Eaton Elocker

I know what you're saying for sure.....but Longevity is my issue with ANY pneumatics


None of the KOH guys will leave those diffs unopened for years at a time. Just like the engines of drag racers they will be torn down, inspected and maintained thoroughly and frequently. Air lines replaced, parts and fittings inspected closely.

That's racing

We could ALL benefit from aluminum roller rocker heads...yet we're ALL running cast iron in our 4.0s
Yes, that's racing but racing will be more damaging to a part in one race than you or I will subject it to in a lifetime. That means it doesn't matter if they tear it open after every race, it still has to be good enough to get through the race and few substandard parts do that. Being part of the Savvy/Currie race effort which is still undefeated in ALL the stock classes since their inception, I've seen what happens.
 
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it still has to be good enough to get through the race and few substandard parts do that.
I must have been really bad at making sure I don't sound like I don't respect or appreciate ARB lockers apparently.

I KNOW ARB is a superior product. I've never questioned their strength. Yes, there's a reason every ultra 4 team has a ARB sticker...but again I will say....none of us will ever run that class. None of us will tear down our rigs the way they will either.

The longevity I EXPECT is to install it and forget it (for the most part). Just like when you buy a honda/Toyota DD and EXPECT to get in it every morning and start reliably for 200k+ and drive off with just regular routine maintenance.
I realize with that statement I need detroits, but I want selectable lockers. So there's 3 options. Ideally I wanted OX lockers because of limited mechanical involvement, but the (good) shops here would not install them because of dissatisfied customers of the past. So 2 options.

I'm a mechanical engineer specializing in HVAC/plumbing/electrical commercial construction. I've only been doing it for 25 years but in the beginning I spent 40% or better of my time on designs replacing pneumatic controls to electric actuators. In those 25 yrs we have NEVER designed another pneumatic system, only removed them and replaced. Nor have i had to go back and replace the electric actuators in systems weve previously designed. Whereas I designed AC systems for schools/colleges/jails and then 20 yrs later replaced chillers/boilers/units in those same facilities. That's the typical life span for those pieces of equipment.

However, Pneumatics are just horribly inefficient. The least breach in the system over works the compressor, and chasing tiny air leaks is a nightmare. Yes, I know you control the operation duration of the compressor with a switch, but we wheel for 10 hrs at a time usually. And while 1 race may last for many hours....I'm talking about 10 hrs 1-3 times a month for several years. That's quite a few operational hours unlike racing where you're sponsored and can chuck the compressor for the new model every year

Electric actuators either work or they dont. When they don't you can trace power easier than air. And my concern isn't after a race. My concern is in a few years when the air lines become brittle (again, my personal experience has shown me ALL piping that is flexible is subject to hardening and becoming brittle) and I'm chasing leaks while facing either a compressor rebuild or replacement. Compressors are another area I have quite a bit of experience with being in HVAC that I've had enough experience with to know I don't want to have to rely on. If the compressor fails I've lost both lockers. If an actuator I've lost one locker.

Again..this is my experience and my preference YMMV
 
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I must have been really bad at making sure I don't sound like I don't respect or appreciate ARB lockers apparently.

And you said little to change that.


Electric actuators either work or they dont. When they don't you can trace power easier than air.

Sorta, maybe, not really. I suspect had you ever worked on rigs with ARB's installed correctly, you would have a modified opinion or at least understand how easy it is to take a bottle of soapy water and find the leak. 80% of the time, little more than hearing is require and the bubbles can be used to verify what you hear. I can't see, hear, or feel an open circuit or loss of voltage.


And my concern isn't after a race. My concern is in a few years when the air lines become brittle (again, my personal experience has shown me ALL piping that is flexible is subject to hardening and becoming brittle) and I'm chasing leaks while facing either a compressor rebuild or replacement.

I suspect you may be correct, but since you didn't understand what I said earlier, I'll clarify. The compressor and air lines in my crawler have been in there and in use without failure since 1999. The only reason I've ever changed lockers is when axles changed or I did something dumb which I'm guilty of. As you may have guessed, I get consulted a bunch to diagnose problems for folks and as such, the last thing I ever suspect with an ARB is the line itself being a problem. In all the years I've worked on them, I've yet to see a line failure due to brittleness or age.

I see routing issues, mechanical due to lack of experience, and similar, but nothing due to the inherent issues in air management. I see just as many issues with folks who don't know how to do a proper electrical connection with good tools and don't protect the wiring.




Compressors are another area I have quite a bit of experience with being in HVAC that I've had enough experience with to know I don't want to have to rely on. If the compressor fails I've lost both lockers. If an actuator I've lost one locker.

Again..this is my experience and my preference YMMV

You're comparing apples to oranges. The actuator in both lockers is inside. The support system, battery, wiring, switches, lines, and compressors are outside the diff housing. Both lockers can fail from those not working for the exact same reasons and the exact same length of time with neither having more durability. The added complexity of the compressor can be a problem, but like most things, done correctly with just a bit of attention paid during the installation, they are rock solid reliable. ARB spends a lot of time and money developing their compressors and air valves to be solid products and I trust them as much as I trust the wiring in a TJ.


Not a fully pertinent point, but I'm not a fool and like to keep wheeling. I know systems can fail so I plan for that. I run Co2 to fill tires on my rigs. My small air bag has a little adapter with a quick disconnect on it and a hose fitting. Should my compressor die, I run the hose from the Co2 bottle to the hose fitting and plug that into the middle port on the compressor tank and turn the tank on. It fills and pressurizes the tank and lets me use the solenoid air switches to actuate the lockers. I wheel every year with a gent who doesn't even have a compressor, he just uses a Co2 tank and if you wanted to get really slick about it, you could set that up with manual air switches which are readily available.

Don't get the wrong idea, again, I'm not a locker snob, but I do like folks to know real world versus theory.
 
I'm not a locker snob


Clearly since I lack racing and hard core crawling experience in exclusive locations with Uber rigs, my real world experience of pneumatics and electrical components is completely null and void and I made a horrible choice of lockers
 
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Clearly since I lack racing and hard core crawling experience in exclusive locations with Uber rigs, my real world experience of pneumatics and electrical components is completely null and void and I made a horrible choice of lockers

Holy shit man, is ANYONE allowed to have an opposing opinion from yours?

You can have as many opposing opinions as you like and I will entirely ignore them right up until the point where they clash with the reality of what we do with our rigs which happen to be Jeeps, TJ's to be specific. I discounted my opinion with the fact that I am not a locker snob, but someone who doesn't have them may be looking for some info and I'd much rather him have that based on experience with Jeeps in a real world application rather than the opinion of someone who has never run them.

And it's not that you lack racing or hard core crawling experience in exclusive locations with Uber rigs, it's that you lack actual experience with ARB's in Jeeps. No more, no less. And just so you can rein in the digs a tad, I have a 1999 XJ bone stock DD, a 99TJ crawler, an 04 locked, lifted, armored on 33's, an 01 locked, lifted, armored with an AW-4 swap on 35's, and a near bone stock 04 TJ Unlimited. None of them are UBER rigs, they all serve a purpose and most of that is to expand my experience and knowledge base. All but the crawler are daily driven so I can keep my head wrapped around most of the various mods and how they work just so I can speak from an experience based viewpoint.

I've also not once said you made a poor choice and I also said that I would have no qualms over installing either in my possible new axles.
 
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Clearly since I lack racing and hard core crawling experience in exclusive locations with Uber rigs, my real world experience of pneumatics and electrical components is completely null and void and I made a horrible choice of lockers

@CasterTroy, I also have an extensive amount of process engineering experience in a world where we crush rock into dust. Very few electrical actuators because they just don't provide the energy or reliability we need. Maybe this is a poor comparison to an HVAC system, I don't know.

As I previously stated, the F600 has an air locker. It has two tandem axles, so clearly it has more than one actuator. You can spin all eight tires to brutally abuse any non-compliant trailer into submission. Works every time.

This video my be a non-sequitur too, but is sure is fun to watch.

 
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@CasterTroy, I also have an extensive amount of process engineering experience in a world where we crush rock into dust. Very few electrical actuators because they just don't provide the energy or reliability we need. Maybe this is a poor comparison to an HVAC system, I don't know.

As I previously stated, the F600 has an air locker. It has two tandem axles, so clearly it has more than one actuator. You can spin all eight tires to brutally abuse any non-compliant trailer into submission. Works every time.

This video my be a non-sequitur too, but is sure is fun to watch.


I'm a fan of ARB due to my interactions with their head engineer but there is a glaring mistake in that video that will be painful should anyone try it. If you break an axle like they show and try to drive home, the broken end flopping around in there will destroy the end of the locker, possible the carrier bearing on that side, and more likely than not, destroy the axle bearing and that won't be good for the housing end. That amount of damage will make replacing a Zip locker seem like a pittance not to mention there is a good chance that the broken bits of shaft can make their way into the gear set and do some more damage. Don't drive on broken axles in any application unless you just like seeing how much stuff you can tear up.
 
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X2, ARB should have strongly emphasized the requirement to install a replacement axle shaft if that happened. That was more than a faux pas, that's a big error to have said you could drive home on a broken axle shaft.
 
My 98 has Rubi axles front and back from an 05. This past Aug the rear factory Rubi locker gave out and would not engage. Finding a replacement factory locker was a no go. I went back and forth bout ARB or Eaton. I finally decided on Eaton due to them going to the 4 pin and not wanting to add onboard air for the ARB. Jeep is driven once a week on Fridays to work and weekend warrior but have 3,500 miles on it since the locker install. Only 200 miles of it are off the pavement and maybe 10 miles of that required lockers. To make this long story short, still happy with the Eaton Elocker. It engages and disengages every time and has been strong enough to get me in and out of what I’m comfortable with.
 
My 98 has Rubi axles front and back from an 05. This past Aug the rear factory Rubi locker gave out and would not engage. Finding a replacement factory locker was a no go. I went back and forth bout ARB or Eaton. I finally decided on Eaton due to them going to the 4 pin and not wanting to add onboard air for the ARB. Jeep is driven once a week on Fridays to work and weekend warrior but have 3,500 miles on it since the locker install. Only 200 miles of it are off the pavement and maybe 10 miles of that required lockers. To make this long story short, still happy with the Eaton Elocker. It engages and disengages every time and has been strong enough to get me in and out of what I’m comfortable with.

Shit, I wish you'd given me a holler. I know for a fact that @David Kishpaugh has a collection of perfectly working factory Rubicon lockers, and I think @mrblaine does too!

However, I'm glad you're enjoying your Eaton eLocker. My plan is to replace my factory Rubicon lockers with them should they ever fail.
 
The compressor would inflate and hold pressure on the diaphragm but it would not engage. I gave it to a buddy that has a 4x4 shop here in town. Sorry. I’m still running the factory locker up front and it is still plugging along.
 
The compressor would inflate and hold pressure on the diaphragm but it would not engage. I gave it to a buddy that has a 4x4 shop here in town. Sorry. I’m still running the factory locker up front and it is still plugging along.
Ok cool, I was looking forward to seeing if I couldn't restore it back to operation like I did my own rear Rubicon locker. My rear locker's problem turned out to be a leaky air diaphragm.
 
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Shit, I wish you'd given me a holler. I know for a fact that @David Kishpaugh has a collection of perfectly working factory Rubicon lockers, and I think @mrblaine does too!

However, I'm glad you're enjoying your Eaton eLocker. My plan is to replace my factory Rubicon lockers with them should they ever fail.
Eaton was running a discount on the eLocker at the time so the price wasn’t too bad. I also took the opportunity to install Yukon 4.88’s.
 
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Eaton was running a discount on the eLocker at the time so the price wasn’t too bad. I also took the opportunity to install Yukon 4.88’s.

What did you pay for the eLocker if you don't mind me asking?