Age old question: Winch first of lockers first?

The answer? It depends on who you ask. But I'm hoping that maybe one of you will have some real insight if you hear my typical or rather rare scenario.

On fishing trips I come across a lot of steep dirt roads that just haven't been kept up. So far my 4x4 Sport has easily ascended hills where 2 wheel drive cars had to turn back.

But I'm anticipating the day when either the road will be wet or the holes will just be too deep, and something more will be required.

It's always in the forest, so with a tree-saver a winch should basically take care of most stuck situations. With a locker though, there's a less likely chance of getting stuck.

Now my two options. Get a winch for the 4x4 Sport, or get an Off-road with the factory e-locker. Don't take cost efficiency into account please. Only functionality. I would absolutely go for the Off road right now if it wasn't for the fact I hear people remarking about how lockers are easy to break if you don't know what you're doing. But I am pretty positive that on the Off road, if I even improperly use 4-Hi, it should not mess with the locker components, or am I wrong? Thank you from a person with no clue about 4x4's.

Also do you have to exercise the factory e-locker occasionally? I predict I may only use it once every 3 years depending on the condition of whatever dirt road I come across.

 

The locker only works in 4lo, but you could do the "locker anytime" mod. Since you already have a 4x4 I'd look into installing a locker in that. Some advantages to the aftermarket lockers over the Off-Road stock one.

Just stuff I've read rather than experienced. Read about exercising the factory locker as a precaution but I haven't had mine freeze up either.

 

Winch.

While I already have a locker (1st gen TRD) and haven't yet gotten a winch (it's next on the list), really what you should have is someway to recover yourself if shit hits the fan. At least get a hi-lift since those can be used not only to jack up the truck, but as a recovery tool as well.

A locker, honestly, only helps you get deeper up shit creek. You get stuck with a locker, now what??

Get yourself a winch and a bumper, then armor (skid plates, sliders), then get your lockers, tires, whatever.

 

A locker will allow more controlled ascent of obstacles with less wheelspin. Lockers will get you through more than you could imagine, but a winch is the ultimate extractor.

 

If you wheel alone I would recommend going with the winch

 

Winch is essential. Lockers are a luxury.

Winch first

 

IMO, the primary intended use makes the call..........locker can keep you from needing to be winched to a certain degree but on other hand, winch rules for unstucking yourself and/or others. I lean towards winch first tho since winch can free you and help you make it up stuff if no locker.................

 

I think a winch addresses your issue best, but just know that you can get a mechanical locker for about $400 and put it on front or back:

http://www.lokka.com/

I’m considering getting it to add to my front.

 

Winch, because it serves more purposes than just getting you unstuck. You say you wheel in forests all the time. A winch and chainsaw can be very handy for clearing fallen trees. I took this video just two days ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slOxTMaEjGo

 

I have a mechanical locker in my rear. It's AMAZING being locked vs open diff. Everything is so much more controlled while ascending obstacles. I personally wouldn't do one in the front though. I'd go selectable.

 

Based on thousands of off road miles as a cross country surveyor, I'd vote winch.

If you feel you have limited need (you don't get stuck much) I'd even consider a hitch mounted unit, and add a hidden hitch in the front, so you can easily use the hitch on the end best suited for the situation.

While a locker is nice and can prevent getting stuck, you can still get stuck, and then you'll want a winch.

I would not bother spending money for an OR just for an OE locker. Much cheaper to just add a good aftermarket locker to your existing truck. Once you change the suspension, both are equal in that area. And after reading the threads here regarding the cost of the master cylinder/brake booster repair associated with the OR's electronic assisted system (when/if it fails) .......... no thank you.

 

I would (and personally did) go with a winch and maxtrax.

Saving up for new gears and will throw a front locker in since I'll be in there already (buy once, cry once) and keep the rear E since it's there and already works fine for my needs.

Like stated previously, locker is a luxury and could potentially get you stuck even more. In that situation, you would go to a winch and maxtrax to get out of the situation.

 

Great feedback here for sure. I'll echo those suggesting a winch first along with other recovery items. For forest roads you should be fine without a locker in most every situation - quality tires and/or airing down a bit will serve you well, and recovery gear can get you past common forest road obstacles you've mentioned. That said... should you get to a point where you're comfortable off-roading a bit and want to take on more technical terrain... lockers can become a necessity. I've used mine a ton, but always when I absolutely had to use them to pass an obstacle.

Having a winch means you can assist others as well. There's a general 80/20 rule of thumb in the off-road community that you'll need your recovery gear to assist others 80% of the time and to assist yourself 20% of the time. Having a winch will make your truck an asset to others on those roads that aren't as prepared as you'll be.

Like @geekhouse23 mentioned, another thing to keep in mind when seriously considering adding a locker is a gear change. Do you want larger tires, or could you potentially want larger tires in the future? Re-gearing during the locker install is the most cost effective way to go rather than install a locker now, and then re-gear later on.

Edit: couldn't type on my phone

 

My experience was I broke nothing having a winch, and once I got lockers I started breaking stuff. (actually not until I got my front locker did I break anything on the Dodge).

However now I get frustrated wheelin with rigs with out lockers, as I see many obstacles they can drive up and there is very few things my pig won't drag them up (ie no need for a winch).

It depends on who you wheel with and what you do. I know my trip over the Rubicon would have gone better with a front locker and no winch, but my first trip through Pritchett Canyon, the winch made it possible with no front locker, and it took many trips before I made a clean trip through with out winching even with a front locker.

 

I keep a chain with me for things like this. I don't like using a chain for a dynamic recovery (hazard of death!), but a chain IMO is better for dragging things when there's a pinching/scraping hazard. I had a moment a while back where I was removing a concrete pillar from my yard and it absolutely destroyed my strap when it fell over.

 

That's a good idea. I was thinking about that after the fact but we used what we had. Only difficult thing will be attaching a shackle to it. I'll have to buy a soft shackle to feed through the chain links.

 

Just get one with hooks on each end, like this: Loop it back on itself and place a shackle in that loop.

If the links are big enough (I think the one above might be), you might even be able to fit a shackle in the link, too.

 

That bitch looks heeaavvvyyyyy!!! Thanks for the link. Love HF.

edit: Says 52 lbs! Nice.

 

Yeah, 11,000 lbs probably overkill lol, there's a 3/8" version that has a 5400 lb capacity, too.