Thread: Detroit locker salisbury axle

Different vehicle, but my 101 has no issue with the Detroit in the rear. No additional backlash, no banging or crashing when doing normal driving on the road (including roundabouts), no steering from the rear - you would never know it was there and I have an old worn drivetrain.

The only time you can here the Detroit is on full lock turns on hard ground where you can hear it disengaging.

Garry

Originally Posted by isuzutoo-eh

No, the centre diff didn't change sound at all, it just had a lot more back lash. The other symptom was chunky transfer oil
As bushrover said, it'll be an accumulation of mechanical play, it is usually easiest to treat the worst offender than all the little offenders. Do you have upgraded drive flanges or axles? Perhaps swapping front and rear drive flanges, if the fronts aren't too worn, could reduce the play enough to make a difference (if so, replace the ex-rear drive flanges!).
A Truetrac will eliminate the kangaroo hopping and banging and is gentler on the drive train anyway, but if you are going to spend that much for what is essentially reduced off road performance, you'd be better off spending the same amount to reduce the play you have and then you'll be happy with the Detroit No-spin.
It costs more to install a Truetrac than it does a Detroit no-spin!

All halfshafts are ok and fit tight in the HD flanges so no play there.
Maybe i should check backlash in the rear diff then and get it shimmed up correctly if it is not good anymore.

Originally Posted by Nielsc

All halfshafts are ok and fit tight in the HD flanges so no play there.
Maybe i should check backlash in the rear diff then and get it shimmed up correctly if it is not good anymore.

Isuzutoo-eh is talking about the centre diff in the LT95 transfer case having worn thrust washers and hence backlash. I think you are confusing this with the diff in the rear axle.

Hi Nielsc.
I have just sold my 130 Td5, into which I'd fitted a Detroit Locker, and I have one sat on the shelf to go into my 101. My 130 had exactly the symptoms you describe. Having fitted it you will have seen it in the flesh so I assume understand the principal of how it works... If not, here's the basics.. Driving in a straight line both the left hand 'dog clutch' and right hand 'dog clutch' are locked (yeah I know that's prob not the correct name for them) as pictured and the axle is in effect 'locked'. Turn into a right hand corner under 'drive' and the RH shaft will remain locked to the carrier (via the Detroit) and the left will freewheel. If however, you take your foot off the throttle while still turning right, then the RH 'dog clutch' will disengage and the LH 'dog clutch' will engage. No problem I hear you say... Not quite. When turning right, the left wheel is turning slightly faster than the right as it has to travel a greater distance than the inner RH wheel (a matter made worse by the Detroit as all prop drive goes to one wheel and is not evened out to both wheels). Soooo, as your rear diff is no longer a std 'open' diff this increase in shaft speed has to be taken up somewhere... and it is, in all the excess backlash that is found in all Land Rovers. Even a new vehicle will do it. If you re apply the throttle, you transfer the drive back to the inner shaft. The jerking then causes your foot to bounce on the accelerator making the whole matter worse!!

The Cure.... Adapt your driving style to suit the Detroit. (This is the bit they don't tell you about). Do all your braking before the corner, and make sure you then drive through the corner under acceleration. This is the way you are taught to drive a truck. You do get used to it and once you have an idea when its going to do it, you'll drive accordingly.

The other 'Detroit Trait' is the occasional loud bang as one of the 'dog clutches' that has not engaged properly after a corner slips into the next set of teeth. Scared the hell out of me a few times! Good luck and hope this helps. I was also advised to upgrade the shafts as when one breaks, the shock will take the Detroit out with it! Check out HyTough Engineering here in Australia (used to be Maxi Drive).
Cheers for now. Simon.