[nmzj]

Hey guys I have a question for all you guys that have installed ARB lockers and lockers in general. How hard are they to install? I'm toying with the idea of trying it myself. I've rebuilt an old L-head and installed my lift to give you an idea of my abilities.

Also, the ARB's I have are used, anything to look for before the install?

Lastly, did you remove the axle for the install (to make it easier)?

Thanks,

Jason

 

[Chris_L]

Unless your very mechanical and know how to set up gears/carrier/backlash and have all the special tools, I would leave it to a pro or someone with lots of experience.


Hey--
I just noticed your in Albuquerque, NM. My good friend Alex {handlebars from the jeep forums} just moved there and works as a master tech at the Lexus dealer. He is looking for people to wheel with and is a great friend to have. He drives a red 2 door XJ lifted on 33" MTR's. Look him up.

 

[JayH]

They're not hard to install at all. They require three things really: patience, patience, and more patience. It's not rocket science - things will just need to be redone a few times before everything turns out just right. Grab the literature from Randy's R&P site, read it over a few times, and then dive in.

Make sure you got the right tools (mic, dial indicator, inch pound torque wrench, foot pound torque wrench) and the right parts. If you're swapping gears at the same time, there are some nuances with the ZJ D30's.

Jay

 

[rreed]

New seals, new shims/crush sleeve, new bearings (most of that will be included in the new master install kit that you need to get), new o-rings especially for the ARB locker (make sure to get the brown one, the others were known to leak). I'm running them f/r on the CJ and love them.
Oh, and have a seasoned, professional gear shop do it. Doing gears correctly is an exact, involved science requiring specialized tools and if not done properly can result in busted gears/lockers. People may scoff, but I laugh at the JAs who pry theirs out w/ a pry bar and beat them back in with a hammer and wonder why they grenade their rear end in the drive way two weeks later.

 

[JayH]

Doing gears correctly is an exact, involved science requiring specialized tools and if not done properly can result in busted gears/lockers. People may scoff, but I laugh at the JAs who pry theirs out w/ a pry bar and beat them back in with a hammer and wonder why they grenade their rear end in the drive way two weeks later.

That's funny, this is exactly how we removed and installed the carrier a number of times while getting the preload/backlash correct. This thing has been in all season, used well and hard, and is still working quite well. I guess I have to laugh at the JAs who think that it can't be done that way and wonder if they've ever tried. ant:

If you really want to do the job yourself, don't let anyone scare you away. It can be done on the floor of your garage with no experience, the right tools, a proper understanding of what's happening inside the diff, and oh, did i mention 'patience'?

Jay