Factory lockers sticking?

[NerdNoise]

I just purchased an 80 (upgraded from a 40 series). This 1996 has the factory lockers option and when engaged, the front clicks and locks (light stops flashing) but the rear never stops flashing. Is there any maintenance to be done on these lockers? Are they "sticking"? Am I doing something wrong?

 

[str8nm]

ME too..try this

I try to engage mine every so often even when not needed. I have a gravel drive, so it makes it easy. I have only had the truck for 6 months.

On Friday I was doing one of these tests, and the same thing was happening, the front engaged quickly, and the rear just kept blinking. All this while trying to stay in a straight line as to not stress anything out.

Then I moved the steering back and forth a little (tough to do even on gravel) and "click" engaged immediately. Repeated with same results.

Chad

 

[Beowulf]

Am I doing something wrong?

Dunno. The process to test and exercise the factory e-lockers has been posted dozens of times. I will be happy to find some prior threads if you are unable to find one with a search.

It is common to buy a used truck where the diff locks have never been engaged and the grease inside is hardened. 9 out of 10 times everything starts working with some use. On rare occasions people have had to rebuild the insides after finding them full of rusty water. Most of those were from rust belt states or prior flood vehicles.

-B-

 

[NerdNoise]

I tried turning the wheels and that seems to do the trick. At first I thought that this would only work on the front, but soon realized that by turning the wheels, the rear ones spin at diff. rates. Makes sense to me. Thanks again.

 

[jlg32281]

I haven't had a chance to experiment much with mine, but mine does the same thing. When I turn the switch, the light just blinks, other times it actually locks up. I hope it becomes more reliable with time. I don't think the lockers have ever been used in the 142k miles of it's life. Is there something that I can grease to help it?

 

['74 UA FJ]

I try to engage mine every so often even when not needed. I have a gravel drive, so it makes it easy. I have only had the truck for 6 months.

On Friday I was doing one of these tests, and the same thing was happening, the front engaged quickly, and the rear just kept blinking. All this while trying to stay in a straight line as to not stress anything out.

Then I moved the steering back and forth a little (tough to do even on gravel) and "click" engaged immediately. Repeated with same results.

Chad

You're not going to hurt anything by turning the wheel with the lockers engaged on gravel.

 

[unwiredadventures]

I just purchased an 80 (upgraded from a 40 series). This 1996 has the factory lockers option and when engaged, the front clicks and locks (light stops flashing) but the rear never stops flashing. Is there any maintenance to be done on these lockers? Are they "sticking"? Am I doing something wrong?

On mine the front will lock more quickly than the rear.

Find a place with loose gravel and do a figure eight with the rear locked.

 

['74 UA FJ]

If you had rear steering, the rear locker would lock just as quickly as the front.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

On mine the front will lock more quickly than the rear.

Find a place with loose gravel and do a figure eight with the rear locked.

This is normal

The front locker has more locking cogs and requires less difference in wheelspeed...

The rear locker has less locking cogs and requires a bigger difference in wheelspeed, but it's relatively stronger due to more meat between each cog...