Starting to outfit for overlanding (looking for Rack and Lockers)

Hello everyone. I'm in the process of outfitting my 1999 4Runner Limited 4x4 for overlanding. I already have a Warren 9500i Winch, Cobra CB, 3" suspension lift, Old Man Emu shocks, front/rear diff breathers, diff drop kit, ARB bumper, custom rock sliders, BF Goodrich 33" KO2s, Kennesaw Mtn rear bumper and Hella lights.

I'm now looking to get lockers and a roof rack. I bought this 4Runner new in 1999 and did all the modifications myself. Here are my questions:

It's been a long time since I looked into lockers and I was wondering are ARB lockers are still a good option?

I want a low profile roof rack and I found this one at Victory4x4.com. Thoughts? Are there other ones like this out there that any of you recommend?

 

ARB is still a popular choice for air lockers, however many people complain of maintenance and potential leaks. You’ll also need onboard air. If you are considering a regear (which you probably should at this weight) you may spring for Eaton E-lockers, but that gets pretty pricey quick.

I’ve really liked my Sherpa roof rack. I’ve got the half rack Antero, but the full rack Matterhorn is popular too. Victory is a legitimate shop if you go that direction.

Nice truck!

 

Thanks roboturner. This sparks a few other questions if you are able to help:
Does the ARB air locker come with a compressor?
I found this on the ARB website and was curious if there is other maintenance ARB users recommend outside of this...
Why should I consider re-gearing? I did a quick chatGPT query and got this which makes sense and now that I'm reading it, I remember way back in the day when I was upgrading my 4Runner and wanting to install lockers, guys talking about re-gearing. Thanks for the reminder roboturner.

I'll definitely look into the Sherpa roof rack and the Matterhorn.


Final Thoughts:
Situation Should You Regear?
Stock tires, no performance issues ❌ Probably not necessary
Larger tires (33"+) ✅ Yes – noticeable benefits
Installing front & rear lockers ✅ Absolutely – gear ratio must match
Only installing rear locker ⚠️ Maybe – still a good time if tires are upsized

 

You don’t need to regear unless it becomes a problem for you, but you’ll get a lot more pep if you’re carrying a lot of weight, and/or unsprung weight in the form of oversized tires. I’ve got 265/r16s (hardly oversized) and some gear/armor and a regear is my next move, as I definitely feel the weight. But lockers aren’t necessarily the reason to regear, just easy to add in the event you do regear (and yes you have to match front and rear).

If you have a factory rear locker, that will probably be enough for most obstacles, especially if you’re more overland and less rock crawl. If you’re dead set on front lockers, ARB likely sells kits that include compressor - you’ll probably want the dual, but you’ll still need to find a place to mount it. I’ve got a single mounted in my engine bay, but there’s a number of ways to skin that cat. Again I think there are just maintenance considerations with drilling a hole in your diff for an air line with ARB lockers!

 

Interesting on the regearing. I'll put some additional thought into it.

Getting lockers is more of a "want" than a "need" but also I think it's one of those things where the few times you actually need it, you are glad to have it. Better to have and not need than to need an not have. hahahah.

I think mounting the compressor will be somewhat of a challenge and having it in the engine bay seems to be the most common but I'm sure the heat of the engine doesn't do it any favors.


My to-do list
Things to fix on 4Runner:

• Hella 4000 lights (relay/bulbs?)
• Front fog lights (bulbs/fuse)
• Rear fog lights (only one remaining - replace with BlackOak 6” Spot/flood LEDs or in bumper Diffused/flood)
• Radio

Overlanding:

• Custom make new sliders with thicker square tubing?
• Install power converter

Diff Lockers

• ARB Air Locker Differential 7.5" IFS RD90
• Regear from 4.30 to 4.88

Roof Rack:

• Cali raised LED Roof Rack
• Sherpa Equipment Co
• Victory 4x4 Evolution Series

Rack illumination

• 6 area lights and one 40”x1” light bar
• Wires through existing holes down driver side beam to battery
• 3 separate switches (rear, sides and light bar)

 

Do you actually wheel? The Kbro2's and 3" lift are telling me it's more show than go.

Asking because this can determine what the suggestions will be to your above questions.

 

Sure thing Kwikvette.

Lately I have not been wheeling but maybe once every other month but for the first 8-10 years I had my 4Runner, I would go probably a 3-4 times a month. Nothing really complicated but kept it on 33s and a 3" lift for a few reasons. 35" would certainly require re-gearing where on 33s, I can manage. A 3" lift keeps me just under having to worry too much with steering controls and higher angles. Also, my first house had a standard garage door height so if I went much higher on the lift or taller tires, it wouldn't have fit with the rack.

But I have done some moderate "East Coast" off roading (no rock crawling) so it's not just another 4x4 that is lifted and hasn't seen a dirt road. I'll try to add some pics.

Also, I'm starting to move away from the ARB locker system b/c of the cost and the amount of off-roading I will actually need it for...not really worth it.