FRONT LOCKER Questions - Is This Normal??

[KIRK!]

I installed the front locker a while ago, but just realized that I never even tested it out. So I just tested it on my street and I don't know how it is supposed to feel/sound. I knew there would be some sort of issue with turning with both hubs engaged in 4wd. Turning produces an uneven lurching. Is this normal? With one locker free it only does it when turning one direction. Is this normal? I know that people said that on the trail you need to drive with one locker free to be able to turn. Does the free locker determine which way you can turn? Any other observations?

Thanks!!

 

[nwoods]

Never turn a locked diff on pavement! Think about it, in a turn, the inside wheel is going X speed, but the outside wheel has to complete a much longer arc in the same amount of time, so the outer wheel has to turn a lot faster. The difference in speed is what differential does... unless you lock it, then it can't do that anymore. Juddering is normal in that situation because the outer wheel is forcing the inner wheel to turn faster than the pavement will allow so it's basically spinning it on dry pavement. Not good for your mechanicals!

If it's doing it now when you're unlocked, then you probably aren't truly unlocked. Sounds like one side is still engaged.

 

[KIRK!]

Cool! I didn't drive anywhere, just in and out of the driveway.

 

[bikerjosh]

front locker

Howdy Kirk
Yeah nwoods is right. Had arb lockers frt/rear on my 3rd gen 4runner , with all the horror stories about snapping front half shafts while turning off road with front, I made a point to only engage with wheels pretty straight. When rock crawling I swear I could feel the frt half shafts strain, with very little steering input.

Btw-how is the rear diff skid coming?
Josh