I just purchased used front and rear locking differential assemblies from Japan. With air freight to my door the total cost was $881 US dollars. If anyone wants the web site for this place, drop me a line.
The front locker is available, but very few are available, almost none in North America. trust automotive in japan has them in their 500,000 parts supply. www.japanesevehicles.com. I talked with the order desk fellow (Masako Tokuda) several times, and he assured me they were locking units, both complete and ready to install. I won’t know for sure until they land on my doorstep in several week. I will let you know how this turns out. Im kind of excited about it all.
Did you get the complete rear axle? The diff lock is a seperate unit the bolts on the left forward side of the axle
I did the rear locker swap on mine back in 2011 but am curious about the front locker. I have a S200 / 210 parts manual and several years worth of sales brochures from Japan but none show a front locker as an available option, only the rear. Dale, any idea if the front locker is perhaps an aftermarket unit?
Ya seems odd to me I have never come across front locking diff. Now they do disconnected to take the load off the front axles. I don't think they made a front diff with a locker in it so you can put power to all 4 wheels
The fellow at the parts order desk, Masako, assured me that both front and rear axles were of the locking type with actuators. I have read several articles which stated that a front locker was an available option, and on that information I chose to order one. So I really really hope everyone is right about it. I won’t be sure until that palate of parts lands on my door step.
Suzuki, Subaru, Mitsubishi and every other mini truck manufacturer offer front lockers. I’m sure Daihatsu would not be left out of that segment of the market. My friend has a Suzuki with both lockers and it is amazing where it will go, while I get stuck. But hopefully not more once I get the parts.
There is an abundance of miss information on the trucks. not one of the parts fiche i have ever looked at have a differential lock. I purchased my truck in japan and what i wanted was very specific. i looked at a lot of carry and hijet and had a lot of the auction sheets translated. after a bit i was able to figure out what the trucks had by looking up the trucks by the serial number to what options they have had. I still find it hard to believe any mini truck came with front differential lock and you maybe looking at the front axle disconnect. if it was an option so many people wouldnt of been so interested in the front locker kits that someone was selling on here a few years back.
I have two friends with Suzuki’s with front lockers, and another fellow has a Mitsubishi with front lockers. Where I get stuck these fellows crawl through with all four wheels spinning for traction, so I have seen first hand that they are lockers and not just front axle disconnects.
I would not be interested in locking diffs for mainly street use, but has anybody ever installed a "Phantom Grip" diff locker ? Can they be gotten small enough for these small diffs ?
Sooo, was it an actual locking front differential? I'd be very interested in purchasing one if it worked out for you.
I had a huge problem with the company I tried to order the lockers from. NEVER and I mean NEVER deal with a Japanese parts company called Trust automotive. I ordered a complete rear axel housing with a locking differential, and a complete front locking differential assembly. They assured me they had them in stock, so they sent me pictures of both of them. The rear was the drop out gear set only, no housing or actuator, the front was the regular differential. I told them that was not what I ordered, and told them to reprice the quote with the complete rear axle and a locking front. They assured me that both were lockers, they resulted the new price, which I agreed to. When the parts arrived there was no rear axle housing, just the locking gear set. The front was an open diff, not a locker as I was assured it was. Trusts attitude was they sent me what I had ordered even though it was not what I ordered. Their next reply was basically “too bad so sad tough luck”. After several weeks of trying to get things corrected and meeting with no help from them at all, I called MasterCard. I explained the problem, sent them all the email communication with Trust. MasterCard reimbursed me the $1,356 I had paid Trust, and suggested I return the parts. So I emailed Trust and asked for the address to which I could sent back the parts. I received a VERY terse reply that as per their agreement of sale there is a no return policy on used parts. So the end of the story is, I got my money back, and I have good parts to boot! I have an idea on how to make the front diff into a selectable locker. If it works (having a spare diff now) I will post the mods on this forum.
That's a shame, I was looking forward to a front locker option. Keep us posted if you find a solution.
