Front lockers

[lionsbreath]

Anyone know if you can mod. the OEM elc. rear locker to work on the front diff.?
If not any other selectable lockers fort the fron of a toco besides ARB

 

[flyingwil]

I think Lick right is your only other option to ARB. The Pre '01s can use the Aussie locker.

$275 at http://www.rocky-road.com/lockright.html

Be aware that most owners that have the lock right complain about some racheting noise and wheel hop on the highway, so your best bet might be the ARB.

Peter Parks has an excellent write up on the install of the ARB RD-90 HERE.

WIL

 

[lionsbreath]

thanks or the info

 

[Scott Brady]

The rear and front axles are a different size (7.5 and 8" ring gear respectively).

The ARB takes the cake IMO. Full steering control or full spool, your choice.

I think another good option for the front is the TruTrac limted slip.

I would never recommend installing a full time locker in a street driven vehicle. (been there)

 

[lionsbreath]

But do the true tracs' drag any while on road and how is steering off road in four high One of my friends has lunch boxlockers frontand rear and they click and pop all the time but then again he drive sorta ruff. I read that the ARBs' o-rings tend to leak with time We need some one to make a good eletric locker or Ox style locke for the front.

 

[erin]

Tru-tracs

Recently installed tru-tracs front and rear in my 2004 Tacoma. 2wd steering is unnoticable, slightly heavy in 4wd. So far I am very pleased with the added traction they give. I will have to see how tricky it is to modulate the brakes when I lift one wheel and have to use the clutch, but thats half the fun with manual trannys.

 

[ShottsCruisers]

But do the true tracs' drag any while on road and how is steering off road in four high One of my friends has lunch boxlockers frontand rear and they click and pop all the time but then again he drive sorta ruff. I read that the ARBs' o-rings tend to leak with time We need some one to make a good eletric locker or Ox style locke for the front.

2 years with dual ARB's on the UZJ100. No leaks or problems. Well, I had to tighten the bolt on the air compressor. It was leaking because it vibrated loose over time. I'm with Scott. It's the way to go!

 

[BajaTaco]

I agree on the ARB. Selectable is best for this application as far as I'm concerned. (unless your Taco is a trail rig only). There is no other selectable locker for the Tacoma front diff as far as I know.

 

[p1michaud]

Recently installed tru-tracs front and rear in my 2004 Tacoma. 2wd steering is unnoticable, slightly heavy in 4wd. So far I am very pleased with the added traction they give. I will have to see how tricky it is to modulate the brakes when I lift one wheel and have to use the clutch, but thats half the fun with manual trannys.

erin,
Do you happen to know the True Track part number for the front? I'm looking at the Tacoma front, but mine is a 1999.

 

[erin]

From what I know the IFS front end is the same since the mid 90's-2004, not sure exactly. When I asked Trac tec, they said it was not available for my year but when I had the shop that did the install, he said they were all the same, only the rears had changed more recently. Hope this helps, if the numbers are on my invoice, I will post those later.

 

[p1michaud]

Tacoma front locker: True Trac or ARB?

Hi folks,

Here is my dilemma, I wan a front locker for the Tacoma but am torn between ARB and True Track. I know that most people here prefer the ARB unit but I feel that the True Track may be a great combo especially when combined with the selectable rear locker. Here is some additional information that should be factored into the thought process:

1. I’ve got one selectable locker via the E-locked rear.
2. The truck is used for hunting, fishing and camping and it is my DD.
3. I encounter snow packed and icy roads regularly during the winter months. (This concerns me the most since a few have mentioned that this lead to problems during the winter driving season).
4. Cost is important (I’d like to take the difference in price and put it towards an ExtremeAire compressor).
5. I already have a spare front diff that I can use to install the locker in so that down time will be minimized and I have spare parts if needed.
6. Officially there are no True Tracks listed that will work for the Toyota 7.5” front diff after 1995 (refer to attached .pdf file) but some people have successfully installed them in their Tacoma front diff (namely erin on this board). There may be an issue with the bearings provided with the True Track that would cause an issue with ADD equipped trucks, more on this below.
7. It seems that the True Track is causing the front drive shaft together to turn constantly causing some drive line vibrations.
8. According to what I have read, most people who have a front ARB locker don’t use it that often. It’s more of a peace of mind and safety mod.

True Track information
I did have some difficulty finding information on the True Track so to help out other members here are a few useful links:

Correct p/n for the Toyota 7.5" 27 spline front diff is 911A342 but it is for manual hub applications. Retail is in the $360 range. See here for dealers:

Another point of interest from this post (once you neglect all the banter and get to the good stuff) they say that the True Track may cause problems with and ADD equipped Tacoma due to the bearing design. To sum part of the discussion up: “…once the new bearing is used, it will be a one part fits all for both ADD and non ADD, so effectively there would be ONE new part number for the TrueTrac LSD.…”

I was able to find one TrueTrack review here .

Erin and I have been discussing True Tracks via PM. Erin has successfully installed front and rear True Tracks on his 2004 Tacoma with ADD. Here is some of the info that was shared:
“… I'm very pleased with their performance both on/off road. They don't require tons of wheel slip before they work which was what I was after. Brake modulation works very well when you get a wheel in the air, though a bit tricky with a manual trans.

Be advised during wet/icy conditions, you must be careful how you drive through corners, or you end up going back towards where you came from. They transfer torque very efficiently…

…As far as the "noise", it really is a vibration from the front driveline predominantly, caused I think by the True trac being a full replacement carrier, which I believe is now turning the ADD side and spinning the front driveshaft full time, plus the added revs from the 4.88 gears, make the vibration apparent where as before it was not. It is not a bad vibe, but you can feel it nonetheless, more like a wheel that needs balancing, more apparent at some speeds then others.”

So I’d like to hear your thoughts and comments. Although after writing this down, I may have persuaded myself to go the ARB route (less issues & unknowns). I feel the discussion would be useful though.
Cheer :beer:,
P

Side note:
My spare front diff has 4.30 gears vs. my current 4.10. If you know anyone who has re-geared and had some 4.30 Toyota E-locker gears sitting around gathering dust, let me know!

 

[DaveInDenver]

So I’d like to hear your thoughts and comments. Although after writing this down, I may have persuaded myself to go the ARB route (less issues & unknowns). I feel the discussion would be useful though.
Cheer :beer:,

Since you asked, of all the locked front end trucks I've had the chance to drive, open or selectable are the only ways to go. Trucks with any sort of auto locker in the front are next to impossible to maneuver in rocks and stuff. If the choice was between ARB or True Trac, I say hands down ARB. If it's a money question, I would leave the front open and spend the money elsewhere instead of a non-selectable locker in the front. Just my $0.02.

 

[BajaTaco]

I agree with Dave, especially since you have a winch. I think the item #3 that you cited would be a big detractor where you live. I also believe you have a manual trans (no?) and doing the brake pedal thing isn't so fun or reliable - especially if you are in a situation that is requiring you to be locked at both ends (often precarious where flopping or sliding is concerned). If the added cost is a serious concern, try to hold out for a private-party sale to get the cost down a little bit (one just sold on yotatech recently).

 

[Nullifier]

Get the ARB unit and be done with it. You will have all the verstility that you need whenever you need it. I just did front and rear arb's in my taco. Although I'm still getting used to them Last weekend I got called on a recovery mission. I ended up using them both just to get out to where my buddies had found them selves hopelessy stuck. I was the smallest of three rigs called out to help. The other 2 got them selves stuck trying to get to each other. When I got there I flipped on the rear locker got to jeep 1 pulled him out he left. Got to jeep 2 pulled him out he left. Almost got stuck getting to jeep 3 but turned on the front locker and pushed right on through.

gears and lockers $1850
air compressor sytem $600
pulling out 3 jeeps on 35-40"boggers with a taco on 31's...Priceless

 

[Scott Brady]

If you spend a lot of time in snow and ice, I would avoid the tru-trac.

Other than that, I really like them, especially on a vehicle with traction control.