Been studying lockers.... Air or Elock?

[PanamaExpat]

I am actually leaning towards the ARBs however the price is a bit up there. I was planning on installing on-board air anyhow. As 4X4junkie brought up I should probably up my gearing a bit over the 3.27 she came with. The next question is how much? I would still like to be able to cruise comfortably up and down the highway as well as DD around the city. Don't want to completely kill the fuel mileage. The around city driving is one of the things that puts me off on the torque style lockers. I don't need the wife calling me every time she uses the truck to tell me it is popping and making noises.

So as to the gearing questions.... The terrain here is greasy wet red clay and some loose rock. Lots of downed logs as well and slippery rotting vegetation. Oh and lots of hills some of them quite steep. Any suggestions?

 

[killj0y]

I am actually leaning towards the ARBs however the price is a bit up there. I was planning on installing on-board air anyhow. As 4X4junkie brought up I should probably up my gearing a bit over the 3.27 she came with. The next question is how much? I would still like to be able to cruise comfortably up and down the highway as well as DD around the city. Don't want to completely kill the fuel mileage. The around city driving is one of the things that puts me off on the torque style lockers. I don't need the wife calling me every time she uses the truck to tell me it is popping and making noises.

So as to the gearing questions.... The terrain here is greasy wet red clay and some loose rock. Lots of downed logs as well and slippery rotting vegetation. Oh and lots of hills some of them quite steep. Any suggestions?

4.10's should do fine. Do you plan on getting bigger tires? A lot depends on future plans the bigger the tires the higher the gear ratio....

 

[Frank The Tank]

You should retrofit a G80. J/K worst idea ever!

I ran 4.56 with 33s and a manual. 04 with 4.0. Loved that setup it was perfect. But it had 4.10s factory. That wld prolly be a bit much for you. (I tried 4.88s) it was a nightmare on street.

 

[4x4junkie]

I would still like to be able to cruise comfortably up and down the highway as well as DD around the city. Don't want to completely kill the fuel mileage.

It'll be pretty difficult to "kill your mileage" compared to running around with those 3.27s... More than likely it'll actually increase (well, unless you do something weird like 5.13s and 31" tires lol).

But yea we need a tire size from you first before we can suggest you a good gear ratio.

 

[Captain Ledd]

I was on the fence about a locker for a long time for my truck (2.3L 2wd, 235/75R15 tires). I narrowed it down between an ARB and a Detroit Tru-Trac.

Since I used the truck for actual work type things and not play, I decided on the ARB, even though it doubled the cost. Having all the traction my tires would give me was a big selling point, push a switch and if I didn't get out, I wasn't getting out. I had planned to run an air compressor anyways. The difference in traction is astounding.

I run 4.56 gears in an Explorer 8.8 with my setup and saw and INCREASE in mileage, even with that steep of gear ratio (but I have a 4cyl and small tires). The ARB works great. Agreed on just being careful on how you run your lines.

The axle is overkill I know, but I had a complete axle I paid something like $80 for, rebuilt the L/S it had with used clutches, and offered the L/S carrier for sale for $75 expecting to be talked down on price a bit, some guy paid what I asked. So I had a 31 spline 8.8 axle for essentially $5 to build.

Also, having the air compressor to top off a tire is a NICE feature.

 

[PanamaExpat]

Well... I just went and looked at the tires in the garage and her street shoes are Toyo Open Country 30X9.50R15. Largest thing AutoCentro would sell me. Bought them about a month before the transmission and clutch failed last year and they are still like new. I would love to find some steel spoke 15 or 16X10 rims and put some 35s on her for those days when we go to the jungle.

So if 4.10 is probably the ideal ratio well then I guess I will need to locate a set of gears for Dana 35 and Ford 8.8. Anyone? Also... Looks like ARB lockers win out now wouldn't it be great if someone were willing to come off some nice used ones reasonable?

 

[4x4junkie]

If you're thinking 35" tires, you'll want 4.88 at minimum.

However if you keep your 30s, then 4.10 is good, though 3.73 would be fine too if you happen to come across some cheap (I'd try for the 4.10s first though).

Make sure you're set on keeping those 30s before you dump the coin on a regear though, regearing isn't cheap, especially with the labor involved.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Consulting the gear ratio/tire size chart to final drive ration (in RPM) in the tech section, for myself at least, going from my 31's to 35's wouldn't even require 3.73's at the given RPM. My configuration should also apply to Panama's situation. Although you will need more of that gearing to get the most out of the tire size, and the added weight/resistance.

4.88 seems a little high still, and he's likely going to be doing 90% street driving. Not that I completely disagree with 4x4's opinion, it's just my $.02.

 

[brinker88]

If you're thinking 35" tires, you'll want 4.88 at minimum.

However if you keep your 30s, then 4.10 is good, though 3.73 would be fine too if you happen to come across some cheap (I'd try for the 4.10s first though).

Make sure you're set on keeping those 30s before you dump the coin on a regear though, regearing isn't cheap, especially with the labor involved.

Minimum? For the kind of wheeling he does, 4.56s would be PERFECT. It wouldnt be TOO low geared for the 30s and almost perfect for a DD with 35s. That's what I'm running and I love it. Now granted, 4.88s would be great for the weekend warrior that ran 35s all the time. But he's not.

 

[4x4junkie]

I think you misunderstood my post...

I'm saying IF he gets 35" tires like he said he'd love to do for his jungle trips, he would also need 4.88 gears.

If he decides to keep his 30s, then the 4.10s originally proposed are perfectly fine (as would 3.73 too).

But if he regears from 3.27 to 4.10 for the 30s, but then decides to go 35s, he will have to regear it all over again. I was just suggesting he make sure what size tires he wants before spending $$$ on regearing, as it's not cheap to do.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Might be able to find 4.10 axles from the junkyard.

 

[jrpdash9]

I have a ford ranger 4.10 with limited slip. I might be willing to get rid of

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[PanamaExpat]

Thanks for the offer but due to the incredibly high shipping costs on larger items I am looking for matched ring and pinion sets. But I'll bet someone else on here would jump on that axle in a heartbeat. Unless that is you would consider removing the ring and pinion.

 

[jrpdash9]

I would rather sell the whole thing

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