Front Locker: Is it worth it?

Well once you have a few more years under your belt kid you may learn a few things. Been off roading for 29 years so any time you need advice just let me know.

 

Agreed.

 

Yeah and HBwhateverhisname is too. obviously no one wheels hard like he does in his ifs taco, lol. He's the man for sure!

 

Right, I get that. Been wheeling for many years. I was just curious on specifics of that obstacle. Videos and photos don't ever TRULY show how difficult or steep an obstacle is. That's why I asked. I honestly would prefer to wheel in an automatic when it comes to crawling rocks. Mud and trails I like my manual. I also know that even with my 4.56 gears and 33 inch tires, and low t-case gear, there are vertical limits for my truck. I wasn't sure if this specific obstacle was one that would gut be too much for the little 4-banger! Thanks for the info!!

I don't know the exact size tire they were running. I am referring to I have seen plenty of videos of IFS Tacoma trucks make it up that obstacle, and haven't seen THEM break a clamshell. I would never run 40 inch tires on a Tacoma with IFS in the first place though. That is just a failure asking to happen.

So are you trying to infer that those of us here on TW are not real off-road people? Talking a lot of smack I have noticed.

 

A front locker is great and well worth it if you do any tough wheeling. I've gotten by with open diffs and careful driving and some power braking when I've got wheels spinning; it's fun for the challenge, but real nice when you can flip the switch and go.

Things can break with or without and depending on how you drive having lockers can help keep you from breaking stuff. The desire to climb something slippery usually leads to applying more power and a spinning wheel coming down hard shock-loads the drivetrain. If you can lock it and cruise up in a controlled manner you're less likely to damage stuff. Lockers add more stuff to think about while you're wheeling and some people can't manage them well even if they know when their supposed to be on or off.

 

Lot of dick swinging in here . . .

I don't have a locker, I want a locker.

 

Thank you for the gracious offer, but i don't know if my feeble brain can handle even a sprinkling of the knowledge you can impart upon me old man.

 

Really NITWITtaco you have no idea what I do or who I am but you make a blanket statement because I have IFS like 99.9% of Tacoma owners. Maybe you should drive a new Jeep.
But your right
I don't off road I just drive the malls looking cool...with my little IFS rig. You should see how much flex I get on the speed bumps and parking blocks...

 

haha. good one. Look its all in good fun. Not trying to be a dick here. Its hard to show sarcasm in text.
I am sure you know what you are doing off road and then some. Just stirring the pot a bit.
So enjoy the weekend. Hope ya get to hit some trails...

 

Its an internet forum I don't give a shit!!

It a matter of wheeling terrain styles. Here we don't have sandy granite like social where you can try a line, back up and go again. Here we have tight, usually wet tree lined trails with boulders and mud. If you dont get the first attempt at a line right, typically you are off against a tree or in a very bad spot needing a front locker and lots of throttle usually bound up, or using that evil winch! You for sure would not be passing me since I would be blocking the trail at some odd angle LOL!! So middle of the country wheeling with a front locker usually means broken parts and or winching to prevent them.

Closest wheeling is 3hrs away.... So none for me

 

No worries. That sucks.. . none for me either. Working

 

we have some trails like that here in the mountains. Only wet in winter though. But I know what ya mean. any way its all good.

 

I think a front locker is beyond worth it's weight in gold. I went from an ifs 4Runner locked in the rear to my current rig and I feel like the front locker in the Tacoma was the biggest change in capability. Point and shoot, just do it and don't look back.

If I don't ping my junk off a tree to some extent or another every trip then it's a shocking day. Everything out here is super tight and wet...heh.

 

I certainly wasnt questioning your off road experience, just saying on that ine obstacle if you don't get in the right spot the first time your choices are back down and reset or spend forever trying to creep out of it which usually never works anyway. Your truck would be fine on it, and honesty it's not hard at all. Basicially just straight up. It just looks intimidating and if you do mess up it's a long roll to the bottom.

I love my auto for crawling and I wouldn't have it any other way. Really does make it easier and more controlled for terrain like that.

When are you planing on making it out to Moab bill? Next summer?

 

I guess that came out wrong. Wasn't intending for it to sound like you were questioning me. Just stating fact for others. I really hope that I will be able to make Moab next year. I should have everything that I want completed for THAT trip by next spring. A lot depends on time, and if I can take the time itself to go out there. It will be a long drive from Florida!

 

that will be an aweful drive. BUT! take plenty of time off, spend a week there, and get the most bang for your drive. I guarentee you will absolutely love it and the week will be gone in the blink of an eye. My opinion, come for the Taco Takeover. Can't beat the social aspect as well as the wealth of knowledge and the amount of awesome people there. There are people running all difficulties of trails and people who know that place very well. There is a reason I have been 3 years in a row now. Even if there wasnt an event I would be there every year anyway. there is so much stuff to do past wheeling a truck. hell i still have to get there with dirt bikes and atvs.

Well worth it! I would love to meet ya down there!

 

Regear and a front locker are in the plans for me for sure. I've had a couple situations where I had to be recovered. Most of those were due to having one of the front wheels off the ground on a steep hill. A front locker would have corrected that.

 

is it true having a front ARB puts 4 spider gears into the 1st gen front diff instead of the stock 2 gears thus making the spiders stronger after an ARB locker swap? (since there is double the spider gears the gears would only take half the load, right?)

its what i was told but i wanted to double check...

 

Interesting thread.
I’m in the same boat OP. Getting my gears done soon and shop asking if I want a front locker. I have the rear locker and glad I do. Would be nice to be fully locked. I don’t wheel crazy but it’s because I know my limits and don’t have all the goodies yet.
I’m in CO and our trails are rocky and off camber. I have one last empty switch on my switch pros and am thinking to just do the front arb locker (since I already have arb compressor as well)

would you say go for it, if I can swing it? Or steer clear?

I’m thinking of just adding it.

 

Since this post I regeared and added a front locker at the same time.
I like it. I’m glad I got it.