chinese locker update

[Bloodyaussie]

I hate more than buying something cheap and it letting me down is something I paid big dollars for and it let me down....!!!!!!!

I will be changing my diff oil in the next 2 days and I will report what I find... I have done some hard driving in the last few months so it should be interesting.

[lhurley]

Unless their fact behind those words there fella, I don't believe it. A large number of items you touch and see everyday come from China, Taiwan, India and some countries in Europe you would never expect to.

I am a big believer of you get what you pay for. But sometime I see things as you get what you've paid too much for. Now to go put my flame proof suit on.

Couldnt agree with you more. For me, a locker isnt justifiable at what ever absurd price arb ones go for ($1500 i think). I guess im kinda cheap, but that kind of money for an average joe blow that uses a locker once or twice a month is ridiculous.

A lot of people say, if you cant afford/justify an arb locker, go buy an auto locker, well, thats all good and well, but i dont want a locker all the time, i want a locker to get me out not to get me in.

[mudski]

Don't bring the auto vs manual locker debate into this. Lol.
To put it plain. I'm happy with my purchase, and the price. Its worked, and very well.

[rottodiver]

My front Arb locker has now been in 3 patrols (a manual 4.5 petrol then an auto 4.5 petrol and recently in a 3 litre diesel) my rear went In the 2 petrol patrols but couldn't go in the 3 litre diesel as was a large diff and is now in a race car gu patrol and both are still as new. They are about 7 years old and were fairly abused in the early days as I really didn't know how to use them effectively and flicked them on and off like a light switch.. I really don't believe the cheap Chinese ones are designed to last that long and to be honest I would rather have something proven if I was in the outback compared to "hoping a Chinese type one would last the trip"(could work out a lot more expensive). I believe most people here would have a similar attitude to this or we would all be attempting to cross the simpson or touring Australia in a "Great Wall".

No dis respect to the people that opt for the Chinese ones as this is just my opinion

[taslucas]

My front Arb locker has now been in 3 patrols (a manual 4.5 petrol then an auto 4.5 petrol and recently in a 3 litre diesel) my rear went In the 2 petrol patrols but couldn't go in the 3 litre diesel as was a large diff and is now in a race car gu patrol and both are still as new. They are about 7 years old and were fairly abused in the early days as I really didn't know how to use them effectively and flicked them on and off like a light switch.. I really don't believe the cheap Chinese ones are designed to last that long and to be honest I would rather have something proven if I was in the outback compared to "hoping a Chinese type one would last the trip"(could work out a lot more expensive). I believe most people here would have a similar attitude to this or we would all be attempting to cross the simpson or touring Australia in a "Great Wall".

No dis respect to the people that opt for the Chinese ones as this is just my opinion

Totally allowed your own opinion but this thread was started to list the facts and performance of someone that fitted a certain product. It should not be filled with assumptions from people that don't have that product. There's many products I would not want to take across the Simpson but firstly, I still want to hear first person accounts about them, and secondly, I'm never going to be driving across the Simpson!
It's the same story with cheap brand winches. You hear good and bad reviews at the same time and 5 years ago hardly anyone would go near a cheapy but these days a lot of people have them. Now im all about quality that lasts but Im also all for hearing facts not assumptions

[Bloodyaussie]

Totally allowed your own opinion but this thread was started to list the facts and performance of someone that fitted a certain product. It should not be filled with assumptions from people that don't have that product. There's many products I would not want to take across the Simpson but firstly, I still want to hear first person accounts about them, and secondly, I'm never going to be driving across the Simpson!
It's the same story with cheap brand winches. You hear good and bad reviews at the same time and 5 years ago hardly anyone would go near a cheapy but these days a lot of people have them. Now im all about quality that lasts but Im also all for hearing facts not assumptions

Here here my good man!!!!

[mudski]

If I could have afforded an ARB or any Brand locker I would have gone down that track. Trust me.
I spent I reckon around 8 months trying to get some hard facts on this Chinese locker. (pretty much since I purchased the car). The only thing I found was an ARB video of them comparing the two, a bit biased I thought. There was plenty of people saying they're shit, I found numerous people over various forums who have bought them and said they had no issues with it. But I failed to find one who had a locker fail due to its quality and wasn't from abuse. I failed to find one person stating they had one and it failed actually.
So after months of scouring the net the best I could, I decided to make my own assumption that they mustn't be as bad as everyone thinks and went against the grain and purchased one. Fitment of the compressor was easy, wiring, even easier. One thing I noticed that even the coloured wires, some of the wires with two colours on them, is identical to the ARB diagram, all plug and pray.
Fitting the centre I had someone who knew what they were doing do that bit. Just getting the copper tube sitting in the right position was a down right PITA. But got it in the end.
From what I see and what I believe is, the locker I have is the old ARB locker. The newer designed ARB locker now has the ring that supplies the air to the centre on the opposite side now which would make life a whole lot easier. Although I still did find the ARB install manual for my exact style locker. Which was good.
Now. I'm happy. Everyones happy, scooby dooby doo! If my locker does fail, I will be on here like a bull at a gate. Lol!!!

Peace brothers...

[threedogs]

Im getting a PRO locker no if or buts ,had that and an ARB job in my last 4x4,
Point I'm try to make is TJM now allow you to pay off your locker bit by bit
some no excuse for not fitting a Pro locker Pay what you can when you can

[liftlid]

Until an item has been run in a vehicle for 100,000 km plus your not going to know its quality, you will get good quality from china IF the company in Australia demands good quality and that company has good quality control. Don't blame china for selling what has been asked for in the first place!
Putting an item in a weekend warrior / rock crawler may not be a good test for a diff as its not getting the constant heat build up that high speed gives. There is my 6 cents worth!!!!! Lol

[First Patrol]

When this first post started I thought omg what is he doing!!!!!!
But upon hearing reports and doing my own research I'm am now leaning this way too.
We all know arb is a bit over priced but good. But there always gonna be competition out there. Have a look round your house, workshop and even your car and see what's NOT made in china lol .
IMO future generations are gonna need to speak Chinese cos that's the way this world is going

Cheers