Another Diff Locks Thread? Yep. Point & Laugh? Probably.

[johnnyx]

Okay, so I have my 1996 LX450 for sale in the Vehicles For Sale forum.

I'll preface my inquiry by saying it's got a (EDIT) "K292" on the door, no dial for the front and rear lockers, and nothing else but a 4H - N - 4L shifter next to the AT gear shifter.

I did a ton of reading and research before buying mine and understood that most of these rigs (and corresponding Land Cruisers) did not come w/ "Diff Locks" meaning "lockers in the pumpkins of each axle"... (They are prized!) I didn't need them, and wasn't looking specifically to buy one w/ them.

So anyway, my LX450 is for sale online as well (craigslist in Phoenix, AZ), and I state in my ad it "does NOT have diff locks".

There's a guy who's been writing me (and I have zero problem with him asking and hell, he's even got me not 100% sure now (I'm close, but not quite 100%) on the possibility of having some sort of lockers (DON'T LAUGH!! okay, you can laugh, but just don't point! )

Here's his two emails - what do y'll think? Any chance of what he's saying is true for the '96 LX450? (Removed the name to protect the innocent).

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Email #1: (True, the diff lock light does come on.)

I see on your ad that you say it does NOT have locking diffs. I'd be
very surprised if it did not have them.

Try this: Go out and put your rig in 4Lo; at this point you should see
"Diff Lock" illuminated on the dash.

Many people expect to see the Diff Lock toggle on the console somewhere
and Toyota pulled this in the later gen and just made the Diff Lock
automatic in 4Lo.

Lemme know and I might be interested.
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Email #2: (I've never put it in 4L and done a sharp U-turn so I can't say if it "clicks" or not. and I can't say I've even seen a pic of an actuator so if anyone has one, post up and I'll confirm whether or not they exist on mine...)

I’m in a real quandary then. First, why would it say “Diff Lock”? Honestly. My ’03 4Runner has locking diffs and Toyota has been putting them on all ‘03+ 4Runners and many ‘95+ 4Runners/Tacomas.

But here is the kicker for me: When I drove a ’96 LX and put it in 4Lo and tried to make a UTurn it clicked very noticeably. You cannot get that without axle diff locks. Period. Try that on your rig..

I saw some of the postings on the web and I think they’re just wrong. It doesn’t have the dial but I bet it has locking axle diffs. Look for the actuator on the diff; I’d be shocked if it wasn’t there.
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School me!
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[d0ubledown]

why not just crawl under your truck to see if its got anything bolted up to the 3rd member itself?

[e9999]

the guy is confusing center diff lock and end lockers.
They all (normally) have center diff locks. That's the one that gets automatically (on the newer 80s) locked in Lo.

294 is end lockers IIRC. Should have the rotary knob on the left of the dash.
But yes, just look, there should be a cubish assembly of sort sticking out of the topside of the diff, with a wire harness, if there is an end locker there. Lockers in the diffs without the switch in the dash would be odd, but I guess the switch could have been removed.


added: do you see the lit symbols (little drivetrain signs with an X at the ends) for the end lockers when you turn the key on? (I'm assuming there aren't any on the non-locked 80s)

[Falco80]

The "diff lock" light on the dash is for the centre diff lock (CDL). When it is lit the CDL is locked, like when you select 4L. It has nothing to do with either the front or rear axles. Thats how it is on our aussie 80's anyway. The CDL locks both front and rear driveshafts together (not axles) so you get the same amount of drive going to each end, but not each wheel. Thats what you need diff locks in the pumpkins for.
Hope that all makes sense!

[knorrena]

If you do have diff locks, do yourself a favor and dont lock them and drive on pavement. The wheels spin at different rates as you drive. For example, when driving around a corner the inner wheel spins slower than the outside because it has less distance to travel. When you lock them, the lockers prevent the wheels from spinning at different rates and this can cause significant driveline strain.

The clicking this fellow is hearing, or wants to hear, is likely due to the birfields (knuckle joints in the front axle) clicking. They do that when they are worn.

WRT the lights the other posters are referring to. The centre diff lock light is orange and on the lower left of the gauge cluster. When it is actuated the abs light comes on too. The diff lock lights are on the lower right and are red.

Have you always owned your truck? Perhaps someone bought it, yanked the lockers and sold it to you?

Good luck selling your truck.

Karl

[johnnyx]

Thanks all - yeah, I ~just know~ I don't have them (and the guy I bought it from late last year made no mention (or claim) of lockers on it whatsoever), but gosh if this guy emailing me didn't make me think twice.

Hell...I just see I wrote K294 above...meant to say K292 on mine = no diff locks.

He did email me again saying he did some further research and "I think you're right that it doesn't have them."

And yes, I see no extra goodies on the pumpkins - just nice and round. Yes, the "diff lock" light at the lower left of the dash lights up like it should (emphasizing the "bulge" in the center of the diagram - "center diff"), along w/ the ABS light - and yes, nothing in the lower right of the dash indicating anything else.

Thanks again everyone and I'll leave this thread up to avoid others having to ask this boneheaded question- you're welcome, all you "even-newer" newbies!

I do have someone pre-approved and seriously interested in it - might be sold tomorrow.