Finally got a chance to test out my new front end locker this past weekend, and all I have to say is that its awsome!!!

I have a '98 Forman 450S with K&N, 27" Blackwater XT's on stock rims, Warn 2500 and the 424, 2001 Rubicon headlights (all 3 to replace factory glass ones), steel A arm skid plates.

Now I also have highlifter's spool style locker installed. I went with this one mainly because I'm cheap, it only cost $35, and they will refund $25 towards the purchase of a - much more expensive especially by the time it gets to canada Detroit locker - . Good deal, easy to install with any mechanical experience at all.

I find that steering on asphalt at very low speed is very very tight. Any steering on gravel road is not bad. Any steering at decent speed (10kmh and up) on any surface is no different than before. (Warn 424 helps alot) On tight tangly trails, the steering effort is about the same as it was before I installed the Warn 424 switch.

The real test came in the Peat Bog. The bogs here on the east coast of Newfoundland are extremely wet right now. I found my self a good pole line and set out. The bike was amazing!!! 2nd gear to the bar and there was no stopping at all!! I came into a real soft spot where the bike dropped in right to the top of the tires, I held it to the bar and she worked right out of it. This was immediatly followed by a right turn into another hole where the frontend dropped in to the bottom 2 headlights. Again I never let up I shook her twice and she chugged right through with no problem. I couldn't find a hole that day that would stick her, which was strange because the bogs were extremely saturated. Just point and go!!!

Overall I'm highly impressed. True 4x4 is definantly the way to go if your a serious mud runner or hill climber. I'll post back with the results from my trip to the sand dunes in Terra Nova later this fall.

 

Actually in Western Canada, you can get the detroit gearless and the regular one at dealers here. I also know that Royaldistributing.com out of Ontario can get the gearless diff locks also. Not sure if they advertise it or not but I have spoke to them and they can get it. So you may want to give those a try.

 

Nah, I'm gonna try this one for awhile, works great, simple design, should be reliable and I never have to worry about it unlocking when I don't want it too. Generally when stuff wears and desides to stop working, it occours at the most inconvenient time possible!!!

If I were going to spend alot of money on a product, I woud want the setup that is on the Kawi 650. Lever operated locker, will lock up exactly when I want it too, not when the device thinks it should.

I like stuff simple. Some manafacturers think that quada are cars (auto trans, comfy ride...) I like mine reliable, simple to fix and have as little to do with anything electrical as possible.

 

Just to clarify things. The DGL wont lock up when it thinks it needs to. It will always be locked but it will only go as slow as the front driveshaft is going. It will allow a wheel to be pushed faster, but as far as true 4wd, it is always true 4wd. The system on the Prairie is a clutch pack system. The harder you pull the more its locked. While its nice, it can slip and its a pain to have to pull the lever all the time.