Front/Rear locker Opinions

Greeting everyone, looking to get some opinions/advice on the upsides and potential downsides of putting in front and rear lockers. Driving an 04 Tundra that’s unfortunately 2WD and on the fence whether or not to just upgrade all together and spend the coin on a new rig or add some lockers on it to have a little more capability off-road/snow conditions. Got the truck for free and have been slowly adding on to it from it being stock. Let me know what you guys think much appreciated

 

If it's 2wd you can't add a locker. You can only put a locker in the front of a 4wd truck. Lockers on the road in snow conditions aren't ideal and if used should only be in extreme conditions like if stuck with one rear wheel spinning. Traveling at more than 10 miles an hour in snow with a locker engaged is risky, forget about turning a corner or going around a bend. Because both tires are turning at the same speed and same revolutions you'll fishtail, putting more gas into it will only cause you to spin even more.
I'd suggest getting yourself a cheap 4wd truck for the snow if it's within your means or upgrade to something 4wd. Open differentials front and rear are a good thing in the snow when going around corners and bends while on the gas.

 

Rear locker is one of the best investments I ever made. Front locker as well, but less so than the Rear. Many 2wd trucks out there with rear locker only.

Mine is a second gen. Figured id get the convo started though.

 

i’ve never had a locker in just a 2wd truck, but i have drove around my 4wd vehicles in 2wd, so it’s the same thing.

I’ve had 3 different ARB’s, 2 Detroit No-Spins, 2 spools, 2 Truetrac’s, 2 Lock Right lunch box lockers, 4 “Lincoln“ lockers, 1 Power Lock LSD, and 1 Detroit E locker. I live on the wet side of Oregon, so i have spent many miles in every sort of terrain and weather you can think of.

-ARB’s can leak...IF you’re not careful with the install. It sucks big time when they leak.

-The Detroit No-Spin (aka Detroit Locker) that are in the front and back of my old Ford Highboy work awesome in the snowy roads and highways ...IF i have snow chains on the front tires. If not, then it still does pretty well. But that’s all in 4WD.

-I’ve lucked out and had great luck...so far with having a spool in the rear of both of my CJ7’s. But side hilling in the snow kinda sucks.

-the truetrac does decent. It’s a bit to invisible for most anything too aggressive.

-hard pass on the lunch box lockers. I wore them out. I’d rather spend more $$$ and have something more durable.

-Lincoln lockers kinda suck, but i’ve welded up a handful of them for offroad junker play toys for both myself and for friends.

-my Powerlock is WAAAAY more aggressive than the Truetrac!

-E locker. I’m always concerned that the wires may get broken, only because i’m good at breaking things.

I was looking at going after a Truetrac for the rear of my 1st gen Tundra, but after talking to a friend, he convincede that i would not be satisfied with it...and i agreed with him. I myself, and the things that i do, i’d like to someday go after an ARB. But at the same time, i don’t want to so that i’m not tempted to wheel my tundra too hard. Besides, i want to install a winch and winch bumper first.

A locker in the rear of a 2wd truck would be a game changer. Especially and AC or DC cab truck. Simply because those trucks have better weight transfer over the rear axle than the single cab long bed.