Lockers vs Open Diffs

For anyone in doubt to take diff lockers.
Check also videos of a fully locked Patrol, a Discovery with electronics and an Triton with LSD (I think) on this track. Search my channel on "Tiffs Hill". Enjoy!
Like those vans? Join us at Facebook at 'Mitsubishi L300 Offroad' / 575769975865083
See you there!

[@Alienking01]

the bird is driving me crazy

[@IROCKID]

I think it’s something wrong with one the trucks isn’t it??

[@martinadamek7154]

It is bird? I though it is some metal to metal rotation without oil. It is maybe his defense mechanisme, to annoy all live beings and push them away of his area :D

[@ilovetheusa1964]

Really enjoyed the video, reminded me of my younger years.

[@Gotdurt]

I assume he finally made it up, but I just couldn't handle those birds long enough to see, lol

[@artemusp.folgelmeyer4821]

Been off roading since I was a kid. Drove California foothill 4wd "Jeep" trails. In those days, there were NO "lockers"...everything was "open". Been in situations just like this, and had the same kind of trouble this guy did, but as others commented, a better line could have been taken. Have an FJ Cruiser with the electric locker in the rear, but to date it has gotten me in more trouble than out of trouble, priimarily due to mud and snow applications rather than the dry conditions here.

[@MartinVanMan]

I love to have control over my diff, behaving open or closed. But I agree as long as you can get grip by having enough flex, a good line and grippy tyres a diff lock isn't really needed.

[@davidesabelli1193]

Challenging off-roading with open differentials is a "circus juggler" thing. Open differentials are only used on paved roads, already on a dirt road it is always the case to lock the central one (for those who have it) and when off-road becomes demanding, ALWAYS close all the differentials that can be closed. This is the "serious" way to go off-roading.

[@franktechmaniac7488]

A few rain drops and the party for cars with open diffs is over.

[@izzumitech9287]

nice video thanks to posting it is very important to has a van with two locked differential

[@stufoo]

Never thought I’d say it but dude I want a van

[@fourbypete]

Also, thumbs up for getting up there.

[@MartinVanMan]

Wowantonlavey: the driver of the van without the lockers is very capable offroad with plenty of experience with his van. Sirtubemaster: good point. But I have seen everyone struggling on this bit of track so I rated myself going up unlocked as pretty unlikely. Trying hard 'like you stole it' is fun, I agree, but there is a good chance of tearing up the track and breaking cv-joints.

[@martinadamek7154]

Great movie, super comparison

[@x-man4702]

Wicked! Mini vans 4x4!!

[@user-charlieccchong]

Eye opening, now do I know that passenger van if equipped properly ( MT tyres and Locker) is able to be as good as other dedicated 4x4. Thanks. Was the Mitsubishi van 2x2?

[@Mr_Green52]

It was 4x4

[@MartinVanMan]

BREAKING NEWS: The second van does have a LSD in the rear (not the drug: Limited Slip Differential!). I already wondered at the time how RumBUS would get up this rough track. This proves the point of using diff lockers even more!

[@airbats801]

doesnt look like it was working very well? Maybe he needs a little ebrake to lock it up. Either way, fully locked is definitely better, but I do quite well in my 88 montero swb g54bt and lsd only :). Plan next year is to head down there and pickup a early 80s l300 4wd, caravan around, then import it back to the states after a month or 2

[@jamesbronz]

On that first run, it went up that hill like a tank. lol wow

[@kummarek9760]

which locks used?

[@karlwebster9497]

What sort of diff lockers are using very interested as I've just bought an L300 and want to have full 4WD capability thanks very much any info would be appreciated live in Australia

[@MartinVanMan]

At that time I had a welded front diff and air locked rear diff. Today that rear diff is still doing its job, while the front diff has been upgraded to a rare low pinion 8" front diff from a Pajero NG, fitted with a Goanna auto locker. Works great!

[@wowantonlavey]

looks like a good off road driver with lockers vs a not so good driver with out. That said lockers are pretty damned beastly.

[@ka4172]

Put in LSD axel non LSD gearoil and the LSD clutch plates "glue" together and lock near 100% ha ha.We have this problem on several LSD where the customer use the wrong (non LSD) gear oil (Hilux;Supra) ! Maybe it helps offroad.But its also lock 100% on the street !

[@musafirhoon9259]

Hey Martin ... liked your stuff very much .. infact i my self planing to buy a van like yours would you like to tell me about the fuel economy of this van ? mpg ?

[@MartinVanMan]

Musafir Hoon : These L300 vans use about 1 litre of petrol (or gas if you are from the USA) per 7.5 km on average. That's with 31" x 10.5 tyres and some extra weight for bar work and light camper interior. When I got it in 2007 I frequently got about 10 km per litre on the highway with the stock tyres, which are way skinnier. The diesel version is only a little bit less thirsty but also has less power. I am sure you can convert the numbers to mpg.

[@musafirhoon9259]

Thanks martin .... you gave the right answer which i want to know . hopefully i will got a van like yours someday in future :) thanks for ur reply

[@user-ym7ix4sv4e]

Как готовились машины можно будет показать?

[@stanthology]

Love the van. I wish they sold them in the US. Is it like the toyota Previa?

[@MartinVanMan]

+stanthology The Previa (or Tarago as we call them here) wouldn't have Low Gear I believe. Nor would have the clearance and approach angle to do any of this stuff. But I am happy to be proven wrong, let me know if you find a Previa doing off-road stuff!

[@stanthology]

I owned a Previa. The old battleaxe blew another head gasket in it by shutting it off after flying down the highway for hours. (just because it had a little sign on the fuel pump," shut off engine before pumping gas") I didn't have the heart to fix it. The Previa was not intended for use like the Mitsubishi.. I was thinking how nice it would be to get a 1960s small Ford van and stick the axles and running gear from a Jeep or some other four wheel drive vehicle under it. But then I remembered I want to drive out west before my funeral so I just bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited from Florida for $3,000. 130k miles. Not a speck of rust. I thought about it. Maybe they did import those vans.

[@fourbypete]

Is that new Mill road your talking about or just an off shoot? If there is a creek at the bottom it's either old Mill or New Mill. It also looks like one of the side roads off German point road.

[@MartinVanMan]

+fourbypete It was close to the Pines camping area in the Watagans, NSW. I think it is called Creek Rd. Where can I find the Old and New Mill Rds?? I am happy to give it a crack, even if it is in another state.

[@fourbypete]

+Martin VanMan Your in the general area, left off Watagan forest road is wollembi forest road then creek road then a logging trail (dead end) then new mill road. New mill road then becomes old mill road. I think it comes out on Watagan forest road or wollembi road. I've spent 20 years driving through the Watagan trails, I reckon I've driven about 80% between Wyong and Freemans waterholes.

[@MartinVanMan]

I think we are talking the same track. Been in the Watagans 15 - 20 times now, but keep getting lost with any map. Google Maps shows Creek Rd, Short N Rd and halls Rd. OSMand shows also Ironman Point Rd and that's about it. I am sure you are right about Mills Rds as I have seen other KZbin movies, just can't get my head around it. What kind of gps are you using?

[@fourbypete]

+Martin VanMan old mill and new mill basically run east - west. The GPS is in my head so not the most accurate, but I generally use Google maps as a reference. You are in the general area though. My favorite trail is further north, Rope road.

[@MartinVanMan]

+fourbypete Found it! Although I still think it is Creek Rd, haha, will check next time. Also like to try Rope Rd sooner or later, thanks for the tip :-) Watch this space!

[@mountainconstructions]

Top Effort fellas! You should add this video when selling the L300... Mmmm or maybe not :) That poor clutch and gearbox :(

[@MartinVanMan]

+Hugh Jazz No plans to sell it in the next 10 years. If anything breaks it is pretty easy to fix. Hope not to roll it someday....

[@mountainconstructions]

Martin VanMan Not your van Martin, it crawled up like a pro That other poor van though...

[@taylorward4790]

Dont know if you still check your comments, but ive been looking everywhere for a crashbar/bullbar like the one on the open diff deli for a while and i cant find anything. is that custom?

[@MartinVanMan]

Bull bars are hard to find! Most heavy duty bars are custom jobs based on an old bull bar from another 4wd

[@taylorward4790]

@@MartinVanMan ah gotcha, ill keep my eyes peeled! Thanks!

[@emmanouilchatzisavvas6677]

What brand of lockers are been using..?? I own a L400 Space gear with a 4D56 engine, I think they share the same diffs. I know that there is an ARB type for rear diff but what about the front one...??

[@MartinVanMan]

I think the L400 might use the bigger diffs as from the gen2 and later Pajeros. I am using a ARB-like air locker from China and I used to run a welded front diff as I couldn't find a locker for our tiny 7.25" front diff. At the moment I sourced an 8" low pinion Pajero front diff and fitted it with the gears from a Pajero rear diff to get the right 1:4.875 ratio. I also fitted a Lokka auto locker so from now on I will be double locked without the need to open and close the front hubs at every corner :-) Let me know when you got some crazy videos with your van going offroad, love to see it!

[@emmanouilchatzisavvas6677]

How dangerous is the locker for the half-shafts and especially the front for the CV-joints..???

[@MartinVanMan]

Emmanouil Chatzisavvas A welded front diff gives a fair amount of stress on the cv's when making sharp turns on areas with a lot of grip. That is why I hop out of the car to lock in the last hub: most tracks I used 2wd (with rear locker at times) and 3wd. I never busted a cv in all the years with the welded front diff. But from now on with the Lokka auto locker in the new diff I am sure I won't have to open en close manual hubs. The diff will open on areas with grip and close otherwise. Much more safe for the cv's than having open diffs as they usually snap when it starts spinning when it's in the air and then bounces back on the ground. Just search KZbin for snapping cv's!

[@emmanouilchatzisavvas6677]

Very interested info Martin..!! Many thanks..!! Please tell me.., are you having a 4D56 engine..?? Most propable we have the same diffs. What tire size you have..? Please email me...!!

[@MartinVanMan]

Emmanouil Chatzisavvas My van from 1996 has the 4g64 16-valve 2.4 litre petrol engine, manual transmission. It cam with an 8" rear diff and 7.25" front diff, 1:4.875 final ratio. What year is your van? And which model?

[@xboxice2005]

Hmm front locker's would truly come in handy :) fro the second van,does it have a clocked center diff guys.

[@MartinVanMan]

The vans have no centre diff, so only in 4wd when off-road. No centre diff, so no need for a centre diff lock.

[@xboxice2005]

cool cool.

[@xboxice2005]

Bull bar at work :)

[@gerardvoughnfaust4167]

For me better have 2x4 but with rear differential lock than 4x4 with open diff.

[@tonydownunder5703]

Ok diff locks !! My 4x4 Hilux has rear LSD ???

[@MartinVanMan]

+Tony Van Wageningen Most likely LSD. That is fine as long as your suspension allows wheel contact with the ground, up to a point. In the vans we have limited wheel travel so we need a locked diff harder than going in the HiLux. You should come along one day.

[@BledaTurk]

Martin is it stock lsd or something like arb?

[@MartinVanMan]

Mine is an air locker diff at rear

[@MartinVanMan]

My van has an air locking diff

[@BledaTurk]

@@MartinVanMan i have got a kia besta 4x4 (mazda e 2200) ex amb. ı swap nissan bd 30 engine ı wonder is there any diff lock for it?

[@jimbojerry596]

What's those beeping noises

[@MartinVanMan]

Jimbo Jerry Bell birds. Strange enough they aren't that annoying when you are there as your brain just filters the sound. But the video doesn't lie, they were noisy that day!

[@davidgibbs1288]

Bell Birds rule!!!!

[@user-gg5fp6lh3w]

че скрипит все время?

[@meateaterwhitetail7291]

I like open diffs. It's a challenge

[@sirtubemaster]

Its ok to have diff lockers BUT DONT USE THEM unless you have to it is WAY MORE FUN WITHOUT! lockers makes things to easy sometimes and less fun IMO IF YOU HAVE LOCKERS don't kick them on until your stuck...then put them on

[@heijxje]

I'd prefer anybody with lockers engaged them BEFORE ripping up the track, but to each their own, I guess.

[@sirtubemaster]

@@heijxje with or without lockers doesn't mean your ripping up anything...it's not implied. Not having lockers doesn't tear up the trails unless you're stepping on the skinny!

[@JeepTeriyaki]

Terrible driver.. guy shouldn't be behind the wheel! Shit was horrible to watch...