Feedback on Tacoma front clamshell differential locker/posi units?

Hey guys,
I am looking for feedback from people who have a locker or posi in the front differential of their Tacoma. Will soon have the bearings changed in my 7.5" front clamshell and am seriously thinking about having a locker or posi installed at the same time. ECGS will probably be asked to do the work. My '97 V6 Taco 4x4 is used as a hunting truck in the deep mud/high water here in MS. Now that I am retired, the '97 Taco sees 150+ days use every year. I had a PowerTrax No-Slip auto locker installed in the rear diff. over 2 decades ago & it has worked fine for me. I am not a rock crawler but welcome any feedback on what works for you. TIA!

EDIT: It looks like ECGS will install Spartan Locker, PowerTrax Lockright, or Detroit True Trac units in the front 7.5" IFS clamshell diff.

 

I have a Eaton E locker installed in the front diff of my rig. I've used it once or twice and dont have any complaints.

 

I appreciate the feedback. Having a posi/locker in the front would give me a bit of extra capability. I rarely get stuck but recently stuck the Taco really well in a creek bed while scrounging gravel. Once you step off the gravel bars, you will high center in the blue clay if the tires spin much at all. It only took a few minutes to winch out. But having a posi/locker in the front would have been of value to me. If I am going to get a posi/locker, the perfect time to do it is while the bearings are getting changed out.

 

Run a selectable. Your truck will thank you later and life will be so much easier...

TJM, ARB, Eaton

Benefit on having an air locker is having access to the OBA for airing your tire.

 

I would consider a limited slip diff ("posi" for those domestic vehicle owners)

With your auto locker in the rear, you seem to value limited user input, which an LSD would give you. Selectable lockers give you more traction, but only if you remember to use it. It's also more complicated with front lockers since there are plenty of times you wouldn't want to engage it. They are also more complicated to install.

OBA is nice, but honestly my portable air compressor is more than adequate, and it's free to install, lol.

Plus, the fact that you already have a winch means you're going to get out of whatever you get yourself into (presumably).

 

I agree. The Aisin manual hubs on the front axles will also give me the ability to lock just one side for normal 4WD use or lock both hubs when needed. And I already carry an air compressor in the Taco for the tires.

 

The selectable is nice because it's like a normal 4wd "easily to steer"tell you lock it. Once it's locked you don't have to wait for a tire to slip for it to engage. Or have it locked up anytime you give it gas like a auto locker.
I went with the Eaton. Front locker definitely engages beast mode.

 

I narrowed it down to either a Spartan locker or Detroit True Trac limited slip. ECGS stated that if what I needed was more traction in the deep mud/high water I routinely wheel thru, then definitely go with a locker. And they thought the Spartan was a better choice than the PowerTrax Lockright for my application. They built a 7.5" clamshell front diff. with solid spacer/CV bushing/Spartan locker. Just finished hanging it on the front end in a set of front diff. mount bracket bushings from DuroBumps. Will start installing the LCAs with the Strongflex bushings after a quick break.

ECGS 7.5" Clamshell Front Diff. with axle tube reinstalled:

DuroBumps front diff mount bushings installed in hanger brackets: I used lots of even heat to get the old bushings out intact. The brackets were cleaned and repainted. Then with plenty of Dawn used as a lubricant, the new bushings easily pressed in by hand.

 

@leid How are you liking it?

 

Due to unforeseen rebuilt R150F transmission problems, I have not had the Taco in any deep mud to try out the ECGS locking front diff. yet: Rebuilt R150F stuck in forward gear with shifter in neutral. Can't shift gears. | Tacoma World. The rebuilt transmission problems have put me way late on my hunting/shooting season here in MS. Will post feedback on the ECGS front diff. with autolocker in a few weeks after my first hunting trip. With all this rain we are getting, the locking front diff. will be needed every day I hunt.

 

I have been wheeling in deep mud every day for the past couple weeks. The Spartan auto locker in the front diff. is aggressive so I normally off-road with only the right manual locking hub engaged. When it gets really muddy, the left hub gets locked. With both hubs locked, it is harder to steer the Taco on firmer trails. But the front locker is great when it gets muddy. At least twice in the past couple weeks, I got stuck with only 1 hub locked. Instead of running the winch cable out, all I had to do was lock the other hub and walk the Taco out with all 4 Buckshot Mudder tires churning in the mud. These "lunchbox" auto lockers in both front and rear diffs. are working great for me in the mud especially with manual locking front hubs.

 

Look into a twin stick for you tcase. I have auto lockers f/r and run around mainly in 2wd offroad and engage the front when I need it. Works out nice, takes the stress off the steering and keeps the steering system cool.

I'm a big fan of auto lockers, nice and simple and work until they don't.