Want to install lockers but not sure what to order
- Thread starter snowlover
- Start date
HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
That's right. Right rear was 4 feet in the air. Right front was lifting. Jeep was about to roll and was caught on the right rear by the passenger wheeling behind me. Switched the lockers on and reversed to stabilize and reset the approach. The downhill angle was great enough to maintain a roll if the Jeep had tipped. I was never aware that Eatons would have not allowed or somehow compromised that maneuver. This fact is enough to reconsider ARBs if ever required despite their overly complex air delivery scheme. For now, the factory lockers in the TJR work very well. I believe the JLRs are all electric, but do not know what their reverse applications produce. If one buying a new Jeep plans to wheel, I could never imagine why he would pay as much or more for a trim sans lockers.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but in the case of an Eaton in this situation (or even an autolocker that unlocked due to lack of torque input), wouldn't the right (in the air) rear tire spin momentarily before the tire on the ground would spin - how would this have caused you an issue?
I'm genuinely just curious and trying to understand - does not seem like a fun situation to be in and I'm not sure I would have attempted to back up without some safety straps or winch lines run to keep to right-rear planted...
HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
The situation was tense indeed. Compressor was already engaged and charged, but the lockers were switched off. ARB switches were mounted on the shift console at my right hand like piano keys, instantly available. Both left tires were in contact with slickrock, right tires were a moot issue, no time to screw around with straps. Required immediate action to stabilize; right foot was on brake, left foot engaging clutch, shifting into reverse letting out clutch, they locked immediately. That '87 XJ had a feature which automatically feeds gas when rpms fall below 600. A fellow merely holding down the back was not going to last long as the angle was inviting the front to slip sideways downhill. Just enough traction remaining between both uphill and downhill tires to move Jeep back only one foot uphill to stabilize. Makes me cringe just recalling, but fun to talk about at a brewery.
Situations like that are why many of us never unlock our lockers once we get rolling on difficult trails.
HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
I've experienced that locking downhill invites side slipping more so than open. That happened just after this was shot. Fronts were open. This is not the situation discussed previously.
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Here in AZ, our rocks are grippy but the trails themselves can be surprisingly soft and rutted, especially those running alongside the canyon walls that channel monsoon rains, and many of which are quite a bit off-camber. With narrow trails, tight corners, switchbacks, and lots of off-camber climbing, most of the folks I wheel with only lock when needed.
Pictures never do it justice, but here's a good example. I've shared this in another post about selectables, but it's fun to show off the amazing landscape of Arizona, so here it is again for those who haven't experienced it...
This trail (Sunflower) follows the river for a few miles with a long, narrow climb from ~3300' ASL to +5300' ASL in a relatively short distance. There are outcrops of rocks that when dry and dusty (or really wet or snow covered) requires locker use. However, due to how off-camber the trail is in most sections, turning off lockers between rocky outcrops saves a lot of aggravation and fighting of the steering wheel. The white YJ in the pic below had on a handful of times stopped forward progress, backed up and adjusted his line-of-travel since his auto-lockers pushed him down the hill, then started up the trail again.
Once you hit the ridgeline, the trail gets slightly wider and the trees thin out, so you can stop for nice photo opportunities if you find the few spots where the rig tips uphill rather than downhill
This trail catches a lot of people off guard. Most come for the rock crawling in the canyons and skip out on the climb. This trail is a "loop" but most just take the western portion and do an out-and-back. It requires a lot of attention as the trail gets very narrow in some areas; throw in some winter snow and rain and it can be dangerous (there are a handful of known rollovers that people have stripped parts off of).
The really adventurous do the trail counter-clockwise and come DOWN this hill. It's a test of brakes, engine braking, gearing and tire placement (since the edge is now on the passenger side) - not for the faint of heart... One time we actually got to see Trent McGee and his crew testing out his Ultimate Adventure Scout, who as you may have guessed - did the trail counterclockwise.
Same experiences here... prior to my hydro assist, it can be exhausting constantly counter-steering and adjusting. With assist, it becomes bearable, but it's so much easier and more preferred to unlock since you're not really lifting tires and some differentiation is advantageous.
Arizona is definitely an awesome place to wheel. Roctoberfest was my intro to Arizona rock crawling this past October and it was truly awesome. This is a thread with some photos I posted here afterward. https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/arizona-wheeling—candy-ass-and-hard-ass-trails.41903/
That is correct, the free tire would rotate a bit and you would be locked. I was going up hill and not locked and stopped turned on the elocker and it engaged without me noticing any lag. I can see having the confidence of the ARB and immediate locking, but I believe the elocker would do fine in that situation also. I wasn't there so if it worked then stick with it.
Kind of like Colorado in places. Being able to turn off the locker through slick off camber terrain is good to have.Here in AZ, our rocks are grippy but the trails themselves can be surprisingly soft and rutted, especially those running alongside the canyon walls that channel monsoon rains, and many of which are quite a bit off-camber. With narrow trails, tight corners, switchbacks, and lots of off-camber climbing, most of the folks I wheel with only lock when needed.
Pictures never do it justice, but here's a good example. I've shared this in another post about selectables, but it's fun to show off the amazing landscape of Arizona, so here it is again for those who haven't experienced it...
This trail (Sunflower) follows the river for a few miles with a long, narrow climb from ~3300' ASL to +5300' ASL in a relatively short distance. There are outcrops of rocks that when dry and dusty (or really wet or snow covered) requires locker use. However, due to how off-camber the trail is in most sections, turning off lockers between rocky outcrops saves a lot of aggravation and fighting of the steering wheel. The white YJ in the pic below had on a handful of times stopped forward progress, backed up and adjusted his line-of-travel since his auto-lockers pushed him down the hill, then started up the trail again.
View attachment 246142
Once you hit the ridgeline, the trail gets slightly wider and the trees thin out, so you can stop for nice photo opportunities if you find the few spots where the rig tips uphill rather than downhill
View attachment 246152
This trail catches a lot of people off guard. Most come for the rock crawling in the canyons and skip out on the climb. This trail is a "loop" but most just take the western portion and do an out-and-back. It requires a lot of attention as the trail gets very narrow in some areas; throw in some winter snow and rain and it can be dangerous (there are a handful of known rollovers that people have stripped parts off of).
View attachment 246154
The really adventurous do the trail counter-clockwise and come DOWN this hill. It's a test of brakes, engine braking, gearing and tire placement (since the edge is now on the passenger side) - not for the faint of heart... One time we actually got to see Trent McGee and his crew testing out his Ultimate Adventure Scout, who as you may have guessed - did the trail counterclockwise.
View attachment 246168
Same experiences here... prior to my hydro assist, it can be exhausting constantly counter-steering and adjusting. With assist, it becomes bearable, but it's so much easier and more preferred to unlock since you're not really lifting tires and some differentiation is advantageous.