Rear lockers work! On The Catacomb Spur trail in Moab

[BroncoTrail]

This was my first time ever using rear lockers.

Even after watching so many videos of them in action, I'm still super impressed at how they instantly improve your capability.

 

[Sea Diamond]

great to hear...I'm thinking of installing an electric lock myself. I'm guessing your's is stock electric?

 

[BroncoTrail]

great to hear...I'm thinking of installing an electric lock myself. I'm guessing your's is stock electric?

They're a game changer for sure! Well worth it.

Yes, they're stock electric. Comes with front lockers too.

 

[Sea Diamond]

They're a game changer for sure! Well worth it.

Yes, they're stock electric. Comes with front lockers too.

Time to start doing research ; )

 

[smritte]

There's lots of advantages and disadvantages to lockers. Increased traction on uneven ground is the biggest. Disadvantage is side hill in snow, decreased turning radius.
On mine I would engage both, climb, disengage the front for sharp turn and reengage it once the vehicle was facing the direction I wanted to go.
Being able to turn on and off at will is a game changer over my old mechanical lockers.
My advice is, learn to drive it as much as you can without them. Basically build your driving skill, especially in 2wd. Lockers can get you in over your head easily, that's why you need the skill.
Go into shallow sand or something with just moderate traction. Engage both and try to make a tight turn, you will go straight. Practice rocks, shelves.... without.
Learn all the nuances and have fun.

 

[BroncoTrail]

There's lots of advantages and disadvantages to lockers. Increased traction on uneven ground is the biggest. Disadvantage is side hill in snow, decreased turning radius.
On mine I would engage both, climb, disengage the front for sharp turn and reengage it once the vehicle was facing the direction I wanted to go.
Being able to turn on and off at will is a game changer over my old mechanical lockers.
My advice is, learn to drive it as much as you can without them. Basically build your driving skill, especially in 2wd. Lockers can get you in over your head easily, that's why you need the skill.
Go into shallow sand or something with just moderate traction. Engage both and try to make a tight turn, you will go straight. Practice rocks, shelves.... without.
Learn all the nuances and have fun.

What is "side hill in snow"?
The Ford Bronco comes with 4 Auto, which is basically AWD. I use it most of the time while offroad and only switch into 4 Hi or 4 Lo if necessary. And then lockers if 4WD alone isn't enough.

 

[smritte]

With lockers and some more aggressive limited slips, all four tires turn the same, this is why when you turn sharp, the vehicle tries to go straight. In the snow, your driving across a hill with a bit of a slope (sidehill) , the tires are facing across and the vehicle is moving down hill, sideways. In my older vehicles I used mechanical lockers, cant turn them off. This made snow driving interesting. Later I started running selectable (ARB). I would only turn them on if the ground was moderately flat.