The mod you regret the most....

[Rzeppa]

I personally didn’t like the Lockrite in my 60. The one wheel drive most of the time was annoying. Especially around town.

That's a fairly common issue when the thrust washers aren't sized correctly. That's a reason I always get a complete set of thrust washers when installing a new Lockright. FWIW, when I wheeled your FJ60 at Cruise Moab 2012, I did not experience any problems with your rear, but I didn't do a lot of parking lot maneuvers other than when I filled up your (enormous) fuel tanks LOL!

 

[Cruisertrash]

@rover67 What do you mean “one wheel drive”? I currently have an open diff, so that’s essentially where I’m at. Do you mean it wouldn’t lock up when you wanted it to?

@Rzeppa The Detroit sure looks nice, but yes it’s much more expensive. I wish Ox Locker made something for our 9.5” Toyota diffs - the idea of a selectable, CABLE actuated locker makes a lot of sense to me versus an air actuated one. I do most of my own work, but setting preload with thrust washers seems like something where experience greatly benefits the labor - I’d probably pay somebody with knowledge or a shop to do it for me. Maybe I’d try it on my own, I usually swing way over my head anyway haha.

Well .... back to mods we regret.

 

[Rzeppa]

It's not clear to me what Marco meant about "One wheel drive" I'd speculate that one side was releasing and the other side would stay locked. The way Lockrights (and Aussies) work is that they have these couplers and drivers with these squarish teeth between them, instead of the regular side gears that drive the spiders gears, with these lockers there are no spider gears. They are spring loaded and under less power (and proper thrust clearances) allow the outside wheel to make more revolutions than the inside wheel when turning on pavement. Under more power, the couplers are driven into the teeth of the drivers by the cross shaft and it locks up. Once you look at the design when installing into the differential this becomes way easier to understand than what I can write with words here.

I really did have one wheel drive while returning from a Cruise Moab prerun in 2000, I broke an axle (left rear) in my HZJ75 on Poison Spider Mesa. Because the HJZ75 has a full floating rear the axle didn't walk out of the housing the way Matt Farr's did on Elephant hill a couple years later, the wheel was held in there but had no drive component. I limped off the trail in three wheel drive and drove home on I-70 in one wheel drive, due to the Lockright I had in the back of that rig still delivering power to the right wheel. If I didn't have the Lockright, the workaround would have been driving home in front wheel drive. FYI: A rear disk brake conversion is called "poor man's FF" because the calipers on the rotors keep the broken axle from walking out of the shaft.

Detroit lockers are widely respected as way stronger than Lockrights, but also way more expensive and much more involved to install. Like Lockrights (and Aussie Lockers) they are an automatic locker and don't require a outside action to actuate such as elecctric lockers or cable lockers.

Lockrights and Aussie lockers do not involve setting preload, just getting the clearances right with the proper thickness thrust washers. It isn't difficult or complicated. It just takes some patience. Toyota made cable actuated lockers for a lot of their non-USA spec rigs. Former Rising Sun member Gary Coberly (sp?) put those into his sweet HJ61. I think the mechanism is similar to electric lockers on FJZ80s (and maybe electric locked Tacos and Runners) but there is no actuating motor and harness.

Back on the regrets, I have known LOTS of people who have experienced issues with their ARBs (all due to air issues) but I am not aware of anyone who actually "regrets" installing and ARB. They seem to be strong, I am unaware first hand of anyone breaking one.

 

[rover67]

@rover67 What do you mean “one wheel drive”? I currently have an open diff, so that’s essentially where I’m at. Do you mean it wouldn’t lock up when you wanted it to?

@Rzeppa The Detroit sure looks nice, but yes it’s much more expensive. I wish Ox Locker made something for our 9.5” Toyota diffs - the idea of a selectable, CABLE actuated locker makes a lot of sense to me versus an air actuated one. I do most of my own work, but setting preload with thrust washers seems like something where experience greatly benefits the labor - I’d probably pay somebody with knowledge or a shop to do it for me. Maybe I’d try it on my own, I usually swing way over my head anyway haha.

Well .... back to mods we regret.

when you are going around a corner it ratchets basically, no drama. hit the gas and it'll lock one side untill the other side comes up on the ramp them locks it too. in other words its one wheel pulling till the slack is out of the system and both lock. so, truly if it is not locked on both sides its one wheel drive. you feel it pushing out of corners and stuff when driven harder. if you just kinda cruise around you don't feel it much but on inconsistent road surfaces and driven semi aggressively you feel lit and it'll push the nose of the tuck around. The device does not allow either wheel to be actually driven at different speeds, it just allows one side to ratchet when it's not loaded hard by the pin going through the carrier, then power on both eventually lock. It just kinda jerks you around a bit. no real big deal but it can get annoying.

Jeff can probably clarify as my description is probably not entirely accurate. He probably knows how to drive one better also. technique goes into driving them if you don't want them to jerk around a bunch. BUT they work. and they can be driven around bunch if you don't mind how they act and the popping and banging. when you get used to it you'll stop worrying that you just blew teeth off the ring gear or pinion..

 

[LARGEONE]

My Aussie never made a lot of noise. Just a little clicking sound when going around a turn...one wheel spinning slightly faster than the other. Never had harsh pops or anything like that.

 

[Corbet]

Half assed wiring. Even with inline fuses I had a fire.

 

[Telly]

Mine is thinking bigger tires would be the answer just like others have mentioned. I thought 35's on my FJ60 would be make a difference with highway RPM's and off-roading clearance but quickly realized the benefit would not be worth the effort. Decided to sell the 35's and go back to 33's before going down the rabbit hole of revamping the suspension system to make it all fit and drive properly.

 

[Corbet]

I would probably regret my 37's if I daily drove my truck. But as its just a family toy, wheeler and road tripper I'm completely happy with them. One finger on the wheel at 80 when done correctly on an 80 Series.

 

[llewdis]

Not learning to weld several years before I did.

That by far is the best and most relatable regret I have read in this thread!

 

[Lastresort576]

So far on my 80 there’s nothing I really regret. But there’s also not much more than it being part timed done to it.

if I had to say it’d be using the procomp es9000 shocks. I really need to get rid of them.

 

[twentyfooteighty]

my biggest mistake was going 35s before 4.88s. Made me hate driving my 80.