Lock-Right Skipping and clicking in a straight line?

[Gotta_gofast]

So, lately as I'm driving my ranger on the highway I am starting to notice that the lock-right I have installed is making a lot of noise in a straight line where it shouldn't have any wheel speed differences (tires have identical wear and at 35psi). It also seems that the speedometer needle jumps a hair (maybe 2mph) when it clicks. Sometimes, it will click rapidly for a second and sometimes I'll only get one or two clicks. Is it possible that the springs are worn or the dog teeth are shot? As soon as I can pick up some gear oil and a gasket I'll open it up to inspect. I know its not the severe torque from a 3.0L beating on it , or the massive leverage those 31" tires have on the road.

Any ideas about my situation? What to look for when its open? Maybe run stiffer springs in the event it is skipping? Also, can some other lock-right owners relate to this when on paved surfaces? Thanks guys.

 

[c_note]

my buddy put a No-Slip Locker BY POWERTRAX in his 8.8. so he thought anyway. gay ass Offroad Warehouse in san diego gave him a Lockright instead of the No Spin. well the Lock Right is designed for an open carrier and the No Spin is designed for a limited slip carrier. so when you put the wrong one in your diff, they tend to slip since they may be the wrong width.

hope this helps

 

[Gotta_gofast]

It is a lock-right, installed in a 7.5" open carrier with 3.73:1 gears. I think the no-slip is also made for an open carrier, too though. Anyways, I should add that the issue has increased since I first installed it a couple months ago. Actually, it really wasn't to bad driving on the road at first. Almost un-noticable in a straight line. Now I notice it skipping or clicking a lot more.

 

[Mac]

my buddy put a No-Slip Locker BY POWERTRAX in his 8.8. so he thought anyway. gay ass Offroad Warehouse in san diego gave him a Lockright instead of the No Spin. well the Lock Right is designed for an open carrier and the No Spin is designed for a limited slip carrier. so when you put the wrong one in your diff, they tend to slip since they may be the wrong width.

hope this helps

Both the "No-Slip" and "lock-rite" can be had for the open or L/S rear end. Been running the No-Slip in my open for over 30K miles now with no problems and like it so much, bought another one for the Summer truck.

Go-Fast, you're the first one I've heard of with that problem, try calling Richmond. After a couple of months only, you sure shouldn't have any wear.
Dave

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Well, I don't wanna make the call until I know exactly what is happening on the other side of the diff cover. I may end up spending my hard earned dollars on a no-slip... maybe. We will see the carnage. I might check the fluid with a cotton swab for metal shavings tonight though.

 

[c_note]

Both the "No-Slip" and "lock-rite" can be had for the open or L/S rear end.
Dave

his solution was replacing the lock right with the no slip. i know that a few years ago the lock right was for the open and the no slip was for the trac lock cuz i read it on the richmond site. however i just checked the site and it did list either open or track lock for the no slip. must be a somewhat new update.

 

[rangertoy]

are you sure its the lock-rite and not a gear problem

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Bout to take the beast apart. I'm pretty sure its a lock-rite problem as I went in the back field to see if both tires would lock up if I "forced" them to slip. All it took was a quarter throttle on loose stuff to hear a quick ratcheting sound and a couple attempts of the passenger rear tire to grab... but all I seen in the grass was a dug out stripe behind the drivers tire and patches missing from the passenger tire (where it engaged momentarly). Darn the thing, it worked flawlessly when I installed it and for the better half of its life in the truck. And I don't abuse it, I just like to be able to go through fields and on inclines without leaving a trench from an open diff. Oh well, I'll see what happened now.

 

[wizkid00104]

I was going to suggest that the noise may be coming from your transfer case and it is the stupid little speedometer gear. I know you think the rear, but when I am in the cab, I can't tell where the hell noises are coming from. Good luck!

 

[Mac]

I was wondering how things were looking. Latest don't sound good. Hope for the best I guess, hope the gears aren't all chewed up with metal flakes everywhere. How many miles on the stock rear end?
Dave

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Rear end has a hair over 100,000 (unless it was rebuilt). Looked nice and clean when I put the locker in, as in hardly any wear.

But now I have metal slivers ranging from 1/32" to 1/4" long in the oil, on the diff. cover, and resting in the bottom of the center section. Hope they didn't eat my bearings, but they probably did. Also, the teeth on the passenger side are round. Not kind of round, or slightly beveled, but ROUND. I can leave my trans out of gear, spin the passenger side tire, and it will not move the "free" driveshaft or other tire.

Does the Lock-Right not like roads?

 

[Gotta_gofast]

Since cash is short, if anyone has a limited slip 7.5" or 8.8" rear end they're looking to get rid of with 3.73s, pm me. Anything but the open diff!!!

 

[Mac]

I've got a couple of 8.8 rears but all open and none in the 3.73 ratio. I've got a 7.5 3.73 open but promised it to someone else. I'd take some pictures and get with Richmond. The teeth are rounded on the Lock-right? Sounds not right! Not heat treated properly?
Cash is short all over now, I actually had to start working again to get thru this mess.
Dave

 

[Hahnsb2]

How many miles on the lock-right itself? Like anything they do eventually wear out. I remember a member named "William" before the great forum jacking of '07, had a lock-right in his Navajo and wore it out in 37000 miles and replaced it with a no-slip and it had nearly 100K on it before it was totalled and it worked fine since the no-slip will actually disengage the teeth while turning instead of them over running themselves.

Before I broke the Cross-pin on my 7.5 the Lock-right had started to wear out with some violent popping and such, I put nearly 20K on it and bought it used from Todd who beat on it pretty hard.

 

[Gotta_gofast]

MAC: The Cog teeth are rounded on the passenger side. Its not a polished round like rubbing metal, but its not quite malled like a beating, but somewhere in between the two. I would consider an open 8.8" for the benefit of a no-slip and strength/brakes but I found an 8.8" up in Wisconsin Rapids for $220 with 40,000 miles on it. Would that be a reasonable price?

HahnsB2 Ran it since February... maybe 4000 miles max. I think I might look into the no-slip as it seems more "road worthy" with all the benefits of my occasional expeditions. I spose, I'll start saving my pennies so that I can enjoy a locked rear end again. Looking at the lock-right, I think they will last longer when abused. I say this because constantly applying torque to the center pin will keep the two drive cogs spread. This will lock the axle, but more importantly keep the teeth from over-riding each other. Now, when lightly used the center pin applies some force on the drive cogs causing them to spread outward, but because the teeth are at a slight angle, the force of the tire spinning faster allows it to overcome the center pins applied force. I don't see this hurting the teeth (there's oil to help the teeth slide) but when the teeth re-engage, I could see the violent force hammering away at the tips of the teeth, eventually causing them to round.

So, who knows... maybe babying things isn't always the best way to preserve them? lol