I've gone through most of previous threads about the lockers. So my rear engages with no issues, however, front locker sounds like it's engaging. I turned the car to on position with out the engine on I put it on 4Low and turned on the rear and I heard the noise I'm supposed to hear. Now again I have no issues with the rear. I turn the locker dial one more to the right (to front locker position and I hear the actuator motor working and the lights blinking. I turn them on and off front and rear multiple times then I decided to leave the front and rear on locked position. I removed the actuator and I turn it to lock and unlock and I see the gear spinning back and forth as I turn the dial to on and off. When I removed the actuator I saw the fork gear inside the hole and seeing the other threads I tried to move it and it moves maybe half and inch or less back and forth. But judging by the pictures of the fork it's supposed to be on the left side and mine is all the way to the right meaning my right side of the fork is all the way to the right side of the hole. Sorry for the locker thread again but I need some answer or clarification if I'm doing something wrong.
Another locker question or help
- Thread starter JoeLFNT80
- Start date
lumpskie
Independent Thinker
I'm an ARB guy, so I can't tell you much about elockers. But, I do know that they often won't engage when you are sitting still... especially if they haven't been used a bunch. It seems that the best way to get an elocker to engage is to put the vehicle in neutral, engage the locker, then move the vehicle forwards/backwards a bit. Did you try that before you took everything apart?
kletzenklueffer
Adventurer
Have you read thoroughly on Mud? I went through similar on my 80 and when I had put the actuator back in, the fork was to the left, so when I was in 4x4 (mine is part time now), the front was always locked and I had no steering. I pulled the actuator and used a screwdriver to move the fork to the right, and reinstalled and all was well. I don't recall how far it move, but it wasn't much- certainly not 2", but 1/2" sounds wrong. Try lifting the front end so that you can rotate tires to see if it's locking/unlocking when the lever is moved regardless of the actuator and work backwards from there.
Stoffregen Motorsports
Explorer
If the indicator light is on, then the lockers are engaged, but, to avoid any confusion, we should have you start from ground zero.
It's simple enough to know if they are locking, by jacking up an axle and spinning one wheel while engaging the locker. You should try that. You should also remove the actuator (on each axle) and solidify the clocking of the gear. With the actuator out, using a flat blade screwdriver, shift the locker into the locked position until the light comes on and you hear or feel a resounding click. Then go to the switch and run the motor to the locked position. Re-install the actuator with the knowledge that the clocking of the gear is now ruled out as the problem.
These motors are not bullet proof, and the can get slow over time. This is caused by two things (at least in my experience): the contacts inside the gear box on the plate get crusty is one reason. The other is a weird one, the main gear can actually grow. I don't know why this happens, it might be from getting wet (it's a phenolic type gear), but regardless of the why, the fact is that when the gear grows, it binds up with the small gear on the motor, causing it to run slow or even stop working altogether. If the motor is running slow and you think it's because the gear is binding, there is a quick fix for that.
Let me know what you find and we'll discuss the fix if we need to.
It's simple enough to know if they are locking, by jacking up an axle and spinning one wheel while engaging the locker. You should try that. You should also remove the actuator (on each axle) and solidify the clocking of the gear. With the actuator out, using a flat blade screwdriver, shift the locker into the locked position until the light comes on and you hear or feel a resounding click. Then go to the switch and run the motor to the locked position. Re-install the actuator with the knowledge that the clocking of the gear is now ruled out as the problem.
These motors are not bullet proof, and the can get slow over time. This is caused by two things (at least in my experience): the contacts inside the gear box on the plate get crusty is one reason. The other is a weird one, the main gear can actually grow. I don't know why this happens, it might be from getting wet (it's a phenolic type gear), but regardless of the why, the fact is that when the gear grows, it binds up with the small gear on the motor, causing it to run slow or even stop working altogether. If the motor is running slow and you think it's because the gear is binding, there is a quick fix for that.
Let me know what you find and we'll discuss the fix if we need to.
So yea I pulled the actuator out and it seems to be working. I guess the po didn't install the actuator back in correctly . I jacked up the car in the front and with the car on minus the engine ignited I put the switch to locked position. With the actuator removed I saw that the fork inside was not aligned with the actuator. So I rotated one of the front tires and got the fork to lock position. Re installed actuator and back to full lockers.
I did as you said via ih8mud as well. It seems to be working now. I'll go test it out thoroughly this weekend and keep you posted. Appreciate the help
The fork has to be all the way to the left if your looking at it from the back of vehicle correct? That is locked position. Mine was far off to the right so i did the lifting from and rotating and seemed to work . Thank you very much.... now off to test.
kletzenklueffer
Adventurer
Left should be locked, but from my foggy memory, you need to move it to the right to unlock it, or so the actuator can unlock it. Could be wrong on that.
As long as you can hear it engage,disengage, and steering is normal on pavement, then it's unlocked. When locked on pavement, you can hardly turn the wheel. Just be sure it disengages before getting in any traffic.
As long as you can hear it engage,disengage, and steering is normal on pavement, then it's unlocked. When locked on pavement, you can hardly turn the wheel. Just be sure it disengages before getting in any traffic.
kletzenklueffer
Adventurer
Rethinking your post, I'd say yeah, if you have the switch on locked FF/RR and the fork/teeth are to the left when you reassemble, that should be correct. Again, just be sure you can hear the motor disengage and test it before driving.