The local Hummer dealer has a mini obstacle course behind the dealership to showcase their abilities. The gate is always open so I go through it whenever I'm in the area. The most difficult part is a device with steel rollers that has an uphill hump and only a single tire is on cement. You won't get through it without lockers or an electronic locker designed for offroading.
Today I realized it was a way to experiment with locking the factory lockers while the wheels are turning to see what happens without having a dangerous load on them. I was expecting at least a metallic twang or clang but was pleasantly surprised. With one rear wheel at walking speed (5mph) and the other stationary I engaged the rear locker and kept a bit of throttle on - progressively higher and higher. At some point the stationary rear wheel began turning and then I heard the click (windows down) of the locker engaging. No drama, no grinding engagement and the Cruiser popped right out of the little trap they'd built over and over.
So it gave me a little confidence that in the future if I'm stuck in snow I can be a little less conservative in locking them up as there must be something in the actuator that ensures they're either fully engaged or fully disengaged even under power. The actuator must have enough power that once the splines are lined up it can jam the locker together so the splines are fully engaged in an instant.
I did it several times with varying speeds and throttle settings and after a dozen or so it was clear the engagement was clean and snappy every time. This was a unique opportunity to engage the locker with wheelspin under controlled conditions.
DougM
Today I realized it was a way to experiment with locking the factory lockers while the wheels are turning to see what happens without having a dangerous load on them. I was expecting at least a metallic twang or clang but was pleasantly surprised. With one rear wheel at walking speed (5mph) and the other stationary I engaged the rear locker and kept a bit of throttle on - progressively higher and higher. At some point the stationary rear wheel began turning and then I heard the click (windows down) of the locker engaging. No drama, no grinding engagement and the Cruiser popped right out of the little trap they'd built over and over.
So it gave me a little confidence that in the future if I'm stuck in snow I can be a little less conservative in locking them up as there must be something in the actuator that ensures they're either fully engaged or fully disengaged even under power. The actuator must have enough power that once the splines are lined up it can jam the locker together so the splines are fully engaged in an instant.
I did it several times with varying speeds and throttle settings and after a dozen or so it was clear the engagement was clean and snappy every time. This was a unique opportunity to engage the locker with wheelspin under controlled conditions.
DougM