But the mystery spot in St. Ignace still remains michigans finest attraction year after year.

 

I agree????????????????

 

Ditto X2

 

The lock-out is probably there for safety (i.e. GM liability) since engaging a locker on pavement makes a vehicle harder to control at normal speeds.

 

I don't know, but if you find out, be sure to post. You might try looking around in some Jeep forums while trying to find an answer. I know the Rubicon owners have figured out how to do theirs. I want to say they flip some wires around and trick the actuator into believing the t-case is in low, when it's actually in high. It's been a long while since I saw something like that. Anyway, maybe they have a better solution now. I'm not sure how their set up compares to ours, but both are electronic lockers.

That's not totally true. Yes there are some driving style adjustments to be made to a degree, but it's not "harder to control". There are literaly hundreds, if not thousands of people driving around with full time lockers in their rigs. But there can be a negative effect with them, if you don't know to drive with one. Most of it involves under-steer, and slippery roads, as well as tire wear (now matter how well you are at driving with it).

Now I could say that's the reason GM set the lock out, but they could have easly made the lock out only work for high and low lock, and not normal high. The road driving wouldn't be a factor anyway, no ones driving around on the roads with the system in high/low lock, I would hope (unless it's ice and snow, and then you may like the locker, or may not.. Not to mention, that the locker is selectable, so if you didn't like the way the vehicle handled with it on, you can always turn it off.

So, my opinion is, there is no GOOD reason why GM made it the way they did. Lockers are great when going slow, such as rock crawling, but they work great for getting through deep goo with lots of high wheel speed too.. thanks for not giving us the option for that GM.

 

I disagree. Lockers can be a handful for the unfamiliar; especially on wet pavement. And anyone not familiar with a locker won't know to turn it off, any more than they know the right conditions to turn it on. In todays sue-happy world, all it takes is one idiot, and he's who GM has to design for. The problem's worse because on-board computers can make it a lot harder for the serious 4x4ers to alter the controls for better performance offroad.

 

I did say they can be a bit of an adjustment for those who don't have experience with them, it's right there in my post. You said they were "hard to control at normal speeds". I dont agree. When you're taking off, from a stop yes.. they can be touchy on slippery roads (IE: wet, snowy, insert your prefference) but once you're usually up to speed, the only thing they *may* do is cause a slight jerk, when unloading or loading (throttle off/on). I'm pretty sure anyone who engages a locker, will know to turn it off... and if they don't then either they have learned to adjust for it, or won't like it, and will quickly turn it off.

I have detroit lockers front and rear (not in the h3 of course) and am well aware of how lockers handle on the street.

This is why most serious off roaders choose to wheel older vehicles, that are not micro-managed by over protective auto makers.