Chinese Air Locker
- Thread starter sross
- Start date
JeepN95YJ
Adventurer
I have no problem with products made in China, Taiwan, Australia, Japan, USA or any other location...as long as they stand on their own merit. If you want to design a product and have it manufactured, it is your choice which country to produce it in.
I do have a problem with blatant theft of ideas, designs or property and selling at a lower cost as a knock-off. I would not buy a blatant knock-off on principle.
I prefer to purchase locally and prefer to products "made in USA". It is difficult, however, to be true to this preference 100% of the time. In the end, I will buy the product that best meets my needs. Part of that necessity, for me, is that the product is ethically manufactured.
I do have a problem with blatant theft of ideas, designs or property and selling at a lower cost as a knock-off. I would not buy a blatant knock-off on principle.
I prefer to purchase locally and prefer to products "made in USA". It is difficult, however, to be true to this preference 100% of the time. In the end, I will buy the product that best meets my needs. Part of that necessity, for me, is that the product is ethically manufactured.
right, so if he has a crawl ratio of 65:1, remember he said its not a hardcore crawler or anything, and the motor makes 100 ft/lbs, which it doesn't, theres 6500 ft/lbs of torque at the axle. the question then is, are his 235/85 tires going to hold that torque? if so, then would a single axle break before the locker?
personally, i'd put the used ARB you have in the rear, and put the auto locker in the front. i had a lock-rite in a 2wd f150 and it was really obnoxious a lot of the time, and didn't even do that much other than make it easy to slide all over the road when it rained
sross
Adventurer
The truck brand new from the factory had 76 ft-lbs of torque. 23 years and 115,000 miles later I really doubt it still has that. The transfer case has 4.16/1 low range. That gives me 304 ft-lbs at the t-case. The diff has 3.73 gear ratio so 3.73 x 304 = 1133.92 ft-lbs at the rear end? The tires then counter act that torque right? the 235x75 is approx. 29 inches tall and 9 inches wide, but I don't how to do that math.
sross
Adventurer
So assume say 25-30 ft-lbs, that means 387 - 465 ft-lbs at the rear wheels under normal wheeling condtions. How often might having the rear end locked mean not having to use low range as well?
Dave Bennett
Adventurist
Nothing is sacred anymore... 
I must point out that you are incorrect, and thus this whole discussion is going in a tangent. The ARB system DID NOT fail. The stock axle shaft failed at 6929 ft./lbs, while the entire Chinese locker was grenaded at 6412 ft/lbs. Comparing these number in a statical manner is useless because the outcome was entirely different. APPLES AND ORANGES.
ARB with a broken axle shaft can still be driven. Spare shaft and you are good as new. No spare? Lock the locker, all the power will be sent to your one shaft. 3wd is better than nothing.
Destroyed Chinese locker results in your entire rear axle being rendered useless. You are driving out in Fwd after disconnecting your rear shaft or HIKING.
The locker was legally made and tons of the US made things that all you guys use is reverse engineered from another manufacturer, it is common practice. Most manufacturers just change the looks more. If you don't want to buy it, thats fine, but juding others that buy as being wrong is just stupid.
JeepN95YJ
Adventurer
trump
Adventurist
Maybe you missed the part where it's mentioned that the locker even has ARB part numbers stamped onto the locker. Guess a direct copy of a patented design is now legal? Everyone knows, if you can import it to America, it's legal. Go ahead and give them a call... ask them if they're legit (hope you know Chinese):
http://www.china4x4offroad.com/contact.aspx
Look at the label on the compressor on their website... not the same? The only change is ARB's name is taken off it. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
However, shame on me for judging... going to turn the other cheek.
SOONG4X4 website said:
Is it still patent protected? I would not be so quick to judge them. As painful and unfair as it may seem, reverse engineering a twilight-ed design patent is not necessarily illegal. Some might even point out that there is a good reason patents eventually expire.
Now if they copyrighted the design.... Even your great-great grandchildren would be unlikely to legally copy it.
You are forgetting your transmission.
They are not justifying it morally, just wondering if it is viable practically. Big difference.
I am not incorrect. When I say the ARB system I mean the whole setup of the rear end including the ARB diff, not necesarily the ARB diff itself. It does not really matter if the diff is good to 10,000 ft/lbs if other system components fail around it.
The ARB techs were not able to disassemble the axle from the diff without a press... something one might not have trailside.
Perhaps if your axle fails youi may be abble to limp out in 3 wheel... perhaps your axleshaft just slides off and you watch your wheel bounce over a cliff... perhaps if your chinese diff grenades you get stuck or perhaps you now have a front wheel drive rig...
As I pointed out if you do not have the correct tools or equipment or luck you are stranded.
I do not think you can copyright a functional design, I would have to go back to a lawyer though... Copyrights are for creative works...
It is very interesting how you feel you have to attack or make fun of my beliefs in retaliation for the comments I make. Mind you, I am used to it but it always makes me chuckle at the insecurity of the statements. Does you arguement not have enough merit to stand on its own without this "attack".
Whatever your problem in that respect, I still stand by what I said, I do not see it as a copyright infringement and more than the big aoutmakers reverse engineering the better ideas of their competiors to help in their own designs. They are just less blatent about it. But that is ok with you guys cause its american made and less obvious. Anyway, this part of the argument goes nowhere, you guys will not convince us guys, and we guys will not convince you guys so its a stalemate.
Now, lets just argue about the quality of the locker as was the original question.
Whatever your problem in that respect, I still stand by what I said, I do not see it as a copyright infringement and more than the big aoutmakers reverse engineering the better ideas of their competiors to help in their own designs. They are just less blatent about it. But that is ok with you guys cause its american made and less obvious. Anyway, this part of the argument goes nowhere, you guys will not convince us guys, and we guys will not convince you guys so its a stalemate.
Now, lets just argue about the quality of the locker as was the original question.