Spartan Locker

[Damotee]

Hi all, I recently leaned about the Spartan locker after reading of it in another thread. It has me very interested, but I have a few questions for anyone experienced with them. It would be for the rear.

1. In the event that it fails, can the original spider gears be put back in the Jeep?
2. Does it impact on fuel economy?
3. Is there a risk of the drive train binding?
4. Are there any special maintenance requirements?
5. Your experience with the locker?

I would install it myself as it seems fairly straight forward.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Juggar]

Hi all, I recently leaned about the Spartan locker after reading of it in another thread. It has me very interested, but I have a few questions for anyone experienced with them. It would be for the rear.

1. In the event that it fails, can the original spider gears be put back in the Jeep?
2. Does it impact on fuel economy?
3. Is there a risk of the drive train binding?
4. Are there any special maintenance requirements?
5. Your experience with the locker?

I would install it myself as it seems fairly straight forward.

Thanks everyone!

I just had one installed.

Not sure on 1.

I have not noticed any decrease in fuel economy.

It unlocks with enough force applied to it when turning so its impossible for it to "bind". The clicking you hear when turning means its unlocked.

No special maint that I know of.

My experience has been very positive, works very well and I took it on a very rough dirt road up a mountain and it was night and day compared to the open diff before.

 

[Akley88]

I just had one installed.

Not sure on 1.

I have not noticed any decrease in fuel economy.

It unlocks with enough force applied to it when turning so its impossible for it to "bind". The clicking you hear when turning means its unlocked.

No special maint that I know of.

My experience has been very positive, works very well and I took it on a very rough dirt road up a mountain and it was night and day compared to the open diff before.

do mind let me know roughly how much it cost to get it installed?

 

[Juggar]

do mind let me know roughly how much it cost to get it installed?

I had them flush trans, install my EBC rotors, brake pads all 4 corners (and rear speed sensors) and fully rebuild the e-Brake/ w new shoes + the locker install and it all cost about $750.

I supplied all major parts.

I think the locker accounted for about $300 of labor + parts. They obliviously had to put new gear oil in as well and replace the axle seals. They supplied oil and seals.

I will say it shifts smoother, brakes are much improved and the increased traction off road (even in RWD only) is vastly improved. My e-Brake works now which is very nice. Very worth it.

You will roughly spend the same on the install as the locker cost. So figure $700-$750 total. If you know a shade tree mechanic you might be able to get the cost down a lot on the install.

 

[tjkj2002]

The spartan locker is a "lunchbox locker" that only replaces the spiders gears in the weak OE carrier.

Should only take 30-45mins max to install in your own driveway.

 

[Juggar]

Should only take 30-45mins max to install in your own driveway.

Not something everyone can do. The directions that come with the locker are poor and gave the shop a bit a small hangup.

I would not recommend anyone install this without prior experience working with diffs/lockers.

If I had a lift, I would have done it but I dont. So I pay a guy until I can buy my own house and install a lift.

 

[Damotee]

So just so my understanding of this locker is clear, the way it works in the rear is that it's 'always on' and only engages when it loses traction. It does not need 4WD to be engaged for it to activate. Is that right?

I have a front air locker and it only works when I flip the switch and turn it on.

 

[sota]

So just so my understanding of this locker is clear, the way it works in the rear is that it's 'always on' and only engages when it loses traction. It does not need 4WD to be engaged for it to activate. Is that right?

I have a front air locker and it only works when I flip the switch and turn it on.

backwards.

spartan is a lunchbox locker, which means it's always "on" until enough disparate force is applied to opposite sides, at which time it "unlocks" to allow each wheel to spin at different rates.

basically, until you're in a turn, it acts like a spool. then once you're in a turn, it acts like an open diff.

 

[tommudd]

So just so my understanding of this locker is clear, the way it works in the rear is that it's 'always on' and only engages when it loses traction. It does not need 4WD to be engaged for it to activate. Is that right?

I have a front air locker and it only works when I flip the switch and turn it on.

And what I would have in the rear as well

 

[Damotee]

And what I would have in the rear as well

Any particular reason for the rear air locker over the Spartan? I like my front air locker but it is a lot more expensive than the Spartan..

 

[sleepyjim]

Got Spartan in rear and love it!

Jim

 

[Juggar]

Any particular reason for the rear air locker over the Spartan? I like my front air locker but it is a lot more expensive than the Spartan..

When I made my decision, it was because of cost and how serious I was about off roading.

I dont do any serious off roading but there are trails where I live that are only accessible by jeeps and the like. The Spartan locker really helped when I went on those trails recently.

The spartan locker can be had for about $300, a good ARB air locker is about $1000. They requires air compressors, I did not need that hassle or cost. If you are truly serious about ******** off roading then perhaps, but I personally am not. And did not want to invest that kind of money into a locker on a salvage 2007 liberty.

 

[Myke]

You can reuse your spider gears if you break the spartan but you'll be more likely to break the carrier.

I have never worked on a diff before installing my spartan and it took me about 2 hours to do laying in the street in front of my house. I forgot to put the c-clips back on the axles and had to redo it. It would take me about 30 minutes to install one again.

I would suggest watching this video first if your totally clueless
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYAw79386WI

then this video on how to install a spartan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHQJyTF7_9g

Tools required: 2 Jack stands, 1 jack, 10mm/12mm/13mm sockets to remove diff cover and rear brake calipers, 6mm or 8mm wrench to remove carrier pin retaining bolt, snips/wire cutters.

If you're installing a locker I would also suggest stepping up to a heavier weight NON-synthetic gear oil. I suggest this because if you're needing a locker you're probably putting more stress on the axle offroading/towing etc and not because of the locker alone.

I don't know the details behind it exactly but Currie will only use non-synthetic and I believe it's due to how the gear oil sticks to the gears.

 

[Damotee]

Thanks for the info Myke!

My main reason for wanting one is piece of mind offroad. We go camping/fishing fairly often in some remote places, typically involving sand or mud. Getting bogged etc in the middle of nowhere is frustrating. Plus i dont like being the butt of 'Jeep jokes' when it does happen..

My front air locker was installed by the previous owner so thankfully i didnt have to fork out for that one. This Spartan seems like an affordable and effective upgrade for the rear.

I watched this video about the noise it makes. Has yours ever made that loud clunk sound? The whole vehicle seemed to jump! Had me a bit worried, like the housing exploded or something!

https://youtu.be/Mi7ze7149HE?t=97

 

[tommudd]

When I made my decision, it was because of cost and how serious I was about off roading.

I dont do any serious off roading but there are trails where I live that are only accessible by jeeps and the like. The Spartan locker really helped when I went on those trails recently.

The spartan locker can be had for about $300, a good ARB air locker is about $1000. They requires air compressors, I did not need that hassle or cost. If you are truly serious about ******** off roading then perhaps, but I personally am not. And did not want to invest that kind of money into a locker on a salvage 2007 liberty.

ARB has nothing to do with just off roading, good on and off road both if snowy conditions, would never run a lunch box style locker, have in the past and hated them from the get go. ( on two different XJs ) Removed both and went with a proper locker.
May cost more but building any 4x4 right costs more in the long run

 

[hadtomer]

currently running an aussie locker rear and a trutrac front. much like the spartan in that matter. if installed right-it's hard to know you have it installed.

had ARB on my previous rigs and did not like it at all-not because of price but because of problems while offroading. we wheel a LOT and usually it's on vey hard terrain- see my signature for an example. with an ARB or OX you have to stop and think- "do i need to lock the rear?" which is ok if you can see the challenge in front of you- but sometimes you get into situations where you get into trouble and then you need to act fast- and you can't go back. and you dont have those 3 seconds for the compressor to work.

Ran into such a problem a few days ago- an innocent trail to a mountain top in the galilee- a friend's toyota hilux (you call those TACOMA) was climbing an easy hill-( and he was like "should have brought my subaru for this shit) when the left side of the trail went loose and fell from under his wheel and he INTANTLY went into trouble cause all the power went to the wheel in the air and he was about to flip the toyota- so- he had to stop - and then trun on his ARB- and that was a big no no because he had no way of gaining traction- a bad combination of the time it took the ARB to work- very precious 3 seconds- and the fact that you have to stop- so anyway the WJ in front of him had to winch him out. when stuff like that happens to me i dont have a problem cause my aussie locker is always engaged.

As funny as it might sound- i am not using a locker thar can be turned off and on BECAUSE i go offroad.

 

[Myke]

My tires are louder than the clicking noise. You can only really hear it if you pay attention while making a super sharp turn like pulling into our out of a parking spot with the wheels turned all the way. Even then it kinda sounds like someone is turning a ratchet in your cargo area slowly.

I've never had it pop or jerk and honestly I couldn't tell you when it unlocks because it's that smooth.

I have never used any lockers before this one but I liked it so much I bought a Detroit which is the same style except it replaces the carrier too for my xj. Eventually I'll do an ox or a trutrac up front in both the KJ and xj. I like the ox over the arb because you can go with an electronic actuator and if you break the actuator you can screw In a piece kinda like a bolt that causes the diff to stay locked.

Everyone I know that has an arb has had issues with the airlines coming off or leaking on a trail ride. Though I do give them credit for being a very tough locker when they do work. Another option is the Yukon air locker.

 

[tjkj2002]

Everyone I know that has an arb has had issues with the airlines coming off or leaking on a trail ride. Though I do give them credit for being a very tough locker when they do work. Another option is the Yukon air locker.

14 years with ARB's in my old KJ and not 1 problem and I've wheeled it hard.

Skip the yukon version,cheap china made knockoff that will fail pretty easily.

 

[Juggar]

ARB has nothing to do with just off roading, good on and off road both if snowy conditions, would never run a lunch box style locker, have in the past and hated them from the get go. ( on two different XJs ) Removed both and went with a proper locker.
May cost more but building any 4x4 right costs more in the long run

Whats right for you, isn't right for everyone else. Like I said, im not going to need an air locker for what im doing. It is not justifiable.

Im sure many are in the same boat.

 

[tjkj2002]

Whats right for you, isn't right for everyone else. Like I said, im not going to need an air locker for what im doing. It is not justifiable.

Im sure many are in the same boat.

The ARB is much more street friendly than a lunchbox locker and your not venturing offroad enough to warrant a auto locker,LSD at best would better suit you.

If you want a auto locker I'd highly recommend the Detroit locker(full case locker),much cheaper than a ARB and a 100,000,000 times better than any lunchbox locker.