HELP w/ my EZ-Locker!!!

I have a Isuzu D44. Removed thick gears and installed standard 4.88's with standard 3.92 and up carrier. Put an EZ-locker in that had known problem, but he thought the housing was bent. Put it in my axle and did same thing. It unloaded going straight down the road. Talked to Tractech in length, shimmed it, no good. Bought a BRAND NEW EZ-locker. installed it. Driver side disengaged real easy, but passenger was real hard. In fact couldn't get it to do it with the tire test, but thought my wife was holding the other wheel wrong. Bolted it up. Left the driveway, heard some unloading pops. Went very slow, when I gave it some gas to get across the street. It just spun in place and made quite a racket. Had to take off my rear shaft and put it on the front just to get it back in the garage. (I had my front off). There she sits. #$$%^$^#^$#$$$#%#$%&$#&#$#$^&#%^&&&%%^ This will be the 4th time I've had it apart. WHAT THE F%& IS WRONG???

Are the gears set up correctly?

I've had the gears in for a month. Went wheeling. The first locker worked good on the trail, just not on the street.

Is you locker just doing a single bang or is it constantly giving you the "metallic sound"?

Couple of pops in the driveway, then holy $%^$%! Just spinning/grinding. One side is not engaging. Barley gave it any power.. Spun till I put it in park.

are the pins and springs installed correctly???

I know they were in right. I'm wondering now if they broke in the drivway. I was extra careful putting it in cause I KNEW this was going to be the last time!

I guess it is no suprise no one has any ideas. Call the 4X4 shop where I bought it and they don't. Called Tractech and they have no ideas either. The locker is spinning, but that should be impossible since the cross shaft cams the cluthes together. TT said send it in and it will be warenteed. After 2 EZ lockers now, their best recomendation is to go a different route. Really, ya think? There is a well established shop in town that I'm sure is a good shop. The shop manager said that they have never had good luck with EZs. One time they had one in and out 6 times and still couldn't get it to work. They like Lockright better, YET THEY STILL SELL EZs! This information would have been helpfull a WEEK ago!!! Only went to them cause they keep one on hand. OK, I feel better now.

I had fun with my EZ. At first the used springs were tweaked and the driver side rear wheel would never engage. Torque steer galore. Once we re-installed NEW springs and make sure the teeth were good, it was VERY quiet. Too quiet. Over time, the springs broke in properly and the locker would now engage and disengaged around corners etc. It is a very noisy locker but changing the springs was VERY important since it was used.

Also, might try different gear lube. Its possible that the lube is causing parts to stick open.

When the used springs were removed, we noticed that since the drivers side would NOT engage properly, the center plate on the driver side of the locker, somehow spun 180 deg and so it would not allow the locker to engage. We used my axle shaft to make sure the teeth pattern was balanced so that the outer teeth were inbetween the inner teeth of the center plate. |i|i|i| etc

Hope this helps

Well I've been working and haven't had time to open it up. Tomorrow I will at least pull the cover to see what is up. Unless it is something obvious and easy, I will probably remove it and do something else. What I don't understand is how it can spin completely. Even if one side is disengaged, the other side would still drive me. It was completly disengaged like being in nuetral. I went no where. Maybe the cross shaft broke, but I seriously doubt it. The only way is if the clutches hung up on the spacers and wouldn't engage the teeth suficiently to hold torque. Again though, that would have to be on both sides. The only thing I have done is when I got home last night I tried to rotate my pinion. I couldn't. It sounded like it was locked on the passenger side. Go figure. I'll have to open it up tomorrow.

I'm just posting for follow up. I pulled my cover. THERE IS ABSOLUTLY NOTHING WRONG! The trust washers are in. The pins are in and unbroke. Springs are in and seated. When I even installed it I kept everything together as it was in the box just for some voodoo good luck. The driverside disengages forwards and back easily, too easily. That is the side that won't engage. It moves smoothly on the spacer though when it goes in and out of gear. I can't get the pass side to disengage by hand. The pass side did disengage on the street when I was testing it though. Cross pin is intact and roll pin in. WTF! I was wrong about both sides not engaging though. I watched it as I spun the pinion, and the carrier will spin withone side not engaged. This is different than differentiating around a corner. One wheel can go faster with one wheel driving. I ordered an OX locker an hour ago. F$^@in EZ lockers.

Sorry to hijack the thread (kinda).

I installed an e-z locker at the weekend in the D35 in the back of my 98 4.0L It seems to be engaging/disengaging OK, but going straight on the tarmac, especially up hill, boy! does it go off with a bang!

This is my first experience with lockers. I'd just like to know, is this 'normal'. Is it whan's refired to as unloading?, and will it get any better once it's settled in a bit. (It's only done about 80 miles so far).

Help!- I'don't know if I should be worried or not.

chrisjones said:

Sorry to hijack the thread (kinda).

I installed an e-z locker at the weekend in the D35 in the back of my 98 4.0L It seems to be engaging/disengaging OK, but going straight on the tarmac, especially up hill, boy! does it go off with a bang!

This is my first experience with lockers. I'd just like to know, is this 'normal'. Is it whan's refired to as unloading?, and will it get any better once it's settled in a bit. (It's only done about 80 miles so far).

Help!- I'don't know if I should be worried or not.

Click to expand...

That is what was wrong with my first one. I bought a used one that only had a bout 100 miles on it. The owner had something else on hand and went that route before investigating. I got the locker and it did the same thing. Actually worked good wheeling. OK around town, but on the highway or light throtle/coast conditions, the locker would just disengage/unload. It would pop and kick my steering to the left or right. Kick me over a bit. Real annoying.

Talked a lot to Tractech. Finally shimmed it 10 thou on both sides of side gear. It actually helped. Made it "softer", but it didn't stop the problem. That is when I got the new one. I'm not going to say EZs are bad, but the 2 I've tried were. I used grease to stick everything together to install. It poped a couple of times right away, but it got worse as the grease wore of. I don't have a crystal ball, but I would say you are in trouble.

Oh ya, sorry. Check that your tire pressure is equal on both sides. If your tires are worn unequally, try getting two that are equal. Unequal tire sizes can cause this problem. The locker should only differentiate on corners. Going straight, especially under throttle, the locker should remain locked.

Thanks for that.

The first thing I checked was tyre pressure etc. That all seems OK. What I have noticed is that it doesn't seem to be as bad when it's cold. I'm using ep90 in it, and wonder if it needs something a bit heavier?

OK update on this which may be of use to others.

I've spoken to a guy at Detroit, who told me that the E-Z Locker dosen't like trucks that have suspension modified for extra flex. It would seem that it stops the locker from engaging properly. (not sure how that works, but it's what the guy said)

Aparently there have been several reports of this kind of problem, and his advice was to return the unit under warrenty and not to fit another.

I've got to admit, it's got me a bit baffled but I can't knock their customer service, or honesty.

Think I'll get me a No-Slip and try that. Anyone got any horror stories before I lay out any cash.

the powertrax no slip and Detriot EZ locker are pretty much the same IMHO from the pics. I'd imagine that you could have the same issues

chrisjones said:

OK update on this which may be of use to others.

I've spoken to a guy at Detroit, who told me that the E-Z Locker dosen't like trucks that have suspension modified for extra flex. It would seem that it stops the locker from engaging properly. (not sure how that works, but it's what the guy said)

Aparently there have been several reports of this kind of problem, and his advice was to return the unit under warrenty and not to fit another.

I've got to admit, it's got me a bit baffled but I can't knock their customer service, or honesty.

Think I'll get me a No-Slip and try that. Anyone got any horror stories before I lay out any cash.

Click to expand...

Well a bent axle can cause it. I think he is blaming it on the "suposedly" flexy D35. If that was the case why do they make one for a D35? I didn't care that I got my money back, I care that I have tore apart my rear end 3 times now. My time is valuable. The only good advice was not to fit another one.

I'm just one guy, but I got the EZ cause friends of mine had trouble with a couple of no-slips! I've heard good things about Aussies, and I haven't heard any bad stories about Lock-rites. Hope I've helped.

Yeah. thanks for the advice.

Guess I thought that an E-Z or no slip were an easier option. I've not heard of anyone using an Aussie over here. Can anyone suggest any suppliers that would do international shipping?

Maybe I should just bite the bullet and go for a Detroit soft locker, just wanted to avoid a complete diff re-build if I could.

I don't want to be the guy that had a bad experience and curses all lunchbox lockers. Thousands of people run them with no problem. If they were such a terrible product, no one would use them. They are a cheap, easy solution.
I feel your pain. I just wanted a EZ for now and was going to do selectable in the future. Actual Powertrax No-slips are around $350. Detroits are great, but twice as much, and you have to change carriers. Maybe you could try a different lunchbox, just not a Detroit EZ-locker. I don't know about Aussie, but here is there US distributor
http://www.aussielocker.com/