E-locker a Reality.

Need to get it on one of those rolling ramps they use to demonstrate various AWD systems, set all wheels to spin but one. It should climb no problems, no wheelspin (at least on the rear anyway)

Like this: https://youtu.be/ooQRxlChvMw
 
Gee Matt, you’d reckon I have never been off the black stuff before. It’s all good, I know what I am doing
 
Ben Up North said:
Need to get it on one of those rolling ramps they use to demonstrate various AWD systems, set all wheels to spin but one. It should climb no problems, no wheelspin (at least on the rear anyway)

Like this: https://youtu.be/ooQRxlChvMw
Click to expand...

That looks like a nice test for what it is: road/ice.

It is not an off-road simulation. The incline is too mellow.

Knowing what mine does, I will be shocked if a stock Subaru is capable of climbing a steep loose hill on one rear wheel. The issue is that the front is unloaded, even with wheels touching the ground, which results in a burnout no matter how careful you are. The car MIGHT get moving, eventually, even with the rears on loose terrain, but on just one rear wheel? I cannot see it. In fact, on one of the pics I posted in my review, the car could not move from stop at all. It was just spinning this wheel and that wheel and going nowhere as the VDC could not cope with the looseness+steepness of the spot. This is what happens without a locking center and without low range. It is great on slippery paved and dirt roads, but when the going gets rough it shows it was not engineered for serious off-road work.
 
MiddleAgeSubie said:
That looks like a nice test for what it is: road/ice.

It is not an off-road simulation. The incline is too mellow.
Click to expand...

It would show the lockers in action though wouldn't it? If the centre lock and rear locks were engaged, the opposite wheel to the one with grip shouldn't spin at all, and theoretically the front wheels wont spin either because of the center lock.

Or is that not theway the lockers work? Kinda seems silly to do all the work if the wheels still spin (as opposed to turn) when no resistance..
 
Firstly I am a bit surprised more people haven’t shown interest in this development. It would explain why there is little commercial interest.

Secondly, I imagine one of the front wheels might momentarily slip, but no more than that. It might barely be noticeable.
 
Ben Up North said:
It would show the lockers in action though wouldn't it? If the centre lock and rear locks were engaged, the opposite wheel to the one with grip shouldn't spin at all, and theoretically the front wheels wont spin either because of the center lock.

Or is that not theway the lockers work? Kinda seems silly to do all the work if the wheels still spin (as opposed to turn) when no resistance..
Click to expand...

My bad, if you are talking actual lockers, as Rally has, then yes, it should do the trick. I was talking stock car with VDC.
 
Rally said:
Firstly I am a bit surprised more people haven’t shown interest in this development. It would explain why there is little commercial interest.
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Cost! And as yet not proven.
 
Everything comes to how much its cost. Your locker cost more then whole car.here those older foresters cost less then 1k. So no matter how good it is in car main reason why most ppl buy foresters its that they cheap. And long travel shocks and lockers and other stuff in them its making them cost morenthen some big 4x4.
But people need to see it to believe it. Meaning seeing results seeing comparisons. How its goes what it does and such.then i think more people would be interested
 
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I meant interest in a technical or user sense, not commercial interest. Just an observation and an insight perhaps as to what people want and don't want
 
Ohh im very on to to have locker but not for that price. So interest starts falling after you know price.
Before i knew anything about subaru awd i had no idea how anything of it works and was not interested into it. I just bought fwd car, but later as i watched videos and read about what they can do and how they go i was sold.
I think people need info need videos and reading about it.
Same as i first time sae in video what solid axle lockers do. Really all it needs its just comparison video even 2 min long if its shown simple and clear how it works its enough.
If i would see what miracles does subaru e locker i might think that i could get it someday
 
Anyone who's been around the chewed up tracks with kitted out 4wds coming through would have seen first hand the difference a locker makes. Perth's Mundaring Powerlines is full of Land Trolls getting hung up with diagonal wheels spinning helplessly. The 1 in 20 with a locked diff drives through like its tarmac. Even my mate with a 2wd diff locked Falcon makes the open diffed 4wds look silly, I'm sure some of you have seen his videos.
Locked 2wd (0:08 and 2:23)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jESzRs3XoFE
Unlocked 4wd
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMpYG3JQ-7U"]Mundaring Powerlines 11/6/16 - YouTube[/ame]

Centre and rear locked in a vehicle as light as a Forester is always going to be a weapon. I image the low range will become the thing you wish you could upgrade further, but depends where you drive. I also like how you've got the larger axles as the standard axles are so skinny compared to most 4wds. It's just a shame there's so much work involved, but I really like the end result.
 
I would say that most of us think that it is too complicated to build an e-locker or don't have the skills or are just not interested in the technique and just want a plug and play upgrade.

I didn't get much interest for the Hotbits either...!
 
I think that the above posts have it all covered:

--it is a fantastic job, no doubt! I would love to see this Foz rocking the US Southwest.
--but not many would be interested to go that far, for a variety of reasons.

Fingers crossed you will be able to use this car for a long time. It is one of a kind!
 
for me its just price. i would put it inside myself.all goes just into money. if not i would put long travels and e locker .
 
Red XS said:
Anyone who's been around the chewed up tracks with kitted out 4wds coming through would have seen first hand the difference a locker makes. Perth's Mundaring Powerlines is full of Land Trolls getting hung up with diagonal wheels spinning helplessly. The 1 in 20 with a locked diff drives through like its tarmac. Even my mate with a 2wd diff locked Falcon makes the open diffed 4wds look silly, I'm sure some of you have seen his videos.
Locked 2wd (0:08 and 2:23)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jESzRs3XoFE
Unlocked 4wd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMpYG3JQ-7U

Centre and rear locked in a vehicle as light as a Forester is always going to be a weapon. I image the low range will become the thing you wish you could upgrade further, but depends where you drive. I also like how you've got the larger axles as the standard axles are so skinny compared to most 4wds. It's just a shame there's so much work involved, but I really like the end result.
Click to expand...

going down maybe its enough to lock 2wd. but yeah open diff 4wd cars dont go far.
e locker or any other type of locker is very cool and all, but still does it changes everything like completely ? are there things you never could do before that you could do now with locker , places you could go now ? thats info what we need . to see it to believe it .
 
Falcon drives down and up in this video, Outback with stock drive system doesn't have a chance at getting up. A better line could have got him past the first mound, but just put him in a more awkward position for the next bit. If the Falcon left his diff open he'd be in the same situation as the Outback. Complete power loss when a wheel is in the air.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jESzRs3XoFE&t=8s"]Underdog Offroad, Mundaring powerlines and back bush - YouTube[/ame]
This Forester has centre locker and front and rear LSDs. It makes the track possible, but a rear locker would make the drive easier to control.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-XpScxgrEg"]Subaru Forester Mundaring Powerlines Track - YouTube[/ame]
 
I think that with non-VDC cars everything is clear. Things get muddied when different VDC-like systems come into play.

VDC solves the wheel in air issue whereas LSDs do not. There is a reason why Land Cruisers, at least here, have not had locking front and rear since 2000. The problem is that no matter how aggressively VDC/A-Trac/BLD is programmed, it won't be enough on a steep enough and rocky enough climb. Traditional lockers are often said to be an issue on diagonal muddy climbs, not an advantage.
 
Rally said:
I meant interest in a technical or user sense, not commercial interest. Just an observation and an insight perhaps as to what people want and don't want
Click to expand...

Ok, so how much lock does dccd provide? Does it really lock? Because if you can fully lock the center and the rear as on a full time 4x4 system, then I assume you can start worrying about the robustness of the various parts. Slippage prevents drivetrain breakdowns. Otoh, street tires will probably never have enough grip for anything to break:lol:
 
Rally, I'm keen as mustard! What's stopping me:
1) young family
2) cost of and access to parts
3) how to mate the r180 diff to the L series rear shafts or beefed shafts to the L series outer stub axles
4) too many other projects on the go

I've always thought it could be done with an r180 diff - apparently ARB used to make an air locker for them back in the day. I've also *heard* that the factory Nissan r180 live axle diff lock will fit in the r180 I dependant diff housing...

Options options.

Definitely something I've always wanted to do since having a welded rear diff - point and shoot off-roader with that diff. Having the AWD gearbox killed that mod plus I missed the 4wd on the fly that the L series offered too ;)

I'm hoping I'll get there one day!

Cheers

Bennie
 
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