-Locker-RD88.htm

[ScottieJ]

Chinasoong is a Chinese copy of the earlier ARB style air locker, the quality isn't the same but on auszookers there's a few guys that have put thousands of road and offroad miles through them with no issues and at £800ish for both front, rear and a compressor then you can't really complain.