Rear locker won't engage on new to me 98.

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Joined
Jul 8, 2015
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8
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Location
Davenport Ia.
Just bought a 98 cruiser today! 190,000 miles and it runs great. Drove it home at 70 mph on the interstate with no issues, the engine and ride was very quiet. I found some mud and sand close to my place to have a little fun. The center diff lock came on, and the ABS went off when shifting into low range as expected. But the rear diff wouldn't lock up. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for the help guys.
 
Just bought a 98 cruiser today! 190,000 miles and it runs great. Drove it home at 70 mph on the interstate with no issues, the engine and ride was very quiet. I found some mud and sand close to my place to have a little fun. The center diff lock came on, and the ABS went off when shifting into low range as expected. But the rear diff wouldn't lock up. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance for the help guys.
you do have rear lockers? I assume you are asking when you turned the RL stitch it did not engaged - yes?
 
Yes it has the factory rear locker. When I turn the dial to the right with the t case in low the light just flashes. The previous owner said he never used it.
 
Common issue when never used. Turn the dial when in low, and drive in slow figure 8's. Sometimes that will get it to engage. Also, it may engage and the light may still flash (happened to my 80 a few times). But you will definitely know when it is engaged.
 
My was a mall cruiser/lx before my ownership....mine worked intermittently. It's a hunting truck now so I needed it when I needed it. Mine was sticky; to work it out I drove on country roads engaging/in-engaging it for a long while. Gets a little better each time.

Now works flawlessly..about same vintage 1998 lx....

Thanks

Todd H.
 
Forgot to mention I only got a CDL....
But concept may still apply.
 
Thanks for the replies. I took the truck down a really slick mud road the other day. Had it in low with the rear locker switched on. The light just kept blinking. The rear end of the truck tried to slide out to the right a few times. Should I assume the locker doesn't work?
 
Update. Just had the truck in a rough gravel pit. I shifted t case to low and engaged the rear locker. I took a really slow tight left hand turn and looked back at the rear left tire. It was dragging and skipping pretty good. So seems to me that even though the light keeps blinking, the rear is locking up as it should. Please correct me if you guys think I'm wrong. Thanks again.
 
Update. Just had the truck in a rough gravel pit. I shifted t case to low and engaged the rear locker. I took a really slow tight left hand turn and looked back at the rear left tire. It was dragging and skipping pretty good. So seems to me that even though the light keeps blinking, the rear is locking up as it should. Please correct me if you guys think I'm wrong. Thanks again.
Mine does exactly this, but I know it's locked as I can feel it. There are threads on the 80 board where people are fixing the blinking light issue. Seems to be a simple wiring thing a lot of the time back at the actuator on the diff. I haven't felt the need to go at it yet, since I don't use it often and I know it works. Let us know if you get your light fixed, but for now I'd say it certainly sounds like your locker is working fine.
 

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