Range Rover Diff Locks ? How do they Work ?

[Brian the Sn@il]

Can you Lock all the Diffs ?

Is it Automatic ?

Or do i need to Buy a Kit to Lock them all off ?

Brian

[redhand]

Only the centre diff locks unless you spend loads of money for detroit or arb difflockers.

[Brian the Sn@il]

Sorry for asking something silly But in my mind


a Diff Lock  Locks all 4 wheels together

So all Power goes to both the front and rear wheels all at the same time
This makes turning corners impossible, but gets you out of the mud.


Whats does Centre Diff Locks Mean ?

[redhand]

Almost A centre diff locks front and rear propshafts. so both propshafts turn at the same speed the wheels can still spin at different speeds and if you get cross axled (1 wheel on each axle airborne ect) then won't move. as all the drive goes to the spinning wheels.

[Evilgoat]

You have 3 diffs on your bus.

Front, rear and center. The center diff is provided to help the road manners and prevent transmission wind up. On some 4x4 cars theres a lot more trickery here, for examle my quattor doesn do a 50/50 split. This is indian country to the average 4x4 though :) If your front wheels loose traction, power is diverted to the front and you stop. The center diff lock stops this happening.

The front and rear diffs act the same way, directing power to the wheel with least resistance, this means that if you loose a wheel just on the front, center lock will get you out, however if you loose a wheel on each end you are stuck withouth lockers on one of the other two.

To muddy the waters further, there are devices called LSDs (Limited Slip Differentials) which will make sure that a portion of power is always available to the wheel that isnt spinning in the gunk and redecorating the local flora and fauna with mud.

Then theres Viscous Couplings, TorSENs and more ;)

[Evilgoat]

Hows This? just bashed it up in paint.

[Brian the Sn@il]

What can i say, Fantastic !

So to use the Rangie in a real off road world.

What would i need to buy to lock all the diffs ?

So all 4 wheels turn all the same speed regardless of any of them loosing traction.

[gnasha]

you would need front and rear diff locks as center comes free with motor
but will take out a lot of fun of getting stuck if u swich on all the time so arb are better as u can turn them of and get stuck then try 1 at a time till u get out

[iomlr]

http://arb.com.au/arb-air-locker-video.php

Explained in this Video from ARB

[Bowie]

You don't need difflocks to go offroad!

90% of enthusiasts LRs don't have them, as the costs is so prohibitive....

[iomlr]

agree, just answering the question, But from experience there a great bit of kit! Never used them as like you said you don’t really need them but recently bought some and there is so much less strain on the vehicle you can engage them and really crawl over axel twister type obstacles and really take your time and go easy, and if your in there its work changing the ratio on the diff’s, only recommended if your off road a lot as this will reduce your "high" speed on the road!

[Brian the Sn@il]

Now thats a rather good video :)
Certainly would help get you out of trouble :)

[Bowie]

agree, just answering the question, But from experience there a great bit of kit!

Never used them myself either, but I am sure they are fantastic! I just can't justify them to my bank manager :P

[iomlr]

yeah totally agree i would never buy them new. i managed to find a second hand pair with Very light use on a suzuki (had range rover axels on it) and made him a offer and i managed to get them at a sensible price, a price you carnt refuse you could say! A member on here actually.

[wingman]

http://arb.com.au/arb-air-locker-video.php

Explained in this Video from ARB

Interesting, but a couple of mistakes.  He says locking the diffs ensures traction goes to both front and rear axles and hence all 4 wheels.  That's exactly why you need ARBs, because locking the centre diff (ensuring traction goes to both axles) DOESN'T do this.

I also kept expecting him to say "Now let's see what happens if we put an electric cattle prod in the mouth of this huge croc."  8)

[Evilgoat]

http://arb.com.au/arb-air-locker-video.php

Explained in this Video from ARB

Interesting, but a couple of mistakes.  He says locking the diffs ensures traction goes to both front and rear axles and hence all 4 wheels.  That's exactly why you need ARBs, because locking the centre diff (ensuring traction goes to both axles) DOESN'T do this.

I also kept expecting him to say "Now let's see what happens if we put an electric cattle prod in the mouth of this huge croc."  8)

Center lock does this already, the front and rear lockers are to deal with side to side split, not end to end.

Some cars dont have a center diff and its good offroad, not so good on road in 4x4 :) (Suzuki and I beleive series motors spring to mind, aint diff wind up fun ;) )

[Bowie]

Good job series vehicles are 2WD when someone has worked out how to use the 4 knobs available to you ;)

[Range Rover Blues]

Car like the Shogun, or is that the Pajero, have a rear locker as standard don't they :? , LR always argues you don't need a locker if you have sufficient articulation.

Anyway, IMHO arb are best, followed by ATB or Truetracs and Detroit lockers in the rear only.

If you aren't competing then you can also make fiddle brakes, ie one hydraulic handbrake to each wheel, though the cost of this can escalate too.

[benbenukuk]

which one is better then a Air Locker or a Electric Locker?  Ben

[Range Rover Blues]

I can't vouch for electric as I don't know anyone who has them, but air lockers are tried and tested.

Oh and you don't have to carve the axle casing up to fit them, so i guess if you sell the car you can take them back out.

[barriesheene]

Car like the Shogun, or is that the Pajero, have a rear locker as standard don't they :? , LR always argues you don't need a locker if you have sufficient articulation.

Anyway, IMHO arb are best, followed by ATB or Truetracs and Detroit lockers in the rear only.

If you aren't competing then you can also make fiddle brakes, ie one hydraulic handbrake to each wheel, though the cost of this can escalate too.

Shogan has rear diff locker as standard,( and sliding rear windows ), Pajero ( shogan import from japan ), has everything else  :roll:   :lol: To be honest I've been offroading my wife's  :roll:  Pajero for a while and I've crossed the axles once, ( unavoidable ) and a bit of a run up cured the problem  :lol:  :lol: To warrant the expense you really have to be thinking competition types of modifications. I've seen alot of people get stuck in trucks with all the toy's,lift's /winches/ snorkels etc and driven past them in a standard truck just by taking the right lines. I've also had people drive thing's that i wouldnt attempt in supposedly " [!Expletive Deleted!] " in off road speak vitara's and they've nailed it. The driver can make a big diffrence when it comes to offroading  :twisted:  :twisted:

[Range Rover Blues]

And there in lies the truth of the matter.

If you can't drive, the rest of it is pointless.

[barriesheene]

And your so right about the articulation rr blue's  :D  Just go onto you tube and type in pajero, you'll notice that the pajero's are always waving a paw in the air !  :lol:  I have yet to get a wheel hanging in the air with the rangie, it just gets on with it without the drama's  8)

[Range Rover Blues]

Aren't the Bitsa's independant on the front? probably why they have limited articulation.

[barriesheene]

:lol:  Bitsa's  :?:

[Range Rover Blues]

:lol:  Bitsa's  :?:

Bitsa, Bitsamissin' (mitsubishi to those who pour scorn on them).

[byways]

And your so right about the articulation rr blue's  :D  Just go onto you tube and type in pajero, you'll notice that the pajero's are always waving a paw in the air !  :lol:  I have yet to get a wheel hanging in the air with the rangie, it just gets on with it without the drama's  8)

Diff locks would not be needed IF RRs had some articulation. Pity they don't. Could be tweaked I suppose..........




ok, ok it not a Rangie but close.

[clbarclay]

It has the same lack of movement in the front as a range rover I suppose :roll:

I would have though that scorpian would have done something about that by now.