[ZookFan]

Highway-Star wrote:

Right.. I've been tossing up whether to comment in this thread seriously or not for a while...... looks like I'll try....


Background:

I have 2 of each type of locker. I have 2 genuine ARB RD88's in my Sierra. One was bought from a local ARB store, the other ordered through lowrange offroad.

I also have 2 Chinese built air lockers RD87's in my LJ80. These are a bit Frankenstein to make them work, as they belong in the front of a Jimny... but anyway. I'll also add the one in the front is actually half chinese and half genuine ARB. So for anyone wondering the parts are totally 100% interchangeable!

I run all my lockers off of the genuine ARB tyre inflation compressor. I haven't had any major issues with either type so far, except for some damage to one of the Chinese ones in the post which caused an air leak; and some damage to the ARB's bulkhead fitting from a flying rock (once again air leak).


ARB

Pros:
High quality finish. Check the details, smoother edges, smoother machining. "Prettier" ...
ARB claim stronger, by all means plausible, but I have no hard facts.

Cons:
Expensive
ARB's customer service, or in fact total lack of... months of waiting for the item... etc etc. Not an issue if bought through lowrange offroad in the states.


Chinese copy

Pros:
Stupidly cheap
Excelent customer service (from the guys I bought mine through).
Shipped to my door in 4 days!!! (It takes ARB 4 days to pick their nose!!!)
I actually prefer the Chinese bulkhead fitting over the standard ARB one (no one use brass olive), but the heavy duty ARB one trumps this again (but is like another $100)

Cons:
Poorer finish. Side gears and spider gears are slightly questionable. Spacer ring supplied with the RD87's for use with JDM ring and pinions (and also accidentally Frankenstein LJ lockers) is of incredibly poor quality (haven't seen ARB equivelent to judge against, I had my own machined for a bottle of rum).
One of mine got damaged in transport. More of a random risk thing.




Please note I haven't voted in the poll, and won't. I'm not going to recommend what anyone does... If I was to buy another one for something, I couldn't tell you offhand what I would chose, except that I would never ever ever buy anything from ARB themselves again; I would go through lowrange offroad again . Anyway, make of that what you will...

Very very interesting!

[krunchi]

Let me know if it survives the XJ comp truck. I would buy one for my jimny but not sure in my d40 navara, if it stands up in your comp truck then it woudl stand up in my Navara for sure!

[krunchi]

Let me know if it survives the XJ comp truck. I would buy one for my jimny but not sure in my d40 navara, if it stands up in your comp truck then it woudl stand up in my Navara for sure!

[zooky08]

monkey wrote:

SierraDan wrote:

MrRocky wrote:

how much are the arb ones ? $800-900 ?

I got quoted recently $1500 each installed. Plus the compressor installed which was $500. That's $3500..

I got quoted $3200 F&R installed with the compressor...

You need to go to different arb stores. They all seem to have different laybour charges.

At my local arb store, one locker is $1195
So two lockers are $2390, if u buy a locker now youll get a free compressor.
That saves you $290.
Take your center in and it takes the 2hrs (includes replacing every bearing in the third member and setup pinion preload) $190 for 2hrs work. Less work if you don't replace bearings.

Even cheaper if you buy lockers from lowrange, but you won't get a free compressor
So really that's only $2770.
All you have to do is fit compressor(easy) and fit third member back in

[stocker]

Ok... So i took the Lowrangeoffroad Price to My Local ARB Shop.

The guy who works behind the counter who i have always dealt with (might i add always been pretty knowledgeable and helpful) gave me a quote of 1600 For my RD88 Front Locker 26 Spline yadda yadda yadda, i told him i could get the same ARB Locker for just on 1100 Shipped to my door from the states, naturally he didn't believe me so i asked him to look up the Low Range website, once he saw the price his tune quickly changed, the price suddenly dropped to around the same as what LROR could do...

...there are huge mark ups on these lockers, and quite obviously ARB, TJM and every other company out there are making Huge dollars off this. So don't settle for ohh it will be 3 and half G's for twin lockers, Argue, and shop around.

Personally i would prefer to buy in Australia... for convenience mainly, LROR is probably the best thing thats happened to our Very expensive market in a long time, by them offering Very competitive pricing its forcing people to compete. and i mean hey if you can get it cheaper elsewhere why wouldn't you

[ZookFan]

Thanks for that.. think I will try the same

[mnemonix]

Has anyone had trouble buying these chinasoong lockers through the mod linked earlier in the thread? (china4x4extreme).
I've been waiting 3 weeks for mine to get sorted.

I paid for mine on Jan 17th with telegraphic transfer/travelex. Bank and travelex both say funds arrive at the destination, seller claims no payment recieved yet.

Zook is sitting in pieces like a wounded soldier waiting for a diff centre.

[swifty_ano]

Have you double checked all the numbers and names.
When I paid for mine...the bank had trouble finding the bank number on their system as it wad coming up elsewhere

[mnemonix]

Yeh been over that twice.
Caused an issue originally because their huge company name is longer than the system allows, so the abbreviation to ".Co LTD" wasn't accepted, it had to be ".Co.,LTD".

Chinese bank has the money, seller won't talk to them to find why it won't go into his account, expects it all to happen on my end.

Head fucked. Should have just bought an ARB, or a stocker jimny centre to keep me wheeling.

[swifty_ano]

Jeeze turns out you had more trouble then I did.

My money showed in their account within a few days. Took them 2 months for the lockers to arrive at my door.
I even bought 3 lockers. One would assume they would rush such a big order.
They were very responsive before they got my money. I would receive 1 email to about my 3 nice/angry emails.

Less then ideal

[DMAC]

Boy you guys are having/had some troubles.
Mine arrived before they responded to my email that I had deposited the money. Ie. 4 days.

Just installed one in the rear of the LWB. Will give some feedback after I've given it a fair old try out.

The one in the front of the SWB is going strong. 2 months and wheeling every 2 weeks.

[ZookFan]

Let us know how it goes DMAC

[Aaron]

Yeah i have been dealing with Stodd song or "Scott" if you translate it and he is fantastic. usually replied to my emails with a couple of hours. I did my money transfer last week tues and it was in his bank thursday lunch time ( this is with interwebs banking). he sent it today.

[drewhoo]

I've gotten a few prices from "scott" for the 1999 Jimny. RD88 rear, RD87 front (thats right isnt it?)

I tried to ask if a single compressor could hand two lockers... can somebody confirm this. His reply seemed to indicate they can. In which case it is 1040USD for twin locks. Or $970 AUD atm

$490 for locker+compressor kit
$430 for a second locker (no compressor)
$120 postage to aus

[SierraDan]

Yeah, the ARB compressors run two two lockers.

[jimbo_jones]

drewhoo wrote:

I've gotten a few prices from "scott" for the 1999 Jimny. RD88 rear, RD87 front (thats right isnt it?)

I tried to ask if a single compressor could hand two lockers... can somebody confirm this. His reply seemed to indicate they can. In which case it is 1040USD for twin locks. Or $970 AUD atm

$490 for locker+compressor kit
$430 for a second locker (no compressor)
$120 postage to aus

yeah the Chinese compressor will run 2 lockers
I deal with Scott all the time never had any problems with money not showing up and he always sends my items quickly there was a delay at the end of jan due to Chinese new year but its back to normal now.

[mnemonix]

My airlocker finally arrived today after 4 weeks of waiting.
Does anyone have a copy of the install instructions?

According to the seller, they no longer supply instructions and recommend I source my own from ARB.

[kermitzook]

mnemonix wrote:

My airlocker finally arrived today after 4 weeks of waiting.
Does anyone have a copy of the install instructions?

According to the seller, they no longer supply instructions and recommend I source my own from ARB.

When i was looking for them i googled it and i think i found them in pirate4x4.com.

[mnemonix]

FYI if anyone needs it.
Parts breakdowns and exploded diagrams are on the ARB Aus site.

I found the Rd88 manual here: http://www.arlingtonmotorcar.com/pdf/in ... _guide.pdf.
Will be installing tomorrow if the weather allows.

[wolf_rt]

Good stuff, I couldn't find it.... Can't believe they told you to get instructions from ARB, couldn't they photocopy the instructions when they photocopied the locker???

[swifty_ano]

Mine came with photocopied instructions hahaha
I couldn't believe it

[ZookFan]

DMAC wrote:

Boy you guys are having/had some troubles.
Mine arrived before they responded to my email that I had deposited the money. Ie. 4 days.

Just installed one in the rear of the LWB. Will give some feedback after I've given it a fair old try out.

The one in the front of the SWB is going strong. 2 months and wheeling every 2 weeks.

Hows the one in the LWB going?!

[goldpoacher]

Any update reports on these lockers,so far I know US samurai & jeep freaks seem to be happy,just curious about them

[dank]

Well i think the soong locker in the XJ comp truck survived one winch comp so far....we've got another one next month which is more rock and solid dirt rather than mud so it'll be interesting to see how it holds up. will keep updating it....

Also a followup to the lockers i returned, the total refund cost ot be returned was around $540...they only sent $490, I'm assuming that they took the bank fee they would be charged out of that total.

i will never ever deal with Scott again. He is good when everything is going his way, but once the shit hits the fan his service turns to Fubar.

[ZookFan]

Who would U deal with from that company then??

[goldpoacher]

Thanks for info,I'm thinking of trying 1 to replace auto locker in Sierra.As I have presently have 5 auto locked diffs ( across 3 4wdr) it may be a good option at these prices to air lock all diff especially with possible bulk buy option.

[Aaron]

ZookFan wrote:

Who would U deal with from that company then??

No-one im guessing as far as i know Scott/Stodd is the only one. you can go directly to the supplier however but i cannot think of the web address off the top of my head.

[mnemonix]

I won't deal with them again.
As already mention, prior to taking your money they're nothing but service. Once your order is placed you're just a number.

I haven't tested the locker offroad yet, but during the install when I first powered up the compressor it hadn't even reached full pressure and a screw had rattled loose from the compressor housing and fallen on the ground.

[xedent]

Everyone who has one of these install and is using it how are they holding up ?

[ZookFan]

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