what type of locker is best choice?

[Dave92270]

I wonder - couldn't Hummer dealership just install factory rear locker? Plus they could replace the control panel on the dashboard for the one with locker button (which our panels are missing) to have it all neat... I'd gladly pay couple of thousands for such a modification rather then trading-in my H3 low-milage (under 10k miles) for adventure model.

[cdmintmi]

ive seen someone post on here that they had a dealership install an eaton elocker on theirs. and they put a button in one of the empty holes besides the lighter. Not sure what it cost and if they would trash a warranty with such a modification though. Maybe someone here that has done this or knows something would fill us in??

[Dave92270]

I think that I'll ask the dealership about what are my options. I want the locker really bad.

[HumminNBoatin']

go with the Eaton ELocker. They are the most reliable ones out there period. That is why they use them from the factory.

I have the elocker in my front diff as well. and did the install myself. honestly its really not as hard to do as you think.

[bennersj]

I like the ARB and have never heard bad about them that is why I went that way. Plus it it will be nice to have a small compressor onboard for emergency. A local shop I called wouldn't even install an Eaton E-locker for me but would put anything else in I would bring them. The guy said he is not a big fan of them so chooses not to do the installs.

[theBroken]

As far as durability you can't really say one is better than the other. Everybody form ATV's to crazy 1 ton offroaders use both and neither ever complain. Each will have their certain amount of failures, anything mass produced will. I would give durability to eaton but just slightly. They have their lockers in more vehicles than anybody else so the handful of E-locker's I've seen fail can't be compared to the zero ARB's I've seen fail because 70% of the 4x4's with push button lockers are eatons. You can't compare them numbers.

Now as far as longevity & durability, the eaton E-locker falls far short of the ARB by a long shot and here's why. Metal! Simply metal! In any mechanical piece with lubricated parts, eventually it will fail. The reason it fails over time is because the metal to metal contact slowly breaks down. This can be seen when they are in the form of shavings and metal dust. In a diff without a locker them metal shavings get ground down over and over again till they get drained out in your fluid when you change it. This is true for a ARB locker, but not in a E-locker. The #1 reason a Eaton E-locker will not outlast a ARB air locker is because the Eaton E-locker uses a magnet to engage the locker where a ARB air locker uses compressed air. So over time all them metal shavings and dust are not just floating around in the gear fluid but instead its sticking to the magnet. When this happens it makes the face of that locker turn into sand paper which then eats away at the pins and locking mechanism causing it to fail prematurely. Changing your fluid often will reduce this greatly but under the same circumstances over time the ARB will outlast a Eaton E-locker.

Now this may fail at 100k or 300k but you get the idea.

[mailsurf]

I?ve been looking into this for the last month; I can?t buy Eaton lookers in SA but can buy ARB. From my research I?ve found a number of pro?s and con?s.

Firstly I have an Adventure that has a rear diff which is basically the same as E-Locker, it?s engaged by pressing a button and 12v is sent to the diff. This fire?s up a magnet that then engages the locking mechanism. My standard electronic diff has failed twice, both times down to electrics rather than a mechanical failure and mess inside.

E-Locker Pro?s
Cheaper

E-Locker Con?s
Only recommend in 4 low, a reason for this is, if your diff gets hot the magnet can function less efficient and the locker will disengage, or fail totally, which is what I think happened to mine.

Air-Locker Pro?s
No metal to metal contact and no magnet to overheat or fail.
Can be used in 4-H as well as 4 low.
You don?t have to stop the H3, change to 4-L to engage the locker.
The locker can run up to speeds of 80k?s but drivers be warned, this is controlled only by the driver and things can go wrong, but works well if you are driving in stand, or want to engage in sand if you suddenly come across a difficult section.

Air-Locker Con?s
You still have a failure point, the compressor so you can?t get away from the electrics.
More expensive.

But in my opinion you get what you pay for and will be going for ABR, unless anyone else can throw in some valid arguments.

[HumminNBoatin']

Originally Posted by theBroken

As far as durability you can't really say one is better than the other. Everybody form ATV's to crazy 1 ton offroaders use both and neither ever complain. Each will have their certain amount of failures, anything mass produced will. I would give durability to eaton but just slightly. They have their lockers in more vehicles than anybody else so the handful of E-locker's I've seen fail can't be compared to the zero ARB's I've seen fail because 70% of the 4x4's with push button lockers are eatons. You can't compare them numbers.

Now as far as longevity & durability, the eaton E-locker falls far short of the ARB by a long shot and here's why. Metal! Simply metal! In any mechanical piece with lubricated parts, eventually it will fail. The reason it fails over time is because the metal to metal contact slowly breaks down. This can be seen when they are in the form of shavings and metal dust. In a diff without a locker them metal shavings get ground down over and over again till they get drained out in your fluid when you change it. This is true for a ARB locker, but not in a E-locker. The #1 reason a Eaton E-locker will not outlast a ARB air locker is because the Eaton E-locker uses a magnet to engage the locker where a ARB air locker uses compressed air. So over time all them metal shavings and dust are not just floating around in the gear fluid but instead its sticking to the magnet. When this happens it makes the face of that locker turn into sand paper which then eats away at the pins and locking mechanism causing it to fail prematurely. Changing your fluid often will reduce this greatly but under the same circumstances over time the ARB will outlast a Eaton E-locker.

Now this may fail at 100k or 300k but you get the idea.

The magnet is an electro magnet...... so the only time it might pick up shavings is when you engage it. And if you change fluids when you are supposed this should not be an issue.