Best 8.4 locker for 2004 Tacoma

Having had a selectable and an auto locker, a selectable is definitely preferable if you do a lot of street driving. Especially so if you drive your truck in heavy rain or snow, where an auto locker can be unpredictable.

IMO go full selectable or stay open for a truck that sees both street and trail usage.

 

ARB updated their lockers because of past issues of blowing o rings. Personally id prefer ARB i have had a lockrite i enjoyed also though

 

Does the Detroit wear out tires and handle awful in snow or is it not that bad

 

I live in Maine so would the Detroit not be a good idea especially with an auto trans

 

Because I really don't have the money for arb

 

In the title of this thread, you asked for whats BEST . . . . are you now looking for whats CHEAPEST ?
Why do you want a locker in the first place? That will have a lot to do with your choice.

You'll get lots of different opinions on both. In the rear axle, I currently have a Detroit TruTrac (gear-driven LSD).

In the past, I've had an ARB (in front), Detroit Locker (in rear), and TRD LSD (in both front and rear), all on a crawler/DD. We all have different personal preferences and needs for the offroading we do.

ARB is the most expensive one you can get, and Powertrax (non-selectable automatic) is likely the cheapest. AFAIK, they all are of good quality and each one has advantages and disadvantages.

 

Just get a Spartan and call it a day if you are really going to wheel. I don't think the ARB is $700 better and I have one in the rear of my truck now. Had a Spartan in my third gen 4Runner as a DD in northern Illinois and central Indiana. I.E. Plenty of snow and I never really noticed it as a detrimental thing besides the noise and occasional binding. I actually like it in the snow because you didn't diff out in 2wd while turning out into traffic.

 

I guess I am looking for more of a product review because I can get the arb in a couple months but I would rather not spend 1200 dollars because there is other things I want to buy, and I have heard that they break a lot, however I have heard good reviews about the Detroit off road but not much about them on road. and by best I should have mentioned best in mud and snow because that is what I will mostly be doing with it. it is also my daily. And lastly I am not sure where I can mount an air compressor because my engine bay already has a winch controll box in it

 

In short, one I can install and not worry about it, it's drivable on the road, and will get me out of a hole

 

And of course do posi rubber burnouts

 

Alright so arb sounds like the best for me because it will literally be driven every day and wheeled on the weekends