detroit problem?

[hot_rod_hooligans]

Question 1: I was out wheelin in some mud and herd a loud "pop", pulled the dif cover today and spun the wheels with one lifted at a time and both tires were spining the dif, and tires would spin freely, locker would make a clicking sound. I there something I'm missind about the way a locker works or it it safe to say it's f*cked?

Question 2: If the above question is true, why did the locker go before my STOCK D30 axle shafts?

 

[rovernut]

Sounds like the locker's fine. It should disenage if you hold one wheel, and it will make a clicking sound.

 

[hot_rod_hooligans]

Hmmm, well somethings wrong, because I can make a full lock circle in 4wd and it doesn't pull, but yet fwd works, for some reason the fronts not locking up. Is it supposed to click fwd and back or only one direction?

 

[Mudderoy]

Isn't the locking of the front wheels handled in the transfer case? I'm still learning how this stuff works. I have a 98 with the Dana 30.

 

[fubar XJ]

Have you been able to determine for certain if both front wheels are driving while engaged in 4wd? Lock it in in mud somewhere, goose it while someone watches, both tires should sling mud. Sometimes lockers make popping noises as part of their bind and release, it may be nothing. Check your front shaft(s) u-joints as well.

 

[cpolish24]

What type of locker do you have? Your front is suppost to spine freely, the sound you hear is the locker ratcheting, and when it popped it was just locking (harshly). It should be fine. If you lift both front tires off the ground(same time) do they spin together? And if you hold one and spin the other, it should ratchet.

 

[89xj]

Isn't the locking of the front wheels handled in the transfer case? I'm still learning how this stuff works. I have a 98 with the Dana 30.

the transfercase engages the front driveshaft.

a traction control devise(locker, lsd, spool) is what locks/engages the front wheels together. an open carrier supplies power to the wheel with the least amount of resistence. with 4wd engaged with open carriers front and rear, is really 2wd, 1 front and 1 back.

 

[4LowandGo]

http://4x4icon.com/offroad/detroit/detroit_noslip.htm

The link above is the owner's manual. In figure 2 they have the test that you should use and that the guys on here are asking you about. Look at the pictures and comments and see if the locker does all that. For the front I'm guessing you sould have the rig in 4wd for the test with the vehicle off, rear wheels chocked, and the front axle on jackstands.

My detroit does that every now and then. There isn't a said time when it does it loudly, and sometimes I can't even hear or feel it engage. It's intermittant and it shouldn't mean anything. It's just something that Detroits will do and I've become used to it.

 

[4LowandGo]

Question 1: I was out wheelin in some mud and herd a loud "pop", pulled the dif cover today and spun the wheels with one lifted at a time and both tires were spining the dif, and tires would spin freely, locker would make a clicking sound. I there something I'm missind about the way a locker works or it it safe to say it's f*cked?

Wait a second... In reading this I see that you said the tires spin freely when the other is on the ground. Do you have vacc. disconnects? Are you in 4WD when doing this?

That's weird! Maybe yours is broke.

 

[hot_rod_hooligans]

Yes the FWD works, otherwise I would not have been able to get out of the mud I was in, but it wasn't performing nearly as well as it had been previously. Also the front passenger side tire is wearing unevenly, the back side of the lug is wearing faster than the front, "heal toe wear"?

 

[hot_rod_hooligans]

So, what's the best way to check the locker without pulling it? I'm pulling the axles here in a few to check them, but if the axles are fine, how do I check the locker?

 

[hot_rod_hooligans]

http://4x4icon.com/offroad/detroit/detroit_noslip.htm

The link above is the owner's manual. In figure 2 they have the test that you should use and that the guys on here are asking you about. Look at the pictures and comments and see if the locker does all that. For the front I'm guessing you sould have the rig in 4wd for the test with the vehicle off, rear wheels chocked, and the front axle on jackstands.

oops, ok I didn't see this

 

[hot_rod_hooligans]

Well, axle shafts are fine, and the test for seeing if the locker is disengaging correctly, turned out fine. We also got the locker to engage w/o problem, pending a test under load, everything seems to be in working order.:dunno: