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Line locks?

stallion85

stallion85

1/2 ton status
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Jul 11, 2003
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Cedar City, UT
Who here is running them? I just ordered an electric line lock from Summit.

Basically I bought it to utilize my twin sticked Atlas and do front digs.

How much does this help you on the trail? I figured for $50 it can't hurt to try it out:)
 
Hijack on:
what are the advantages to using linelocks over cutting brakes?
Hijack off:
 
From what I know cutting brakes work great if you have an ARB out back and want to lock only one wheel.

If you want to use a cutting brake on just the rear I believe it would not be much different except you can control the pressure with the cutting brake.
 
Ok I have a detroit in the rear and I was thinking, IE: I need to make a sharp left turn around a tree, lock left rear brake, throw t-case in fwd, the detroit will act like an open diff and allow me to pivot around the obstacle. Right?
 
The problem with linelocks.....

"They" (the linelock), work fine but they can cause some collatteral damage to your master cylinder. I had a long talk with the folks at Willwood and the people at CNC Mfg the day before yesterday about ebrakes and linelocks were mentioned. Both are manufacturers of hydraulic master cylinders and both independently mentioned linelocks wear out the piston seals in master cylinders prematurely. What causes the excessive wear is the suddeness of the release of the linelock. Master cylinders are not designed to release presure suddenly, it must be gradual. Yes they go one way hard as when you slam on the brakes but the rubber piston seal tears against the ports when it goes the other way all at once like when a linelock is released.

I was talking to them to help me design a feasible, reasonable cost disc brake/ebrake solution. I think we may have the answer for every application too! And it is not a line lock.....

BTW, I think a cutting brake would work better for a rear wheel lockup under power anyway.
 
muddermilitia said:
Ok I have a detroit in the rear and I was thinking, IE: I need to make a sharp left turn around a tree, lock left rear brake, throw t-case in fwd, the detroit will act like an open diff and allow me to pivot around the obstacle. Right?
Click to expand...

Your detroit will lock up and try to drive out of the brakes. That is why ARB's are used in comp rigs so they can unlock them and utilize the features of an open differential.

With a detroit out back your only rear option is to have twin sticked capabilities where you can disengage to the power to the rear axle, then lock the rear brakes via a cutting brake or line lock then use front wheel drive to power around and obstacle.
 
Gravel Maker said:
"They" (the linelock), work fine but they can cause some collatteral damage to your master cylinder. I had a long talk with the folks at Willwood and the people at CNC Mfg the day before yesterday about ebrakes and linelocks were mentioned. Both are manufacturers of hydraulic master cylinders and both independently mentioned linelocks wear out the piston seals in master cylinders prematurely. What causes the excessive wear is the suddeness of the release of the linelock. Master cylinders are not designed to release presure suddenly, it must be gradual. Yes they go one way hard as when you slam on the brakes but the rubber piston seal tears against the ports when it goes the other way all at once like when a linelock is released.

I was talking to them to help me design a feasible, reasonable cost disc brake/ebrake solution. I think we may have the answer for every application too! And it is not a line lock.....

BTW, I think a cutting brake would work better for a rear wheel lockup under power anyway.
Click to expand...


Good info Dan. I am installing a new MC today and will only use the line lock for digs. This is for a trailer queen....
 
A question:

You apply the brakes then lock the line right?? That keeps the brakes on, correct?

So what if when you released the pressure, you applied the brakes again, then let go... Wouldn't that save the MC, or would it do nothing to stop the premature failing of those seals??
 
stallion85 said:
Your detroit will lock up and try to drive out of the brakes. That is why ARB's are used in comp rigs so they can unlock them and utilize the features of an open differential.

With a detroit out back your only rear option is to have twin sticked capabilities where you can disengage to the power to the rear axle, then lock the rear brakes via a cutting brake or line lock then use front wheel drive to power around and obstacle.
Click to expand...

Actually not

The detroit will let a tire spin faster than the ring gear but not slower.

By disengaging the rear in the t case and locking a tire up the ring gear doesn't move but the other side axle shaft spins faster than the ring gear thus alowing the use of cuttng brakes.

This is the sysem I have in the buggy. twin line locks with cutting brakes.
 
I'm not sure, I don't know

Clod_King said:
A question:

You apply the brakes then lock the line right?? That keeps the brakes on, correct?

So what if when you released the pressure, you applied the brakes again, then let go... Wouldn't that save the MC, or would it do nothing to stop the premature failing of those seals??
Click to expand...

That alternative didn't come up in the conversations, I was really thinking about master cylinders and linelocks just came up.
 
miniwally said:
Actually not

The detroit will let a tire spin faster than the ring gear but not slower.

By disengaging the rear in the t case and locking a tire up the ring gear doesn't move but the other side axle shaft spins faster than the ring gear thus alowing the use of cuttng brakes.

This is the sysem I have in the buggy. twin line locks with cutting brakes.
Click to expand...

I guess I didn't think about the detroit not locking since it doesnt have torque input.
 
I had - actually still have - a line lock in my Heep. It is an old bugger with all the brakes plumbed together. It was only useful as a parking brake - and then only if you didn't leave it on too long.
 
miniwally said:
Actually not

The detroit will let a tire spin faster than the ring gear but not slower.

By disengaging the rear in the t case and locking a tire up the ring gear doesn't move but the other side axle shaft spins faster than the ring gear thus alowing the use of cuttng brakes.

This is the sysem I have in the buggy. twin line locks with cutting brakes.
Click to expand...
Thanks for clearing that up
 
Good timing on the thread, was just about to do a twin solenoid set-up.

Doubler with triple sticks and a Detroit, the consensus is that this set up will work fine, correct?
 
Gravel Maker said:
"They" (the linelock), work fine but they can cause some collatteral damage to your master cylinder. I had a long talk with the folks at Willwood and the people at CNC Mfg the day before yesterday about ebrakes and linelocks were mentioned. Both are manufacturers of hydraulic master cylinders and both independently mentioned linelocks wear out the piston seals in master cylinders prematurely. What causes the excessive wear is the suddeness of the release of the linelock. Master cylinders are not designed to release presure suddenly, it must be gradual. Yes they go one way hard as when you slam on the brakes but the rubber piston seal tears against the ports when it goes the other way all at once like when a linelock is released.
Click to expand...

I am going to disagree with this.

I say that when you foot is off of the brake pedal and you release the line lock the seals are not at the ports and there for don't see any of the high presure fluid rushing back.

Now if you have you foot a little bit on the brake and release the line locks when the seals are lined up with the ports I can see a problem with this.

I have run manual brake setup in the buggy for four years. I started with Howe racing master cylinders and after going through six in two years with several rebuilds on each of them I switched over to Wilwoods. I have had zero problems and never pay attnetion to where my foot is when I release the line locks.

I however only use the line locks if I can't use something on the trail as a parking stop or when winching.

Bottom line is that I wouldn't worry about using a line lock for a parking brake as needed. It is not an all of the time item though.

If you are looking for a parking brake for frequent use you will need something else.

BTW Colo. law states that the parking brake MUST be seperate and have a manual means of activation. I.E. no brake fluid involved only a cable type system.
 
I have the generic Jegs electric line-locks on mine, one on the front, one on the rear. Unfortunately I don't have twin-stick capability but I have used them several times by putting the t-case in 2wd and locking the front brakes...in certain situations this is handy.

The main reason I installed them was I don't have any other type of parking brake and wanted them for stopping on hills while on the trail or while winching, versus just relying on the park pawl in the trans. I feel pretty safe using the line locks for parking on the trail because Park in the trans is a back-up, plus with two line-locks both would have to fail.
 
Sounds like we're talking about two different things in this thread.

1st - Line lock is a solenoid on the brake line, connected to a momentary contact switch providing power (locked position) only while the switch is being held down.

2nd - Parking brake. (hydraulic)
Called a 'Micro-Lock' and can be used as a parking brake for short time periods.

Two totally different units used for two totally different application's.

I just ordered two solenoids that will be mounted on the rear axle, one plumbed into either side, fed power by only three wires (power/common/power) coming from a three position momentary contact switch. (on/off/on)
That will self center when released.

Right turn would go something like this:
Disengage rear axle, (triple sticks) hit brake pedal, press switch to right side and hold, release brake pedal and hit the skinny pedal for the front dig, release switch and go.
 
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