Detroit rear locker....am i crazy???

**wagoo** · 5th January 2011, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by PhilipA

Well your understanding of how it works.

It is locked ALL THE TIME until it detects one wheel moving more slowly . It unlocks the wheel moving more slowly such as going through a corner when it unlocks the inner wheel.
RRC.

Not quite correct. It is the outer faster turning wheel that unlocks when making a turn.
I once had a series Landy with detroit no spin Salisburies front and rear, and the front would occasionally drive only one wheel at inconvenient times, but it was a very high mileage well worn unit. The OPs Locker is presumably a new one, and if it definately only powers one wheel and there isn't a broken halfshaft or stripped drive flange(not uncommon on Defenders) there is something wrong with it, or it was incorrectly fitted. From memory there is a ''master'' tooth on each side of the central driver that must be correctly aligned with its mating annular ring for the unit to work correctly.A bent axle housing or loose wheel bearings could also cause the Detroit side gear to bind on its splines so that it doesn't always slide back properly into engagement after making a turn.
Failure to lock the centre diff for low traction conditions can sometimes cause the spider gears to friction weld themselves to the cross shafts, giving a limited slip or locked diff effect, until something breaks, so it's not advisable to see how far you can go at offroad obstacles with the CDL disengaged. while we are at it ARB airlockers are also prone to friction welding if disengaged in conditions that will induce individual wheel spin.
Wagoo.
Edit. I'm betting on a stripped rear axle driveflange.Reason, centre diff unlocked, vehicle struggles or stops on low traction climb,Mate behind observing power going to only one rear wheel, but may not be able to see that the front wheels aren't spinning either. Centre diff locked,vehicle proceeds because power now goes to front wheels and the one rear wheel with intact halfshaft/driveflange.

**awabbit6** · 5th January 2011, 09:57 PM

I think what is being missed here is that one wheel on an axle that has a Detroit Locker fitted was observed to be spinning.

Irrespective of CDL, I can't understand how that can occur with a traditional Detroit locker.
Even with a mechanical locker that responds to wheel speed difference, I would expect the diff to lock up if there is significant wheel spin.

What type of locker have you fitted?

**dullbird** · 5th January 2011, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by awabbit6

I think what is being missed here is that one wheel on an axle that has a Detroit Locker fitted was observed to be spinning.

Irrespective of CDL, I can't understand how that can occur with a traditional Detroit locker.
Even with a mechanical locker that responds to wheel speed difference, I would expect the diff to lock up if there is significant wheel spin.

What type of locker have you fitted?

He has fitted a detroit automatic locker... and I dont know anything about lockers but I also agree doesn't make sense that one wheel would be spinning on a detroit assuming that he was in a straight line.

My theory

its not working

or

you have fitted a tru trac to the rear not a locker

**awabbit6** · 5th January 2011, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by bee utey

50/50 only when all the wheels have full traction. If the front wheels are in the air then up to 100% of the torque goes to the back. You can't supply torque to wheels without traction!! Only their average rotation speed will match the back. With all 3 diffs locked you could get nearly 100% of torque supplied to one single half shaft, which is why lockers can result in axles going BANG!!!

Without turning this into a Physics argument, I think we are confusing engine torque with axle load. By the above argument, an engine that is not driving anything delivers no torque ...

If we think in terms of load then a vehicle that has all wheels on the ground (with equal traction and traveling at a constant speed) has an even load on each wheel (25%). With all diffs locked, when one pair of axles (eg front) are in the air, then all (100%) of the load is on the other pair of axles (rear). If only one wheel has traction (again all diffs locked) then all of the load is through one axle. It is the application of engine torque through this axle to accelerate the vehicle (or even maintain speed) that can cause a potential failure of the axle.

**awabbit6** · 5th January 2011, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by dullbird

He has fitted a detroit automatic locker... and I dont know anything about lockers but I also agree doesn't make sense that one wheel would be spinning on a detroit assuming that he was in a straight line.

My theory

its not working

or

you have fitted a tru trac to the rear not a locker

So it works like this ...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftyJvIO0DZ8&feature=related]YouTube - Eaton Mechanical Locking Differential[/ame]

If one wheel is spinning then there should be a point at which the diff locks.

I think more testing is necessary to determine exactly what it is (or isn't) doing.

**djam1** · 5th January 2011, 10:39 PM

No it works like this

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYBOoljH-qE&feature=related]YouTube - Detroit Locker[/ame]

**400HPONGAS** · 6th January 2011, 01:24 AM

Klappers , which model Patrol has this CDL you claim ? I always thought they were just your standard part time setup , and with out the tcase selected into 4WD then you sent 100% of the torque to rear , which without a locker means only one wheel anyway . This "Chain" thing is nothing more than a method of tranferring drive to high/low gear train and makes no difference . The Steyr Transfer case in the LR3/4 will really blow your mind if you cant understand the diffrence between full-time (constant) 4WD and Part time 4WD . THe whole "Four wheell drive" concept is a furphy as without Crossaxle diff locking . its still only a 2 wheel drive (1 at the front and 1 at the rear )
Thanks to djam1 , seems that there are alot of ill-informed people who dont know what a detroit lockers is . whats next a quaiffe worm and wheel ?

**Ian Ashcroft** · 6th January 2011, 02:06 AM

Hi I think PhilipA has it backwards, its the outer wheel that releases ie the faster wheel, not the slower wheel. All I can think of he is in shock over the cricket! As stated it is an unlocker and allows the faster wheel to free wheel. Surprised Bill, Agrover, has not jumped in on this one. Ian Ashcroft

**wagoo** · 6th January 2011, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by Ian Ashcroft

. Surprised Bill, Agrover, has not jumped in on this one. Ian Ashcroft

Thanks Ian, I actually have done so on post 31.You didn't recognise me because I have refrained from my usual criticisms of No Spins so as to address the OPs original question.
Would you care to share your qualified knowledge with the crew here on why you stopped selling Detroit Lockers? Seems that all the reliability, breakage and warranty issues experienced in both the UK and USA hasn't yet filtered through over here to OZ.

Loving the cricket.
Wagoo.

**PhilipA** · 6th January 2011, 06:58 AM

Hi I think PhilipA has it backwards, its the outer wheel that releases ie the faster wheel, not the slower wheel.

Yes you are correct. I didn't go back to the manual, and it has been 10 years since I had one ( and 20 years since it was fitted) but I was trying to explain the principle of it being locked all the time and only releasing when there is a speed difference, as opposed to the statement that it locks with wheelspin.
Regards Philip A

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