Detroit Lockers

Question:

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how would a detroit affect the freeplay between the ring gear and pinion? do you mean there is more backlash in the "spider gears" part of the locker when compared to the almost nonexistant backlash of spider gears?

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Answer:
When I first refered to freeplay, I was not refering to the backlash setting of the gear setup. I was refering to the amount of rotation needed for the carrier to lock to the axleshafts. A Detroit uses two dog clutches on either side of the spider assembly that spread apart and permit the unit to unlock. This requires some rotation of the carrier relative to the axleshafts. On my Jeep, I can turn the driveshaft almost a quarter of a turn before the locker locks. It is unnoticed on the street except for the sometimes sloppy feeling of power transfer that you get as you start to apply power to the drive axle.

-Mark

ok, I see what you mean now. and good move starting a seperate thread, someone had to do it.

I didn't really notice any extra freeplay on my ez locker, so I'm guessing the guts of a detroit are very different?

I am with mark, the only time I know my Detroit is back there is when I apply power around a corner it will give me a small chirp to let me know it is there. There is also about the same amount of slack that mark mentioned. Now on lissa's TJ with a detroit, there is the same amount of slack but as you apply and let off the gas it gently pushes the heep to the left a little as you apply the gas, and back to the right as you let off. I think this is pretty common with TJ's, but Lissa's jeep is Lissa's jeep, so hard telling. (going to catch hell for that one...)

Ez lockers rarely unlock from my experience and when they do it is violent. My friend had an ez locker in the back of his yj and you would have thought it was a spool. The one in the front of my scout gives me hell with turning all the time, because it doesn't unlock very well. Forget driving it around town with only front wheel drive, almost ended up in somebodys living room one time when it didn't want to unlock to go around a corner.

did your friend remember to put those cone washer/shims back in the carrier with the ez locker? without them it will pretty much act like a spool

hard telling, he didn't even know what kind it was, his mechanic set it up for him, I would venture to say not. But mine in the front is set up properly, and it unlocks violently when it actually decides to.

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Originally posted by BMFScout
Now on lissa's TJ with a detroit, there is the same amount of slack but as you apply and let off the gas it gently pushes the heep to the left a little as you apply the gas, and back to the right as you let off. I think this is pretty common with TJ's, but Lissa's jeep is Lissa's jeep, so hard telling. (going to catch hell for that one...)

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That problem is easily solved. The reason that the thing pushes is because of slightly different rolling diameters between the two rear tires. Figure out which way it pushes (technical racing term there) and add 1 lb of air to the rear tire on that side until it stops, i.e. left push, add air to the left rear tire.

Mark, I don't think air pressure has as much to do with it as the rear panhard bar/track bar bushings are shot. Not to mention the shock and trailing arm bushings being shot. I believe it does that because the rear end is just dancing around behind that thing.

maybe my gears are shot then...because my detroit is one violent bitch...

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Originally posted by Fredo
Mark, I don't think air pressure has as much to do with it as the rear panhard bar/track bar bushings are shot. Not to mention the shock and trailing arm bushings being shot. I believe it does that because the rear end is just dancing around behind that thing.

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Maybe so. But its a cheap trick. If you end up with more than a few PSI difference, and the probelm stays, fix the bushings.

-Mark