ARB locker help

So it’s been two times that I had bad luck with installs on my rear locker on my 2015. Anyone in the Bay Area that has rear lockers that doesn’t have any issues at all please tell me who did that install so I can take my tundra there to fix it for hopefully the last time. Both times the lockers feeder copper pipe inside the diffs gets knicked since it’s crossing over the ring gear and the locker is worthless after. I know a e locker would be better but I’m building my GX right now and don’t have money for that but I’m willing to get this fixed since I have the parts to fix it. Just would pay for labor. Thanks in advance.

 

I've actually read somewhere that this is a common issue with ARB lockers

 

It is common on poor installs.
Lavender Brothers in Seaside or Wayside Garage, also in Seaside. Both have done hundreds of ARB installs.

 

Seaside is only an hour and 45 minutes from my house. I’ll look them up. Thanks. Funny thing is both places said the same thing about doing many of them, but both failed.

 

The poor install comment was worded wrong, routing that copper line is as critical as setting backlash and pre load and as you know its not hard to get it wrong.

Lavender Brothers is also XXX Traction, ask for Toby Lavender, tell him rockmup sent you.
Wayside Garage, tell Sabrina that her uncle Todd sent you and you'd like to talk to Sammy. He and I started building axles 30 yrs ago ( holy crap I'm as old as dirt, lol )

Either of them should be able to help you out but I'd check with Toby first only because he does more of them.

 

Right on. Thanks. I’d hate to have to switch to an e locker since I already have these installed. But if this happens one more time it would cost me almost as much as buying an e Locker. Never finished.

 

The copper tube used to be much longer and you'd trim it to fit. Now they are almost too short and it is difficult for some people to get it right.

Good luck

 

Well that’s awesome to hear. Lol. Thanks. I was going to attempt it but decided against it.

 

Are you dropping the third in or is the shop? It is real easy to accidentally let the hard line hit the side of the housing or a stud and push it into the ring while setting the third into the housing. But it sounds to me like @rockmup has the solution for you.

 

I’d like to try it once since I have two replacement parts to go thru. But I’m gonna let one more shop try cause I don’t have time at the moment. If it happens again after that, then I’ll try it myself when I get time. If I can’t do it right spending ridiculous amounts of time taking measurements first, then I’ll have to save up for an e locker and give up on the arb.

 

Both of those shops are quality and should be able to knock it out. I have watched XXX Traction build nice wheeling rigs for almost 15 years. If neither of them can squeeze you in I would hit up Shaefers in Alameda. They have done lots of Toy axle builds. Then there is Sean at River City Diff up in Sac, he has built me and my friends more Toyota diffs than I can count, but he can be gruff sometimes.

https://www.pirate4x4.com/threads/ugly-duckling-commando-build.1555618/
https://www.shaffersoffroad.com/

 

Right on. I actually just had Shaffer’s install my 4.88s and front and rear lockers on my GX460 last Friday. The front doesn’t cycle after the initial cycle to activate, but the rear cycles every 2 minutes. I can’t hear any leaks from the rear, but I know it’s losing air somewhere otherwise it wouldn’t cycle. Or so I’m told from previous research. I’ll ask them to check out the leak when they change the oil in the diffs when the break in period is over. But when I asked them about my tundra Mike said that there’s a sweet spot that can be difficult with our trucks. That install was an experiment to see if they could do it without the rear having issues since they are 25 minutes from my house. If that went well I was planning on having them do it, but I’m not sure now since the rear has that very slow leak. I’ve come to terms with the fact that everything I do on both builds ends up being a nightmare to deal with. Nothing ever goes smoothly. Shit, on the gear install justdiffs sent out the wrong front gears and I didn’t notice it and then I get a call from Shaffer’s saying I received Dana 30 gears for a jk which then held them up a day. I felt bad cause they could have had it done in one day and my GX was taking up a lift.

 

I assume you are a expert at hearing arbs leak internally at this point, LOL. But just to be sure you cant hear any air escaping from the breather vent? Sometimes you can pull the fill plug and tape a piece of paper across it to see small leaks. If you get bored, mix up some dish soap with water and spray the bulkhead fitting and solenoid. If that dosent show anything then swap the front line with the rear at the solenoids and see if it still cycles.

In my crawler I carry spare bulkhead fitting(x2 ferruls and support tubes), air line and solenoid. Have had them all fail but my junk is usually bought used and ran hard since it is a dedicated, towed trail rig.

 

I haven’t tried that yet. I’ve tried all those things before on the tundra and bought all kinds of spare parts and extra tubing. I even bought a tube cutter to try and make the cuts perfect just in case. I’ll try to swap the tubes on the compressor like you mentioned and see what happens. At least it’s staying on for two minutes at a time. I don’t mind that it has to cycle after two minutes it’s one of my poor dogs inside the vehicle that can’t handle hearing a compressor cycle for some reason. He curls into a ball and starts trembling uncontrollably. Wife has to walk him away from the truck to fill tires back up. My female dog can care less. So weird. Thanks for the advice. I’ll try it today if I get a chance. I’m still busy putting on sliders and my bumper on the GX.