Auto Lockers... which one??

[patrolmq]

I've just had my first trip out in my MQ with front and rear auto lockers, which I believe are Aussie lockers or similar- they we already fitted into the axles on another MQ that I got parts off, but I opened up the front and it was identical to the Aussie locker). I have to say, they were ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. I really can't see any reason why you'd spend more on front and rear air locker, then have another 2 things to think about switching on and off.

On the road (in 2WD), there's virtually no difference in the driving. You can go around tight bends and roundabouts as normal, on or off the power as the lockers unlock when the outside wheel goes faster than the inside. There was no audible clicking either. Off road (in 4WD) they are the muts nuts! You don't have to think about them at all. Axle twisters and steep climbs become easy with almost no wheel slip. The only thing you notice is on tight, slippery, weaving tracks (where you are going slow anyway) is the steering isn't as responsive, but lift off the throttle for a second and it comes back, nice and easy. On tracks with reasonable traction you can still use 4WD where you'd normally do so. On normal roads, in 2WD, leaving the hubs locked in has no effect, so you don't have to unlock the hubs until the end of the day when you're back on the black top.

There were steep axle twisting climbs that I did at the weekend, that neither my Delica nor my last GQ patrol would have done (at least not without a struggle in the case of the GQ). The MQ with lockers just walked up.

Attached are a few pics of a decent climb, big diagonally opposite holes, loose dirt and weeks of rain, obviously you can't really see the steepness and holes from the photos, but after years of off-roading, I never thought I would make it up, but it did easily.