4.3LXJ
08-22-2012, 05:19 PM
When I originally put the lunchbox locker in my D35 I didn't really tell anybody because I didn't want any harassment when an axle broke. So I took it really easy and used my creepy crawly gears whenever possible to avoid slam banging it. It is shock and case spread that gets the 35. So I quietly and slowly wheeled the local granite. On the last trip to the big rocks, the locker started slipping on the highway, causing the clunk and locker shift about every five seconds, and then getting worse to about once a second by the time I drove it home. But we did make it back alive. I disassembled it today to confirm what I suspected. So here is a little education on lockerology.
This version is called a lunchbox locker. All it does is replace the spider gears with a ratcheting/locking mechanism.
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_1660.jpg
It is different from a full automatic locker in that the full locker replaces the OEM carrier. It is different from a selectable locker which has not only the locking mechanism but spider gears too.
I have always regarded this as temporary since I have a full width axle and ARB for it waiting for ..... you guessed it, more money. Here is the parts removed from the carrier.
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_1661.jpg
As you can see, not much to them. After examining the pieces from the affected side, my suspicions were confirmed. It will be very hard to see, but the teeth on the upper side are beveled too much on the left side. Best I could do without a closeup lens.
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_1662.jpg
The way these things work is that when machined, those teeth have a very slight bevel to them that matches the bevels on the opposing piece. See first photo. You can see how they fit together. What holds the in position normally is four little springs that will allow them to slip when there is no pressure being applied to that side from the cross pin. But when the cross pin applies pressure on the inner piece, the bevel on the pin orifice overcomes the ratcheting action and forces the two fitted halves together and then the axle is locked. What happened here is when the bevel on one side of the teeth became too much the cross pin could not apply enough pressure to keep them engaged, so there was a slip. So, in a nutshell, the locker is not repairable without buying another half to replace it. However I am turning the sides around so that I will be using what was the reverse side as the forward side of the teeth and hit the rocks again next month. However coasting will present a bit of a challenge, although minor one. Just gonna have to get on those other axles.
But a look on the bright side. The ole D35 still remains semi indestructible. :D
This version is called a lunchbox locker. All it does is replace the spider gears with a ratcheting/locking mechanism.
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_1660.jpg
It is different from a full automatic locker in that the full locker replaces the OEM carrier. It is different from a selectable locker which has not only the locking mechanism but spider gears too.
I have always regarded this as temporary since I have a full width axle and ARB for it waiting for ..... you guessed it, more money. Here is the parts removed from the carrier.
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_1661.jpg
As you can see, not much to them. After examining the pieces from the affected side, my suspicions were confirmed. It will be very hard to see, but the teeth on the upper side are beveled too much on the left side. Best I could do without a closeup lens.
http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/warriorsuspension/IMG_1662.jpg
The way these things work is that when machined, those teeth have a very slight bevel to them that matches the bevels on the opposing piece. See first photo. You can see how they fit together. What holds the in position normally is four little springs that will allow them to slip when there is no pressure being applied to that side from the cross pin. But when the cross pin applies pressure on the inner piece, the bevel on the pin orifice overcomes the ratcheting action and forces the two fitted halves together and then the axle is locked. What happened here is when the bevel on one side of the teeth became too much the cross pin could not apply enough pressure to keep them engaged, so there was a slip. So, in a nutshell, the locker is not repairable without buying another half to replace it. However I am turning the sides around so that I will be using what was the reverse side as the forward side of the teeth and hit the rocks again next month. However coasting will present a bit of a challenge, although minor one. Just gonna have to get on those other axles.
But a look on the bright side. The ole D35 still remains semi indestructible. :D