Selectable for D30? Wasteful?

[Built2Flex]

Thats funny, because I've seen too many ARB airline failures, which made me dismiss it as an option. I therefore went OX instead.

Plus, they already come with a heavy duty diff cover, which I know from both my diffs, that they can take a beating.

As for the cable problem, you can always carry around a bolt, and should the cable fail, you can thread the bolt into the cover, and keep the fork pushed over to keep the locker locked. You can't do that with the ARB.

X2!! I run an Ox and love it. As Ferris Bueller once said "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

 

[Mudderoy]

I have limited time to post, I'm sitting in an airport and don't have a charger for my laptop.

In short, I had an ected purchased for the 'big' 30, before I went 30 spline and 'had' to buy an ARB.

I looked at several rigs with OX's and dismissed it as an option, I've seen too many cable failures in person to accept it.


How often do you 242 guys actually use all wheel drive? Maybe something to think about.

-C

I ran my 242 for about 80k miles. I read that the gas mileage was the same engaged or disengaged. Instead of reminding my wife to pull the lever up when it is raining I just left it in full time.

I told my mechanic about 2 years ago that I get a noise in 4x4 at 95 mph. He said "95 mph?!?!?! I can't get my truck up to 95 with 4x4 engaged!"

He recommended I leave it in 2x4 most of the time. lol

My wife really doesn't drive the Jeep much now, and since I've gone to all the trouble in replacing that chain I just leave it in 2 hi unless I need the 4x4.

Based on my reading here it sounded like the selectable locker was the only way to go with a 242 tcase. Really sounds like the best of all worlds. Personally I'd rather have the 242 over the 231. Strength is about the same and you can make sure of 4x4 more often than the 231.

 

[ocean_jet]

I have an Ox up front too and like it a lot.

I DID fubar a cable, but like others, that was 100% my fault. I routed it to close to the motor mount, and melted it.

I got a new cable, and re-routed it to a much cooler location, and it's performed well for me.... although, I have only used it 5-6 times since I installed it last summer.

 

[tomcat]

Thats funny, because I've seen too many ARB airline failures, which made me dismiss it as an option. I therefore went OX instead.

stainless steel braided air lines are money well spent. i don't know anyone who has even had a failure with those. arb and rubicon express make them. money well spent, and piece of mind. blue plastic hose is a waste of time, never bothered installing the one that came with mine. still in the masking taped coil as it was shipped as.

I love my riddler covers, and prefer the cover to not be integral in the mechanical operation of my locker, and not have to find a place to put a giant lever. fitchbox works great for my arb switches

 

[ocean_jet]

and not have to find a place to put a giant lever.

Mine mounted nicely in front of/under the t-case shifter... people don't even see it unless they are looking for it.



What's the issue with the shifter mechanism being integrated with the diff cover? Haven't heard of that being a problem before.

 

[Begster]

stainless steel braided air lines are money well spent. i don't know anyone who has even had a failure with those.

I have, its called their compressor stopped working, i.e. no more locker.

I'm not here to start an OX is better then ARB or vice versa pissing match, I'm just saying that I've seen a number of ARB failures. I'm sure it would be very nice to just push a button and have your axles locked, but I enjoy the levers. From the way I look at it, if the modes of locking either locker fails, (cable failure for OX and compressor/line failure for ARB), then you can still lock the OX.

I love my riddler covers, and prefer the cover to not be integral in the mechanical operation of my locker, and not have to find a place to put a giant lever. fitchbox works great for my arb switches

From what I've been seeing in pictures, the new OX that I got (the one I ordered is different than the one that came with the rear axle I bought that already had OX in it) covers look pretty much identical to the Riddler covers, only with a drain hole and cable hole.

Whats the big problem with the cover playing a role in the opperation? If the cover fails, no matter if its OX or ARB, your pretty screwed either way.

 

[MapleDitch]

Price wise:I just checked the web(US)......
OX locker,cover and cable about $900US-(but no air compressor)
ARB ocker and compressor about $1000US-(but no cover)

I just checked todays rates-$1000US = $1286CAN

I just went through this buying my elocker.

There is no free shipping to Canada from any online vendor. Add $50
Using UPS or Fed-ex? Brokerage fees for a $1000us locker + compressor. Add $63.75
Online vendors only accept credit card, credit card company charges 2.5% currency conversion. Add $32.
Provincial and federal sales tax for Ontario(customs Canada will charge 13%). Add $385.
NAFTA- if the box it comes in doesn't say made in Canada, USA, or Mexico - add about 9% counter-veiling duty. Add $115.

:tear:

 

[Built2Flex]

and not have to find a place to put a giant lever.

If 2.5" is giant I see your problem. But maybe you consider that size to be giant. <cough cough>

 

[J-Roc]

looks like I tossed some sand in some vag's, rock on! I still haven't made up my mind, I've done some searching and posted a wanted ad and waiting to hear back some responses.

I really don't want to spend that much... but if it is what is going to make me happy, I gotta do what I gotta do...

 

[Mike H.]

I run detroit true tracs front and rear.
I wheel rocks, more rocks, and rocks over rocks.
It really does not take much brake to keep them "locked" up... however, it does take driver input to make them work when in the air.
I wheel with folks running lockers and spools... I often lead.
On pav., they are invisable.
At high speed on gravel, they are phenominal.
I've yet to be let down in the rocks, but I do need to "make it happen".

I've yet to say to myself, gee, a locker would make "the" difference while off road, although in soild rock and/or tight manouvering, or high speed running, I've been pleased to not have a locker.
I've yet to say to myself, gee, I wish my rig was unpredictable, skipped, jerked and went snap/bang without notice while on the pav.

There is definately something nice about a mechanical unit, that does not rely on clutchs, cables, air lines, or solenoids... just brakes... and if you don't have brakes, you've got more urgent concerns.

For a "real" daily driver... they make sense to me.

 

[mucovich]

I can tell you from my experience that a rig with lockers will out wheel a rig without any day, the difference is huge!

 

[RCP Phx]

And I'll take Mike H on a run he will regret not having lockers,hands down not EVEN equal!

 

[ColoradoRaptor]

I am running a Trutrac up front at the moment.............30 OX in a box waiting for install!!!! I love my 44 OX, it works perfectly and is why I sent back a perfectly good ARB for the OX!! The trutrac is fine for mild stuff but I hated having to use my brakes to get the damn thing to pull me up anything!! Oh, I am running the 242 and would have it no other way!!

 

[emr1101]

just to add to the mix, my buddy just threw a 8.8/44 in his ZJ, 7-8" of lift and 35" KM2s. He has an aussie up front with an ARB out back, arb wasnt even hooked up yet, he has dutchman rear shafts and he hit the gas to hard one day and destroyed the ring gear and the arb fell into 3 pieces, he also had low fluid in the differential because he is a tool who cant work on his own junk lol

 

[goodburbon]

I run detroit true tracs front and rear.
I wheel rocks, more rocks, and rocks over rocks.
It really does not take much brake to keep them "locked" up... however, it does take driver input to make them work when in the air.
I wheel with folks running lockers and spools... I often lead.
On pav., they are invisable.
At high speed on gravel, they are phenominal.
I've yet to be let down in the rocks, but I do need to "make it happen".

I've yet to say to myself, gee, a locker would make "the" difference while off road, although in soild rock and/or tight manouvering, or high speed running, I've been pleased to not have a locker.
I've yet to say to myself, gee, I wish my rig was unpredictable, skipped, jerked and went snap/bang without notice while on the pav.

There is definately something nice about a mechanical unit, that does not rely on clutchs, cables, air lines, or solenoids... just brakes... and if you don't have brakes, you've got more urgent concerns.

For a "real" daily driver... they make sense to me.

Not as much sense as selectables if you really use it on the trail. You've never said any of that stuff to yourself because you've never run selectables. I've run truetrac up front, I've seen the difference, while it is awesome on road, I broke stuff while braking for torque transfer. Like you I thought my setup was tha bomb. Having selectables now I know it wasn't. I too was running with the big boys back when I was LS/LS but the switch to selectable/selectable has been a huge transition. now instead of modulating more brake and gas to overcome the brake and the obstacle I just flip a switch and don't destroy my gears, shafts, t-case chain, etc.

 

[J-Roc]

Anyone know the best vendor to go through for the Ox?

 

[Mike H.]

I 100% agree that a selectable is a better way to go than true trac's, but, it sounds like the thread stater does not have money for that type of setup. Thus my comments.

RCP, where you gonna take me? I too am in Phoenix...

 

[J-Roc]

No I have it, I just have a hard time dropping $1000 hahaha, I have dutch mentality :looser:

 

[fubar XJ]

Why would he start the thread if he didn't have the funds for a selectable? The only LSD experience I have is a Trac-Loc years ago in my CJ. It didn't work for crap, might have been wore out from years of use before I bought the Jeep. I installed Lock-Rites, they were great for awhile, then my tire size and driving style overcame their durability. I went with a full Detroit in the rear, ARB up front. Great set-up, considered it for the XJ, but decided to give the OXes a go. Other than the PITA of cable/controller routing and mounting, I like them just fine. But without a doubt, selectable in the front is awesome. There are times you will not want that much traction in the front, such as really tight turns in rocks or deep mud (tends to plow straight ahead)

There is nothing wrong with ARBs IMO, I really like the one I have. I just didn't want to hassle with the compressor, which in retrospect would have really been no less hassle or expense than buying and installing/mounting the OX cables and controllers. You pay extra for the OX cables, which is BS IMO, but I suppose they justify it by offering different lengths depending on the wheelbase of your rig.

 

[RCP Phx]

You need air period!Not just for me or my buddies,I cant count the times Ive filled up someone's tires on the side of the road!