1990 XJ Limited 4.0, NV242: Sorry for the dumb question, but I installed my Spartan locker on the front D30 yesterday. After dealing with a cracked closed system water bottle causing overheating today, I finally took it for a test drive. I live in suburgatory, so I just threw it in 4part time on the street and made some right/left turns and a couple of circles. It was definitely in 4WD, but I couldn't tell if the locker was engaging or not, since the dreaded ratcheting noise wasn't happening. I was not really going too hard on the throttle, but still expected something. Even on the rack yesterday, when my buddy and I turned both wheels, the clicking was happening. We installed it exactly to spec, too. Used 75W-90 synthetic gear oil. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
Spartan Locker Installed - No clicking noise?
- Thread starter Planetcat
- Start date
- Location
- NE Texas
leave it in 2wd and do tight U-turns
DeftwillP
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Round Rock TX
Put the case in neutral. Jack up the front end and put the axles on jack stands. Turn one of the wheels by hand. What does the other wheel do?
johnbizzle02
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Morganton, N.C
my aussie locker doesn't make any noise in the front, i figure some do some don't, like deftwillp said jack up the front see if the tires trn in opposite directions
- Location
- Columbus, In
Its not ratcheting because there is force on it and its locked. I can only hear mine ratcheting when I'm backing out of a parking spot.
I will try that today.
We did this right after the install when it was on the rack. My buddy turned the "primary" (i.e. driver side) wheel and the other one turned in the same direction. If I held the passenger one tight while he turned the driver side wheel, the locker ratcheted and tried to turn the wheel I was holding onto.
I thought limited slips turned the wheels in the opposite directions when jacked up and lockers turned them in the same direction. My true trac on my WJ works like that and the spartan locker turned them both at the same time.
That would be good.
WB9YZU
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Madison, WI
A limited slip, if it's not shot, will turn both wheels in the same direction. If the vehicle is in Park, you will have an extremely hard time turning either wheel because the coupling between the axles is handled by friction. The more power you add to a limited slip, the tighter the coupling.
As you stated, a locker hard couples the axles together.
Flex is spot on. Lunchbox lockers are a compromise. They lock when power is applied, and ratchet when it is not to allow for "differential" type action.
So when you tested it on 4WD, it was locked.
Remember that this winter, it may save your life. There are times when you won't want the front end to understeer, like on icy roads. That's when you should be in 2WD to prevent that locker from enguaging.
-Ron
That all makes sense. Its a ranch jeep, so it wont see much street and no snow. Itll be in 2wd unless on the trail. Gonna go get in trouble now testing it out at the local jr. College.
UPDATE: Tested the locker out tonight on a construction site with some tall, soft mounds of dirt. The front wheels locked as expected, pulled us right up, no ratcheting, both wheels spinning in the soft dirt. Back in 2WD, and the ratcheting noises started a little around some tight turns. It's all working fine. Thanks for all the advice. Sorry for the lame thread.
RumbleGoat
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Richland
I just put one in too. I was prepared for a little ratchet action in 2wd, but there is absolutely none. Works as expected in 4wd. Very good product. Wonder if they will make Spartans for the 8.25. . .
outkast7222
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Elk River, MN
My Spartan is extemely quiet also....Then again over the leaky exhaust and rumble of 36's ect. I would probably never hear it or care if it wasn't. Makes me wonder though why they seem so transparent in the front but I have yet to hear a truly quiet lunchbox locker in the rear. (With the exception of a No-Slip)
