Update on my ARB situation from Moab 2000

[mattadams]

Originally posted by rpenner54
Matt so does that mean they will send that out to you instead of $$$? If so they still are coming out on the better end of the stick. Since its their cost to send that to you instead of the retail cost you originally paid it seems like they still will win and you will just get a new locker out of the deal. Course the installation $$$ are still killer sucky poo.

THat's the problem adn thats why Im still fighting it. I don't want the new locker, I want the money. If nothing else I can maybe have them send High country 4x4 the locker, then have high country return it for a refund (something in writing this time, with a time guarantee of less then 6 months!) High COuntry says they'll try to get ARB to pay for the installation, but you adn I both know that won't happen.

 

[mattadams]

Just an update, the ARB situation has now been solved, but it's thanks to high country 4x4 in Littleton, Colorado, not ARB. ARB took back their intial promise of a replacement locker when they were to be made available, justl ike they took back their promise of a refund in the original situation. The unofficial answer from ARB was that because it was questionable warranty (I still don't see how, but whatever) they wanted to wait until everyone else that had either ordered one, or had one on a legitimate warranty issue, got the ones they wanted first. Once all the pending orders had been filled and all the wholesalers had their opportunity to stock as many as they wanted, then they would re-evaluate it and consider sending me the new unit (which means paying for reinstallation again). What that means is that approximately a year from now I might have been getting a new locker. Finally High Country said "screw it, we'll just write you a check and then when they finally send us the replacement locker, we'll just put it inventory.

So thanks go out to High Country 4x4, but not ARB. I now consider the problem closed, and aside from the leaking air hose/compressor problem, the ARB is functioning and we'll leave it at that. Hopefully I won't destroy the one I have in there now, I don't want to have to go back through the warranty hassle again.

 

[GJarrett]

You know what Matt, I haven't been posting my latest development on this board, but your post just confirmed my decision as to where to spend my money. I had a delay waiting for Perry who thought he found a better price on a Powertrax but we have since learned I found a great one in the first place. The upshot of this is that I have not yet ordered my locker, though I had planned to. While all this was going on I decided to go ARB and called 4wpwh today for the order.

You just changed my mind. I'll cancel the 4wpwh order and order my Powertrax NoSlip from WCD Monday morning. It will still be plenty "streetable". If I can use it in my daily driver grocery-getter that should be enough to convince anyone.

I watched a half-dozen ARB's grenade differentials at Moab and two other ARB failures at high altitude in Colorado in just the past year. Your experience concerning how they propose to fix their problem(s) speaks for itself.

Let's see how well NoSlips operate now.

[Edited by GJarrett on 12-09-2000 at 08:26 PM]

 

[Perry]

Gerald,
I told you I was sorry I couldn't get it cheaper. lol
One thing with the Powertrax, they have a 2 year warrenty, so we will see what they say IF we have trouble with them.
Steve said mine should be here Monday or Tuesday, then we will try and get it in sometime later in the week.

 

[mattadams]

yeah, I wasn't too impressed... to me, I'd much rather have a two-year warranty that they actually honor, that I wouldn't need to use in the first place, then a lifetime warranty that the ignore and BS there way around after just about 6 months of having the locker installed. I'm waiting for oxtrax to come out with the dana44 and dana35 versions of their locker,w hich is a cable-driven locker, I keep checking with them occasionally,t hey aren't sure of a time. if I had to do it over again, I'd either puta powertrax or a detroit in the rear.

 

[GJarrett]

I've been in contact with the Ox Locker people but they seem to be pretty J**p focused, so don't hold your breath. I think they are blind and don't realize the market that's waiting for them concerning Ford 8.8 rears and reverse cut Dana 35's. I've tried to hint to them all the J**pers that swap for Ford 8.8's. Oh well, life as usual in the Explorer world, huh.

I plan to run my NoSlip very hard in Moab this year. Bone stock, without the TA/SVO housing or other help, we'll see if it holds up. I plan to conquer both Potato Salad Hill and Double Whammy. If I accomplish those two it will be with only the NoSlip since I'll still have an open front that isn't locked. Since a half-dozen ARB's couldn't survive the same tests, we'll see what happens and offer opinions after then.

 

[Rick]

How did we get to a half dozen ARB's grenaded in Moab? Matt had 1, and Jay blew 2 Who else was there? Also, when did Jay's front diff give up? I have the rear one breaking on video, but the front didn't break at the same time.

 

[GJarrett]

What was the correct number? I'm sorry, I don't have Alzheimer's yet but maybe it's Halvzheimers. It sure seemed like more than three blew at Moab? I thought I remembered at least one or two others losing one too(?). Did we really only blow three? If so I apologize and stand corrected. Moab was the first really big run at a world-class place I had gone to and it made quite an impression to me to see people in the back parking lot with opened diffys and fractured gear pieces laying on the ground, and hearing complaints after the trip, etc. Maybe my memory expanded all that a bit, but it sure seemed like we had a lot of trouble with ARBs last summer. And watching both Rick and Ray have trouble getting theirs to engage at high altitude at the next Explorer run I went on just makes me think twice now that I hear Matt having problems, even though the Colorado problems may have been totally unrelated and a pure coincidence. Maybe I need a more extensive exposure to ARBs, but everytime I run with them it seems something happens on the vehicles using them. The guys with the other locker brands just seem to use them and I don't hear anything about any issues with those.

At any rate, for the difference in price and the simplicity of installation I'll still give the Powertrax a try. I am sure that ARB's new generation is everything they promise. It just seems better for me that I won't have to worry about whether the install went right and the lines were correctly done, etc, and my locker will be available when I want it whether or not the compressor is pumping enough at whatever the altitude is, etc, and whether it blows oil out the vent tubes when being used, etc, or whatever else it is I keep hearing about on this board and from a couple of hardcore J**pers I run with who are leery of them. And the Powertrax will be over twice as cheap to install since (supposedly) I can do it myself.

If it isn't strong enough then we'll be talking next year about how Powertrax chooses to honor their warranties. My post on this thread was a response to Matt's problems with ARB. Maybe I shouldn't base an opinion on one customer's experience with a company, but combined with other factors -- price and reliability among them -- I am leaning to go back to my original decision to get a Powertrax on Monday. I've still got all weekend to think about it.

I'm not knocking ARB. If I had the money and the confidence to know it was installed correctly I feel sure that this new 8.8 they are releasing sounds like the ticket. But for those of us that have heard so much about collateral issues with the unit and the much higher cost to acquire, install, and own one, I am hoping to test the NoSlip and see if it is a reasonable and streetable alternative. Only time will tell, I readily admit I could be wrong since I have tried neither yet. I can only make a personal decision according to what I keep hearing and what my pocketbook will bear. I very well could be proven wrong and end up an ARB customer next time around after all.

[Edited by GJarrett on 12-10-2000 at 12:13 AM]

 

[mattadams]

Originally posted by Rick
How did we get to a half dozen ARB's grenaded in Moab? Matt had 1, and Jay blew 2 Who else was there? Also, when did Jay's front diff give up? I have the rear one breaking on video, but the front didn't break at the same time.

I broke my rear, I know Jay blew 2, TC blew his rear, Ryan had problems with his rear, Paul bredenhofdt said he had problems with his front (correct me if I'm wrong here Paul), I recall someone else but I can't remeber who. Here's the thread where Jay mentioned two blown lockers and Paul mentioned his.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=16097

[Edited by mattadams on 12-10-2000 at 08:42 AM]

 

[Rick]

Paul said in his thread that his broke after 5 years, and it didn't break in Moab. And didn't TC's break before he ever hit the trail? I remember seeing him in his hotel parking lot right after he got into town and he said he was down and out.

When did Ryan's break? Did he have to replace it?



[Edited by Rick on 12-10-2000 at 10:40 AM]

 

[mattadams]

I don't recall TC's having been broken before or during, I just rememberin the parkign lot disconnecting the driveshaft... irregardless though,t hat's a good percentage of lockers that have broken within their first year of being installed, whether it was in Moab or not. Ryan didn't have to replace his but I remember hims aying that it did cost several hundred dollars in repairs (mostly labor of course). Yeah, Paul's did last 5 years and that's a good testimant to the quality,I don't kn ow if the ones from back then were better thent he current ones or what the deal is... anyways,I hope people start installing the new one they've built, I'd like to know how good they are... not that I'd install one until the one I have in there now breaks again...

 

[Rick]

That's where I am too. I have a unit that's about 5 years old and it's not going to get replaced until there's a need.

My front ARB was 6 years old when I sold it and it was still working just fine.

My very first ARB which I installed 7 years ago was a first generation 8.8" it only had half as many carrier bolts as the 2nd generation which is what I have now.

I'm can't wait to see how long the new ARB lasts in Jay's Explorer!!

 

[tdavis]

Gerald - If I remember right, the problems rick and RayH was having on CCR2000 was a blown fuse in rick's case and large air tank takes time to fill up (and waiting too long to turn on the compressor) in RayH's case.

Otherwise, they was working fine.

 

[Rick]

Yeah, I still have to trace the wiring for my mystery fuse. When the fuse blows. My ham radio goes out and my compressor only runs at about halfspeed.

 

[rpenner54]

My problem was not an ARB issue so much as an issue with the original bad install. Mine still will leak oil out of it but other then that I don't have any new problems. But it did cost me about $454 or so to get it re-done. Which should've been covered under warrrenty from the original shop that did it but they couldn't find their ass from their face so I will never take it there again. That shop is Wilderness off-road. Do not use them. LOL Its probably been a year since I had them install my gears and I am still irritated at them. 2-3 weeks to install the darned things!