Hey Guys,

I've been running a lockright locker in my front axle for a few years now, with no problems until now. Recently, anytime I put the Jeep in 4wd and can't get traction, it starts popping and jerking, kind of like most lunchbox lockers usually do when you're turning, but it is happening all the time. It feels almost like the teeth on the locker aren't catching any more, and the popping and jerking is them making contact and skipping over each other. Was thinking worn out springs or possibly the teeth have become rounded or something? It's a dana 30 axle. Have any of you guys had experience with this?

 

Betcha its the TC chain slipping. Pop the diff. cover and have a look, if all looks well I'd look into the TC. When was the last time you serviced the TC?

 

Thanks for the reply, Chipmaker! I don't know that I ever have. I will check it out this weekend and report back. I want to nip this in the bud to make sure it doesn't end up damaging anything else

 

Good luck, but if it the tcase slipping that bad....it may be too late for a cheap easy fix.

 

Edit: Misread I thought you meant it popped when it caught traction. Since it is when you don't have traction, check the axle u-joints. Also check the locker springs, pins , and gap. Locker could be due for a refreshing.

 

The pins/springs really have nothing to do with the locker functioning. They just maintain alignment between the inner cones & the center pin, and the springs provide a little tension so that when the inner cones move in & out, the pins don't drop out.

What forces the cones out is the center pin leveraging against the inner cones, forcing them outward to engage.

Some things that could cause the issue you are describing:
1) If your center pin has worn down (it does happen), then you could have teeth slipping against each other to a degree, but they should eventually grab & hold
2) If the gap wasn't set right initially.....with wear it could now be to large & letting the teeth slide over each other (I've never seen wear like that on any of the lockers I have run, and some for well over 10 yrs with hard use)
3) I once had a spacer washer (under the c-clip) crack in an old chrysler 9 1/4 rear and fall out, so I had too much gap when it did, which caused the same situation you are describing (this was a rear axle tho)


It could also still be the tcase.....slipping chain, not engaging 4wd properly, etc.

Or maybe the axle.....axle u-joints, chipped ring or pinion gear, loose pinion gear/bearing cracked carrier, bad bearings letting the carrier move, etc.

Only way to know is to get dirty and check things out.


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