• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

locker issues?

Elkwagn

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Montana
Just swapped the axles over from one of my jeeps to the other, the front 30 I swapped in has 4:56 gearing and a locker of unknown brand. When I am on the brakes hard in 2wd on the snow, there is a terrible banging racket, but it doesnt do it in 4wd. It seems like maybe one wheel is trying to lock up and the other is maybe still turning and the locker is causing the noise? To be honest I only drove the other jeep a few times and it was summer, so I wouldnt know if it did this before. And yes both axles I swapped in have the same gearing.
 
I will be opening the front diff up this weekend to check things out, as far as the brakes go they were all bled very well during the axle swapping. The calipers of course stayed with the jeep, but the extended lines are new as I installed an IRO 5.5 Long arm at the same time as the axle swap went down. What doesnt make sense is that it doesnt happen in 4wd, what would change? maybe the fact that there is power in the front shaft now making the locker react differently than when its in 2wd? Not really happy with the IRO setup BTW.
 
your backwards...

im going to assume the locker is a lunchbox. one side locking up faster than the other will cause the locker to ratchet, making a lot of noise.







identify the locker, and try bleeding the brakes.

yup, my auto locker will ratchet and make noise when the brakes lock up, or one wheel locks up in the snow. Totally normal abnormal........
 
My lock right would do that when I would hit the brakes too hard in snow. My neighborhood doesn't get plowed so in situations where one wheel was on snow and one was on pavement it would ratchet. I swapped in an air locker so that's no longer an issue for me.
 
Maybe I am just mis-reading what a ratchet sound is, I did not expect it to sound like the front end was running backward while moving forward! Still doesnt make sense it only happens in 2wd. I also notice that while under acceleration it tends to pull pretty hard to one side or the other.
 
Stick shift or automatic?

Stick are positive on(the throttle) positive off, automatics more or less positive on, free spin off,

What I'm getting at, is with a stick shift an auto locker will stay engaged on or off the throttle unless the clutch is pushed in to allow the flywheel to free spin, with an automatic the torque converter (for the most part) free spins to allow you to slow down to a stop.
Well while in 4wd for a stick your lockers are already engaged on/off the throttle so when you hit the brakes the general force is allowing the locker to stay locked keeping both tires from spinning. While in 2wd it will allow the front tire to free spin and ratchet

For my automatic it kicks and ratchets in 2wd or 4wd in the snow or mud while I'm on the brakes idk how well it would do if I had ABS.
 
Last edited:
I have a spartan in my front end and I didn't put the thrush washers back in, and I've noticed my front end likes to buck and kick as to where my lock right in the rear is pretty transparent in 2wd
 
If the traction conditions are different for one wheel than the other the wheel with more traction will turn faster than the other one causing the ratcheting action. The reason it doesn't happen in 4wd is that torque is being applied to the locker locking the sides together. It can happen when in 4wd under certain conditions but most of the time it won't.
 
Back
Top