phouck

Has anybody attempted to install the arb air lockers themselves? I'm trying to decide whether I could tackle this and save a bit of money. My dad and I are relatively mechanically inclined. The only thing that would be a show stopper is if it requires a lot of special tools.

KC9BIW

I personally haven't done it. But looking over the instructions and fixing the mistakes of an installer I will never go back to again, I feel if you know how to regear a jeep, you can install an air locker. Just make sure you take special note to all the instructions in bold print. My install must have been blind to those parts because he forgot every part and everything that could go wrong, did.

phouck

Hmmm...sounds like you had a bad experience. If you don't mind me asking, how much did they charge to install them?

KC9BIW

He charged me $400, but it cost me a lot more than that. Had to bring back my jeep 4 times. After a while I gave up on him and just did the work myself. He didn't drill the drainage at all, so that blew out an axle seal, which he just put silicon on to fix. I ended up having to have new bearings and seals put on to do it right. Then the silicon from either his axle seal fix or the diff cover got into the oil and inside the locker preventing it from functioning. So I removed the locker, completely took it apart and cleaned it. While I did that I found that during the install he pinched the copper air line, so I went ahead and got a replacement from ARB for that. And when I put everything back I used a LubeLocker instead of silicon.

Again all his mistakes where in the manual in bold print. I was going to go back to him and try to get reimbursed but I was just happy to be done with and never see him again.

Please note that all these problems and costs were for the rear axle ONLY! The front axle was done by NorthRidge4x4 and I never had problems with the one they did.

phouck

Well, I definitely don't want to run into those problems. I guess I'll get a copy of the instructions and look them over, then make a decision. Thanks

Littlejon

To do this you need to be able to replace a ring and pinion since it will be a very similar process (in addition to drilling and plumbing the locker). It is a very specialized install, and it takes many installers years of experience to get it to where they can do them correctly.

KC9BIW

If you do bring it somewhere, I would ask the installer this question.

Do you like ARB lockers?

If they answer yes, they know how to install them, if they answer no, then they don't know how. I would have saved myself a lot of headache if I had asked that simple question first.

Locklain

I know the feeling. Although, around me, if I want anything done right I have to either learn how to install it myself or drive several hours away to find a decent installer. The only "locker" that people know around me consists of a stick-welder, chewing tobacco, and a case of beer.