E-locker ???'s

i wanna get a locker for my 02 sr5 double cab, some guy has a complete oem axle with the e-locker on it for sale in my area for $500

my question is how can i hook it up? can i just by-pass all the relay's (if there's any) and just hook it up straight to power and a switch?

 

check out marlin crawler. He has complete wiring harnesses for e-lockers pretty reasonable.

 

Wow, the price is a deal as long as its good, thats about half as much as the ones I've seen around here for sale, when you can find them

x2 try to find a good after market oem type harness instead of just jacking the electrical just to "make it work ". good luck

 

Get the harness from here, Marlins do not come with switches...

 

seems to me like the axle with the e-locker is a good deal, but i'm pretty new to the 4x4 game and after reading a bit it looks like it's gonna be a headache trying to hook up the e-locker, cause i would have to buy the computer for the e-lock n the wiring harness...

I'm thinking about for 3/4 of the price i can get a lock rite locker

or for the same price i can get a Detroit locker

all without fussing about wires

what do you guys recommend?

 

Eh...I wouldn,t get the lock right. I hear it pops, clicks and slams all the time. I have the powertrax no slip in my 02 and don't even realize it,s there most of the time.
Being that you live in cali and don't see snow unless you go to the mountains, I think a powertrax would suit you.
I put mine in in about 8 he's with basic hand tools and you don't have to have a shop set the backlash on it. Install it and go.

 

I would not really recommend Detroit locker if you drive on the road alot just due to the fact that your tires will chirp when you turn and it will give a rough bumpy ride in the turns most of the time.
If it were me I would look for something like a lock rite or something along these lines. I have rode in a few trucks with them and they seem (Don't know what brand) but they seem very smooth and seem to work good! Plus they dont cost all that much and it's not a huge deal to put one in.


But if you do alot of wheelin and not much road driving the the Detroit is def. the way to go!

 

with the link I gave you up there^^, you do not need the Toyota computer stuff. The harness takes care of everything. It basically bypasses everything and wires it strait. With the Marlin harness, you would need the computer junk. Do It!! I have an eye on an e-lock rear myself and am going to use the 12voltguy harness. I'm just waiting on the right price....

 

I would take the deal in a heart beat. You WANT to be able to control when and where your locker engages. For 500? Bleh, don't pass it up!!!!

 

sorry if im asking too much questions, like first post say i'm new to 4x4

i'm guessing the gear ratio for the non e-locker axle and the axle with e-lockers are the same.

i do have a 4x4 and plan on getting lockers for both axles, yes this axle is a deal, but what if i can't find another e-locker for the front, will just a regular locker be ok

ex: powertrax locker up front and e-locker in the rear?

like TGurau says^^ it would be nice to control when and where i want the lockers to lock up...

and how can i check to see if the axle and lockers are still good?

there's actually 2 people selling oem e-locker rear ends for $500, one already has the armor diff guard

i feel like i should check out the stock one, cause it seems like it wouldn't of been off-road yet...

o and one axle is a 2001 and the other is a 2004 if it makes a differences

 

Since you are new to 4x I would re think getting the front locker unless you're going to do a fair amount of rock crawling & if you ARE new, You aren't ready to rock crawl yet..

IMO, def. get the rear locker & def. hold off on locking the front til you are familiar with your truck & get some 4x4 time under your belt....

 

i don't have plans to rock crawl with my truck, if i did it'd be getting a sas conversion instead of keeping the ifs...

i just want the benefits of having a durable, dependable and capable rig for when i go hunting fishing or anything that deals with the outdoors, i don't want to be stuck in the mud or anything like that by myself with no cell phone receptions and the nearest road is a few miles away or more....

ex: this just happened yesterday (Sunday), my buddies went hunting, found a new hunting trail and got curious, drove and drove and drove some more and forgot their way back, finally found somebody before dark and ask how to get back home, guy tells my buddies that their at least 3hrs away from home (freeway time)...lol, guy points my friends to this trail and tells them it'll get them to the nearest highway, and says it's a rough trail, lucky my buddy has a 85 4 runner f&r lockers, 37" tsl boggers, dual case whole nine yards only thing he doesn't have yet is a winch, on the way they meet some other people that says they are lost also, my buddy say's follow me, but when they got to a steep up hill rocky trail, only my friends truck can make it, the other guys stock toyota's (x3) couldn't make it, and nobody had any tow ropes also, so they had to turn back around and go find that guy again for different directions. my friend said that if they had lockers they would of made it...

so just to say i don't want to be those other guys

 

Hmm.... I'd definitely go for the $500 locker. IMO If your really worried about getting stuck I'd do the winch before the front locker.

 

^^that doesn't sound like a bad idea...

 

bingo. winch first.

 

I think you would be surprised how capable your truck would be with an E-locker, it makes a night and day difference over stock, 100% better.

Try that first and go from there, trust me, you will probably not need a locker, if you do need a front locker ARB makes a very good one that I have installed before and its air actuated, but excellent, if you have ever used a front locker thay can actuall hinder your progress at times, when engaged. the ARP uses an air source (you will need a compressor and tank, but not a bad idea when you need to air down to make it up a gnarly incline.

For example you are creeping up a section that difficult and your aftermarket front locker is fighting you, the ARB allows you to fully lock the front like a tank or use the regular open diff front end, best of both worlds if you have the money, do it once and do it right.

If you need more info PM me and I can help you out, I do LOTS of aftermarket install on these trucks, thats what I do for a living.

 

thanks for the info guys!!!!

 

Ya I would lean towards no front locker unless you are wheelin it almost full time. Get a rear locker put in and you will be able to tell a huge difference. But with a front locker it will be very tough to drive on the street and it will probably end up breaking something up front.

I have the rear e-locker in mine and I maybe use it 4% of the time. Most of the time 4wd is good enought but every now and then the locker helps to get out of a sticky situation!

 

At this point, I'd say the locker will be cheaper than a good winch. Plus, you might not see another deal like you've found for $500. Just something to consider.

I have a locker and I'm amazed at the stuff I get though (with crappy tires)