Does this happen when it is below freezing? I think there is water in the line or a kink somewhere and when it pinches, the air displacement causes the locker to lock. It only takes 5psi.
Rogue front locker -- baffled!
Anyone else ever have this problem? A while back, while driving over a high pass, on the highway in 2WD, my front locker suddenly engaged. Long story short, it wasn't an electrical problem: disconnecting the power to the pump didn't disengage it; only by sucking air out of the diff via the air line connection was I able to unlock the locker. My mechanic replaced the locker (figuring the diaphragm had failed), but it happened again, at altitude. I performed the same road-side fix and it hasn't happened again, but I keep waiting. Could a clogged air line or pump outlet vent perhaps cause this problem by engaging the locker as I drove from sea level up to about 5,000' elevation? It sure wasn't fun having the locker engage on a twisty mountain highway, and my mechanic (a good, smart man) seems as baffled by this as I am. Thanks.
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check the diff vent (not sure if there is a locker vent or if it just vents into the diff. Going from sea level to 5k feet lowers the pressure outside the diff, but maybe not in the diff and that sets off the locker. Just a guess but you never know. It only takes 5 psi to lock the locker.
Elwarpo said:check the diff vent (not sure if there is a locker vent or if it just vents into the diff. Going from sea level to 5k feet lowers the pressure outside the diff, but maybe not in the diff and that sets off the locker. Just a guess but you never know. It only takes 5 psi to lock the locker.
This should be on Myth-busters... But I do believe you were on to something ElWarpo....There may be a sticking check valve in the locker pump as the root cause or maybe a clogged axle vent??? Disconnecting the hose at the pumpkin should prove out this theory.
:fadein:
I am going to come down hard on your mechanic…I hope you still have the old locker..you paid it. Ka-Ching….
It would have been easy to check for a leaking diaphragm with a pressure gauge. Listening to see if the pump continues to run after engagement would be another clue of a leak. I doubt that a leak in the diaphragm would cause the locker to engage. You were on to something when you disconnected the hose. I am afraid your “mechanic” doesn’t no jack sh!t about lockers or even worse “proper gear setup”.
BTW: Hang onto that perfectly good locker. You can sell it on flea bay or keep it for a spare. (it will work in either front or rear).
Yea, keep the locker, if it is the diaphragm, you can replace that. And get a new mechanic.
Could it be the same principle that causes a sealed bag of chips to expand when you go from sea level up into the mountains? If so, a plugged vent sounds logical.
Thanks all for your thoughts on this one. The clogged or pinched vent theory seems logical; I don't know if the locker vents back out near the pumps or through the diff vent, but I'll dig deeper and try to figure this out. ...And, no, I stupidly didn't keep or even ask to see the original locker the mechanic replaced. I'm too trusting or naive and too busy with non-Rubicon issues in life, so I just tossed money at him. Lesson learned.
The front diff vents directly up and at the top of the radiator next to the bottle.hayduke said:I don't know if the locker vents back out near the pumps or through the diff vent, but I'll dig deeper and try to figure this out. ...
The rear diff vents up and is zip tied to the gas fill tube, near the spout. (the vent tube goes through the brake t block.
That is where the differential vents are...that is not necessarily where the lockers vent.gregert12 said:The front diff vents directly up and at the top of the radiator next to the bottle.hayduke said:I don't know if the locker vents back out near the pumps or through the diff vent, but I'll dig deeper and try to figure this out. ...
The rear diff vents up and is zip tied to the gas fill tube, near the spout. (the vent tube goes through the brake t block.
Usually a diaphragm style pump will vent it's air at the pump itself especially with such little volume and PSI. I would look for a very small hole in the pump somewhere..that is probably the vent.
The locker mechanically locks when that diaphragm pump inflates a bladder that slides the gears into place.
I assume you have the locker mod? It might be wise to undo the mod until you find the problem.
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