What's the big deal with the rear e locker

Yep, As far as wheeling goes. Y'all have everything else right at your fingertips for every day living.

You're a lot closer to Colorado then I am and that's where its at for wheeling!

 

The first/second gen elocker is actuated by an electric motor and gear/rack system housed outside the diff and not a solenoid. This makes it much more susceptible to contamination and just simply wadding up without regular use, so yes, always actuate it as much as possible.

 

Me too. On my third round of complete fluid changes including rear end, the latest done about 6000 miles ago.

 

My prerunner has an e locker and it makes a world of difference when in mud and sand not as good as if I had the extra front wheel helping

 

it was the first video that "explains" the idea of open diffs and how the locker/transfer works for the majority of us (me even). But I do see what you mean in regards to speed (rotational output?) vs the actual torque being applied:


LOCKED DIFFERENTIAL:
The locked or locking differential is a variant found on some vehicles, primarily those that go off road. It is essentially an open differential with the ability to be locked in place to create a fixed axle instead of an independent one. This can happen manually or electronically depending on technology in the vehicle.

The benefit of a locked differential is it is able to gain a considerably greater amount of traction than an open differential. Because the torque is not equally split 50/50 it can channel more torque to the wheel that has the better traction - and is not limited by the lower traction of the other wheel at any given moment.

Because you are unlikely to be travelling at speed and are usually travelling over uneven ground, the issue of tire drag and wear around corners on a fixed axle is less of a problem.

One disadvantage of locked diffs is called binding, which occurs when excess rotational energy (torque) is built up within the drive train and needs releasing – typically achieved by the wheels leaving the ground to reset the position. Or by simply releasing the locks once they are no longer needed.

Imagine a long cardboard tube held at each end, and then twisting the tube in opposite directions to the point the tube couldn’t withstand the force anymore and folds and tears – that’s binding. It happens because the wheels are moving at different speeds which twists the axles and puts increased pressure on the gears - but the load on the wheels and their increased traction is enough to prevent the tires slipping to release the pressure.

 

I have an e-locker and before today, I’ve used it once in three years in the snow. Well, today I took a wrong turn while off road and drove down a rocky hill that came to a dead end. I was slipping and sliding in 4lo trying to get back up that hill, before I hit that magical button that saved my butt. Before today I would have said it’s something I could leave or take. After today, I’m so damm happy I have it or I would still be stuck in the middle of nowhere.

 

This is why me needz dual lockers.

 

Just got my two new diffs from ecgs can’t wait to test out the taco locked front and rear these trucks will get through some nearly shit open open I know I have but the 6 times I was stuck last year I bet maybe only one of those times I would of been stuck locked !!