Blown gears: what would you do?

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Kccoatings

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Aug 29, 2018
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Location
Arkansas
Long story short...kinda
Was building my rig and trying to get it finished for my wife. She’s 37 and has been battling pancreatic cancer for 2 years now. Well, she was recently hospitalized and we are presently in the hospital on the hospice wing. Her cancer has taken over and she was given just days to weeks. So, with all that going on I had to find someone to finish my build which included revolution 513’s. Had a local guy do it to get it done in time for her to see it. Everything he did was fantastic but noticed the rear making a popping noise every now and then. Also the rear locker light would never go solid when testing it. So, I took it back to him. Low and behold he says the rear locker is trashed now. I’ve only had the Jeep back from him 1 day. Tried testing the lockers on a gravel road but only the from would lock up..Anyways
He has offered to pay the cost of labor and replacement for a new factory locker since he feels it was his fault for possibly bending something to far?... but if I wanted to upgrade to an ARB or whatever, I could simply pay the difference.
I’m thinking I just want to stick with factory as I like things to be clean and not have switches and wires running everywhere. So I’d like to put a front locker in the rear to do away with the limited slip. Let me know what you guys think please. What would you do? This is a trail purpose rig but it’s still very nice with virtually zero abuse.

Build specs
03 Rubicon
Vanco Big Brake Kit w/Black Magic Pads
15x8 Rock Monster Bead Locks
35/12.50 Cooper STT Pros
Synergy Steering System
OEM Super Ultimate 2.5” w/full JKS and max travel shocks
Revolution 513’s
ORO SwayLoc System
Brown Dog MML (future TT)
1.25” BL (future TT)
 
First off, I'm sorry to hear about your wife and her battle with cancer. Pancreatic cancer is not fun, that's for sure. I hope she kicks it's ass!

Anyways, as for the Rubicon, it sounds like a great build. I would 100% hold the gear installer accountable for this. If it happened 1 day after the gear install, then it's got to be something on his part. Assuming of course that when you picked it up from him, you followed the break in procedure for Revolution gears, which is VERY important.

However, it sounds like he's taking responsibility, which means that he's a stand-up guy!

Given that the factory Rubicon rear locker is not as strong as an aftermarket locker, I would no doubt replace it with an ARB or Eaton E-Locker, no question about it. I still have my Rubicon lockers, but I've told myself that if they ever fail on me, I'll be putting some Eaton E-Lockers int here for sure. The wiring is minimal, and IMHO, better than the bizarre and questionable wiring they use for the factory lockers (I'd like TWO switches, one for each locker, as oppose to just one switch).
 
Chris said:
First off, I'm sorry to hear about your wife and her battle with cancer. Pancreatic cancer is not fun, that's for sure. I hope she kicks it's ass!

Anyways, as for the Rubicon, it sounds like a great build. I would 100% hold the gear installer accountable for this. If it happened 1 day after the gear install, then it's got to be something on his part. Assuming of course that when you picked it up from him, you followed the break in procedure for Revolution gears, which is VERY important.

However, it sounds like he's taking responsibility, which means that he's a stand-up guy!

Given that the factory Rubicon rear locker is not as strong as an aftermarket locker, I would no doubt replace it with an ARB or Eaton E-Locker, no question about it. I still have my Rubicon lockers, but I've told myself that if they ever fail on me, I'll be putting some Eaton E-Lockers int here for sure. The wiring is minimal, and IMHO, better than the bizarre and questionable wiring they use for the factory lockers (I'd like TWO switches, one for each locker, as oppose to just one switch).
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Thank you Chris. Unfortunately, we’ve been given days to weeks as the cancer has taken over and there’s no more chemo available that works. We are currently in the hospice wing and they are keeping her comfortable.

Yes, the break in was/is being followed to a “T” and he has taken full responsibility. A very stand up guy.

Can you tell me why you’d choose the E-lockers over the ARB?
 
My wife had a pancreas transplant about 2.5 years ago, what a painful and miserable surgery for her. This was to help with her type 1 diabetes. Now she is fighting pre cancer growths from the anti rejection meds and she now has type 2 diabetes. Its a hard thing to deal with. I went with Elockers because they came factory from toyota back in the day....Tim
 
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Kccoatings said:
Thank you Chris. Unfortunately, we’ve been given days to weeks as the cancer has taken over and there’s no more chemo available that works. We are currently in the hospice wing and they are keeping her comfortable.

Yes, the break in was/is being followed to a “T” and he has taken full responsibility. A very stand up guy.

Can you tell me why you’d choose the E-lockers over the ARB?
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I know the feeling. My Dad has been battling stage IV neck and throat cancer for over a year now. He had all the cheap and radiation he was allowed to have. That didn't get rid of it, so they put him on immunotherapy. That got rid of it, but now he has lung cancer and it looks like this is going to be the final straw. It's been a slow, painful thing for him, especially seeing how much it's weakened him. At this point they are just keeping him comfortable as well, so I know the feeling.

Honestly, the reason I would choose the E-Lockers over the ARB is simply because they're ridiculously easy to wire up to switches. It's not that the ARB lockers are hard to wire up, but you do need onboard air (which I don't have, just a CO2 tank), and there is more involved in hooking them up than the E-Lockers. Both lockers have stellar reputations, so I honestly would feel comfortable recommending both.
 
astjp2 said:
My wife had a pancreas transplant about 2.5 years ago, what a painful and miserable surgery for her. This was to help with her type 1 diabetes. Now she is fighting pre cancer growths from the anti rejection meds and she now has type 2 diabetes. Its a hard thing to deal with. I went with Elockers because they came factory from toyota back in the day....Tim
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Very sorry to hear this. Prayers for y’all sir. And thank you.
 
Chris said:
I know the feeling. My Dad has been battling stage IV neck and throat cancer for over a year now. He had all the cheap and radiation he was allowed to have. That didn't get rid of it, so they put him on immunotherapy. That got rid of it, but now he has lung cancer and it looks like this is going to be the final straw. It's been a slow, painful thing for him, especially seeing how much it's weakened him. At this point they are just keeping him comfortable as well, so I know the feeling.

Honestly, the reason I would choose the E-Lockers over the ARB is simply because they're ridiculously easy to wire up to switches. It's not that the ARB lockers are hard to wire up, but you do need onboard air (which I don't have, just a CO2 tank), and there is more involved in hooking them up than the E-Lockers. Both lockers have stellar reputations, so I honestly would feel comfortable recommending both.
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Same goes for you. Prayers for you and the family. It’s saddening to see this posted by you both. Just goes to show you the severity of this disease and it’s sickening there’s no cure. We’ve been through all the DNA molecular testing for matches. Every matched Chemo has failed. Now there’s nothing available. She was a stage IV when diagnosed and has fought this for two years now. Just amazing that a 4’10” little petite spit fire can be such a fighter but she has been and has been through hell.

Thank you for the explanation of the lockers. Really appreciate it. I’ll make a decision by tonight.
Thanks guys
 
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Kccoatings said:
Same goes for you. Prayers for you and the family. It’s saddening to see this posted by you both. Just goes to show you the severity of this disease and it’s sickening there’s no cure. We’ve been through all the DNA molecular testing for matches. Every matched Chemo has failed. Now there’s nothing available. She was a stage IV when diagnosed and has fought this for two years now. Just amazing that a 4’10” little petite spit fire can be such a fighter but she has been and has been through hell.

Thank you for the explanation of the lockers. Really appreciate it. I’ll make a decision by tonight.
Thanks guys
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Thoughts and prayers for your wife as well. Cancer is a horrible, horrible disease. Watching my dad suffer through it these past years is pretty saddening.

You can't go wrong with an E-Locker or ARB, so whichever you choose, it will be a good choice! You could also put another factory Rubicon locker in as well, nothing wrong with that!
 
Kccoatings said:
Only issue I see in the E locker is the half rotation it takes to re-lock. It appears they dis-engage briefly if you reverse and then again going back forward
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Yes, @jjvw brought this up recently. I’m not sure if this is such a bad thing or not.
 
Chris said:
Yes, @jjvw brought this up recently. I’m not sure if this is such a bad thing or not.
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I don't know either. But the idea of it bothers me and it feels unnecessary. This is a reason why I'll be using ARB instead.
 
jjvw said:
I don't know either. But the idea of it bothers me and it feels unnecessary. This is a reason why I'll be using ARB instead.
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Interesting. The thought of it doesn’t bother me, but I have no experience actually using it. I wonder what their reason is for designing it that way.
 
Chris said:
Interesting. The thought of it doesn’t bother me, but I have no experience actually using it. I wonder what their reason is for designing it that way.
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I’m no engineer by any means. But, it simply is the only way to engage the system. Other than that way, it would require little motors or drives to get everything lined up to spool it. They could add more locking pins to cut down on the travel it takes to actually lock. That would be the only way I know to limit that travel in that current design.
 
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Kccoatings said:
I’m no engineer by any means. But, it simply is the only way to engage the system. Other than that way, it would require little motors or drives to get everything lined up to spool it. They could add more locking pins to cut down on the travel it takes to actually lock. That would be the only way I know to limit that travel in that current design.
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ARB doesn't unlock until you tell it to. Their system is not complicated. Why can't Eaton do something similar?
 
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