Prepping a camel trophy defender 110 for around the world...

[ipgregory]

Since Camilla is a stick and you are going to be testing the ******** out of it in terms of various terrain and surface types, it will be interesting to hear your findings Shayne. I think its a great peice of kit for what I use it for but can only test it in my truck of course.

 

[The Rover Shop]

Looks like you put it through some pretty cool testing yourself according to your recent pics...)

 

[Timo K]

I could see how on tight turns into a parking space off throttle the diff locker could get differing "demands"..it's off throttle so the diff assumes you are going down hill and has to lock in the "braking"(i.e.. its now being a "driven" instead of a "driver") position and tries to slow the fastest driven wheel down with the driveshaft speed, but since you are really only rolling there is not enough driving torque to keep the locker engaged so it disengages, I believe its this engaging disengaging conflict that may be causing the noise..it doesn't happen on a auto because your braking is over-riding the drive (i.e.. you are holding back the car as its still applying torque to the ffront differential)..you still have the front diff being "driven" so it keeps driving the inside wheel and allows the outside wheel to run faster than it so therefore is silent in its operation as it is designed to be...I am yet to install mine so I am only assuming but have studied the operating principles of these diffs a little bit..I chatted to their product guy and expressed concern over this and they are aware of it but also said its pretty much part of the opertional compromise.. I have to believe that there will be a way to avoid this noise and once learned will be a small price for what I believe is one of the best lockers on the market..(for my particular needs..)..) I would start by braking with the engine still driving in 1st gear as you pull into the parking space.. so you are kinda simulating being an auto vehicle.. or stop before you pull in tight and drive in instead of rolling in..I am sure I will update my findings as this progresses..

I think you nailed it. I came to the same conclusion, it's not really a defect (It's not a bug, it's a feature!) but like they said, a design compromise. FYI the Detroit seems to have the same issue, but it's (IMHO) a much poorer design in comparison. They're known to go boom and taking out half-shafts with them too, I've yet to hear a Kaiser grenading, although there don't seem to be too many around due to the price. Anywhoo, low range first gear driving it in, should cure all clonks when doing tight turns... We'll see.

 

[ipgregory]

I agree, I think it’s just 'chattering' to itself when its coasting with the clutch in and in a hard turn. Has no way to set itself as there is conflicting input. Not something to worry about but probably annoying with the noise to some. Haven't heard it myself of course so can't comment on how much noise it makes. Doesn’t do it in an auto as there is always going to be a positive or negative input from the prop shaft unless you put the t-case in neutral and coast (why would you?).


Yes I certainly don't baby mine. It gets a work out.

 

[uk trailer guy]

land Rover Defenders are supposedly the 2nd highest stolen vehicle in the UK..and I think the numbers were something like 10 stolen every day... holy poop..

I'd be surprised if that were the case to be honest. Defenders are registered as insurance group 10 (older ones) to 12 (new ones) over here. NB. My Series III is insurance group 2! :wings:

I reckon that it's likely to be high end Range Rovers that are way up on the list and usually in to a shipping container and on to a ferry and out of the country within 24 hours.

Don't worry, if you come this direction with your Landy, she's likely to be smiled and waved at, rather than nicked

 

[Red90]

I think you nailed it. I came to the same conclusion, it's not really a defect (It's not a bug, it's a feature!) but like they said, a design compromise. FYI the Detroit seems to have the same issue, but it's (IMHO) a much poorer design in comparison. They're known to go boom and taking out half-shafts with them too, I've yet to hear a Kaiser grenading, although there don't seem to be too many around due to the price. Anywhoo, low range first gear driving it in, should cure all clonks when doing tight turns... We'll see.

Well, to be fair a Detroit in a Salisbury will never die. In a Rover axle it is a different story. The Salisbury center is much stronger than any halfshaft that can be put in the axle. Seeing as this thread is about a 110, we should keep the discussion to that vehicle.

 

[Red90]

There was a guy on another thread in Canada I think it was that had some issues but he never really worked out what the problem was. He had a stick if I remember.

Yes, 300TDI 110 with an R380. He is local and we drove it, so he could show me. The chattering was only in the front, though, if you disengaged the clutch at full lock. Nothing from the rear. He later sold the truck, so no idea what happened past that point.

 

[ipgregory]

Will try and remember to coast mine on a turn next time i have the truck out and see if I can get it to do it to give me an idea of how bad the noise is. I only have the back one in though now so if it only does it on the front I won't have much luck.

 

[Red90]

Will try and remember to coast mine on a turn next time i have the truck out and see if I can get it to do it to give me an idea of how bad the noise is. I only have the back one in though now so if it only does it on the front I won't have much luck.

And coasting did not cause it either... You had to disengage the clutch while in the middle of a turn. He noticed when turning into parking spots. It seemed to be the locker engaging and disengaging rapidly with the drivetrain backlash. It was a weird thing.

 

[ipgregory]

If I throw the trans or t-case into neutral while turning slow on full lock, you think that would do it? How loud was it?

 

[The Rover Shop]

I think his only problem was in the front one... He had no problem with the rear if I recall correctly.. My front and rear lockers and GBR front shafts are all on their way.. Hopefully everything will be done by next weekend as there is a north Florida land rover event I would like to give em a try at...

 

[ipgregory]

What did you decide on for the front Shayne?

 

[The Rover Shop]

I have a kaiser front coming.. I guess if I don't like it I will replace it with my other choice... An ARB..

 

[ipgregory]

Kaiser front works fine. Mine had a little torque steer to begin with but it soon faded. Its not as bad as a TruTrac. They updated them and made a dedicated front one after I tested the original and reported the torque steer. They say it’s much improved in that initial break in. Not tried it though.

I decided I didn't want a full time locker in the front for what I do and a friend wanted a back one so we put his ARB in my front and the Kaiser in his back. I like the Kaiser/ARB set up a lot now for my application. I run open front 99.9% of the time and only engage it when I really need it.

It’s possible I guess the 'chatter' is part of that break in on a stick truck since the locker is tighter and it only seems to affect the fronts? Be interested to hear your findings after you've run it a while to see how it is once its fully broken in. Not sure if anybody else who has commented has run one long enough to say for sure?

Really interested to hear how they work in snow/ice and slippery mud. I have tried mine best I can with no issues but Mud/Snow are hard to come by in AZ...

 

[Jitterbug]

Really interested to see how you go with these too...