To ARB or not to ARB that is the question

[109 Pretender]

With regards to the sideline axle ratio debate - high numerical ratio gear sets are technically weaker because they have more teeth for a given dia. That means the tooth thickness at the root is much smaller - thus weaker. Many companies somewhat overcome this physical constraint by modifying the pitch of the helix which helps somewhat.

But, an improperly installed and clearanced diff. will fail early no matter the gear ratio. Setting up a diff. properly is part methodology, part experience, and part having a good understanding of what each clearance spec does in relationship to the whole. A lot of patience is a big plus here.

East Coast Gear does very good work and can provide a "built" unit already setup. 90% of the dealership and independent shops don't have mechanics who can setup diffs properly so they aren't noisy or prematurely wear out. Pick a shop with a good reputation for this type work.

 

[trump]

Also cutting air lines

If you were to cut a line to your front diff you would have worse things to worry about.

...it's kind of out of the way. Oh, and Stainless lines are hard to cut.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I've had this argument so many times...okay, I'll don my flameproof suit and go for it one more time....

I installed an ARB air locker on one of my trucks when they first came out. I broke a couple of front axles before I took it out and sold it.

The problem, as I see it, is that when engaged, the air locker turns the diff into a spool. Spools can break axles.

Say you crawl the left front tire up on a big rock, then when you continue forward and the tire rolls down off that rock, that tire NEEDS to turn MORE than the right tire. With a spool it can't and something has to give. Bing bang boom - broken axle. You can get around that by locking the spool for the climb up, then unlocking for the roll down, but that's a PITA.

Spools have their uses, especially for racing. I don't like them for normal wheeling. I like limited slips and mechanical lockers. Give me front and rear Detroits and I'm a happy crawler.

This argument makes no sense. With a Detroit you have NO CONTROL over when the diff locks or unlocks. If it locks going over a rock it won't unlock until you unload it.

With an ARB you can push the button and disengage the diff as you roll off an obstacle, that is what makes them superior to something like an auto or LSD locker.

To qualify my statement I currently have trucks with both ARB and Detroit lockers and I have done trails like Rubicon and Fordyce, many times.

BTW for a street driven truck Detroits suck the big green wienie. ARB's are completly transparent on the street. IMHO there is no comparison between selectable and non-selectable locker, selectable wins period hands down no questions on the trail or on the street.









(I wouldn't have been that vocal if you hadn't had your flame proof suit on.:elkgrin

 

[oxi]

If you were to cut a line to your front diff you would have worse things to worry about.

...it's kind of out of the way. Oh, and Stainless lines are hard to cut.

Trump,

What about high humidity climates and mositure getting into the system or air lines?

 

[trump]

Trump,

What about high humidity climates and mositure getting into the system or air lines?

A legitimate question that I don't have an answer. I think it would be safe to say ARB doesn't exactly have its customers doing their R&D for them. They thoroughly test everything before its release and stand by their products. I think the moisture compatibility has probably been covered. Also, I don't really worry about it since I'm mostly in desert climates and use co2 to power my lockers instead of a compressor. YMMV

 

[dwh]

This argument makes no sense. With a Detroit you have NO CONTROL over when the diff locks or unlocks. If it locks going over a rock it won't unlock until you unload it.

Well...the throttle is controllable no? The Detroit is sensitive enough. I've had a few of them and they do unlock pretty quick when the power comes off.

With an ARB you can push the button and disengage the diff as you roll off an obstacle, that is what makes them superior to something like an auto or LSD locker.

True. As I've already mentioned. But how many people actually DO? I know that I got in the habit of turning it on and leaving it on pretty quickly. After the first break it took me a while to figure out why it broke and then I started switching it on and off. But that got old in a hurry. The second break was when I probably -should- have switched it off but didn't because I didn't think the situation called for it. Oops.

To qualify my statement I currently have trucks with both ARB and Detroit lockers and I have done trails like Rubicon and Fordyce, many times.

I only did Rubicon once and Panamint once. Both were just too bloody much work. I found I prefer to relax when I'm out and about. I decided that I'd rather use the vehicle to get someplace I want to be, then shut it down and goof off. Don't get me wrong, wheeling as a hobby was pretty fun, but now I view the vehicle as a tool to use to do a hobby - to achieve the goal of getting away from so-called civilization - rather than having the vehicle be the hobby.

I also don't like crowds and even when I did those trails in the 80's there were already crowds. Plus, I would not try them alone, and traveling with a group gets old too. Been there, done that, got it out of my system.

And then there's wrenching. I used to LOVE to wrench. I did a hell of a lot of wrenching. Now...ugh. It's something I do if I have to, not something I do because I want to.

BTW for a street driven truck Detroits suck the big green wienie. ARB's are completly transparent on the street. IMHO there is no comparison between selectable and non-selectable locker, selectable wins period hands down no questions on the trail or on the street.

On the street the front Detroit is irrelevant since the hubs are unlocked. The rear is no problem unless you are a maniac like me who builds stupidly overtorquey rigs with big blocks. Even then though, there is some serious fun factor to being able to light up a set of 35's at will. Gives the Corvette and Mustang wienies fits. The little chirps going around corners are no problem if you drive with a lighter foot. Normally, I never even noticed the locker when on the road.

(I wouldn't have been that vocal if you hadn't had your flame proof suit on.:elkgrin

No worries. It's actually an armor-plated flame proof suit, so feel free to throw things as well.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Well...the throttle is controllable no? The Detroit is sensitive enough. I've had a few of them and they do unlock pretty quick when the power comes off.

This does not agree with my first hand experience with Detroits or any other auto locker.

True. As I've already mentioned. But how many people actually DO? I know that I got in the habit of turning it on and leaving it on pretty quickly. After the first break it took me a while to figure out why it broke and then I started switching it on and off. But that got old in a hurry. The second break was when I probably -should- have switched it off but didn't because I didn't think the situation called for it. Oops.

So it's easier to remember to feather the throttle, which may or may not unload the locker? That just isn't a logical argument.

I only did Rubicon once and Panamint once. Both were just too bloody much work. I found I prefer to relax when I'm out and about. I decided that I'd rather use the vehicle to get someplace I want to be, then shut it down and goof off. Don't get me wrong, wheeling as a hobby was pretty fun, but now I view the vehicle as a tool to use to do a hobby - to achieve the goal of getting away from so-called civilization - rather than having the vehicle be the hobby.

I also don't like crowds and even when I did those trails in the 80's there were already crowds. Plus, I would not try them alone, and traveling with a group gets old too. Been there, done that, got it out of my system.

So you don't actually do much rock crawling?

And then there's wrenching. I used to LOVE to wrench. I did a hell of a lot of wrenching. Now...ugh. It's something I do if I have to, not something I do because I want to.

I fail to see how this applies to the conversation. It is my contention that a selectable locker will prevent breaks, it follows that having them will result in less time wrenching.

On the street the front Detroit is irrelevant since the hubs are unlocked. The rear is no problem unless you are a maniac like me who builds stupidly overtorquey rigs with big blocks.

Even with my anemic Toyota 2F I am acutely aware that I have a Detroit rear locker in my daily driver.

Even then though, there is some serious fun factor to being able to light up a set of 35's at will. Gives the Corvette and Mustang wienies fits.

This sounds like an excellent way to break an axle, without respect to what type of locker you have. It seems to be in direct contradiction to your previous statements.

The little chirps going around corners are no problem if you drive with a lighter foot. Normally, I never even noticed the locker when on the road.

The little chirps going around corners turn into 360's when there is a coat of snow or ice on the road, driving with an auto locker in a cold climate takes time to learn and even with experience it's not a lot of fun.

No worries. It's actually an armor-plated flame proof suit, so feel free to throw things as well.

:elkgrin: