Spartan Lockers

[WhistlePig]

If you just put in one Locker put it in the Front. In the Rear your Roxor will buck going around corners on Pavement and is just generally irritating. The Front is made different than the back and it must be installed just right other wise the rear wheel bearings go out fast. By fast I mean in less than 100 miles. All your power is in the Front wheels where the weight of the Engine is. If you want a Locker Front and rear go with the Spartan in Front and a Manual Ox Locker in the rear. Regardless if you have a Locker in front or not, you need the Hub locks to let your front axle freewheel when on pavement or hard ground. I know this from experience, I have a Spartan in Front and Back. By the way check all your Fluid levels. My Roxor was delivered with no grease in the Transfer Case or Transmission. Also my Front Wheel Bearings were completely dry.

I agree with the bucking in corners with a rear spartan, that's a better description than when I said lurching. I am personally a cheap ass, and was influenced by the fact I could get front and rear Spartans for less than the price of 1 ox. I learned to expect when the buck would happen and how to avoid it, and like that approach better than dropping $1k to smooth it out. I'm glad I did both ends for sand and snow, but I have received way more benefit from the rear, as I very rarely use 4wd since installing them. If I lived in a sandy area and was only going to install 1 I think front would be the better way to go. If you are just trying to avoid rolling backwards on hard uneven terrain the rear is a perfect solution, assuming you learn to avoid the bucking.

 

[Harry]

I installed mine on the floor of my tiny garage following the sl08 Rev 1 instructions from mahindra. I don't remember anything too complicated about it. As far as wheel bearings go, I don't see how installing a locker would change the life expectancy, unless they were not packed when reinstalled. I don't think a reputable 4x4 shop would install wheel bearings dry, but I have no other theory for how they could fail.

Not putting the rear center spacer back in takes out the bearings. That is probably the issue being referred to.

 

[WhistlePig]

That makes sense. I suppose not knowing what I was doing may have been an advantage for this project. These are the only lockers I have ever installed, so I followed the instructions pretty close. If other locker setups don't reuse spacers I could see overlooking that step if you install them based on prior experience.

 

[txroadkill]

Roxors 2 piece ear axle is to blame. The spacers set the preloads on the bearings. Without out it they self destruct.


I used to have a TJ with a lock right in the rear. It’s a lunch box locker so essentially the same as the spartan. I later upgraded ti a Detroit. That worked great and not near as noisy or annoying as the lunchbox but drove very similar. You have to get accustomed to coasting thru turns or very light throttle as heavy throttle caused them to make a load pop followed by both axles being locked together. Coast and it’ll “ratchet” thru the turn. Once you get used to their driving characteristics they aren’t that bad but forget just once and they let you know.

 

[Roxor13]

I installed mine on the floor of my tiny garage following the sl08 Rev 1 instructions from mahindra. I don't remember anything too complicated about it. As far as wheel bearings go, I don't see how installing a locker would change the life expectancy, unless they were not packed when reinstalled. I don't think a reputable 4x4 shop would install wheel bearings dry, but I have no other theory for how they could fail.

If the installer does not install the axle spacer correctly or the depth of the bearings, you will end up rebuilding the assembly $$$
It happens all the time even by so called differential repair shops.