HEy there 2014 F150 FX4 4X4 with 3:73 gears and E-Locker... 14000 km's

Just got into winter here and figured Id give the locker a go... Pressed the Advance-trac Button in for 5 seconds to shut off system (as much as it lets you), pulled out **** to lock read diff, left unit in 2WD, went to spin on ice ever so slightly (just a very light drift situation) and HOLY COW WHAT A NOISE!!!!!! Sounded like the whole drivetrain was locking up on me when you lose any type of traction!! My wife was 200' away from the truck and she heard the god awful noise coming from the truck!!

I stopped and tried to then just spin the tires going foreward, thinking it was a severe case of tire scrub, no dice still a horrible sound and each time the truck "Banged" you could feel the drive-line change momentum or speed...

Turned Advance-trac back on and of course the computer does not allow you at all to spin the tires for any given amount of time... Silly computers..

So i shut off Advance-trac again and tried one more time with E-Locker engaged, again big noise but I also saw the "Fishtailing" truck light flashing on the gauge cluster... So here is my question..

With the E-locker engaged SHOULD the system still be able to activate the Brake modulation System, Seems kind of like a ticking time bomb to allow a vehicle to LOCK up a wheel via the brake system while the Diff is literally "Spooled" or locked up via the E- locker... Seems to me a good and quick way to snap axles and or shear spider gears, wet or dry... Ice or gravel!!!

OR do you all think that there may very well be something wrong with the trucks rear diff itself??? Has anyone else noticed the Banging noise while spinning or turning on a loose traction condition???

Thanks for the help everyone!!!!!!!!!!

 

Very interesting question, and I don't know the answer. I can say that if the E-locker wasn't strong enough to be able to handle brake modulation it couldn't hope to survive any kind of turn on a hard surface. These things are tough as nails, and I wouldn't worry about breaking it.

Can you better describe the noise your truck was making? Did it feel like the ABS pump was engaging?

 

Its not that the Locker itself cant handle the stress, but the torque involved and the strain through the whole drivetrain (axles D-shaft transmission T-case etc) and the horrible noise it makes....

The best way I can describe it as a sudden lock or jam of the gears... If you ever witnessed what happens when you break a tooth on the ring gear thats what it is like... Bang bang bang bang!!!!

Abs pump acts normal when yo hit the brakes, I can tell the difference there, just seems like either the locker is not engaging all the way and is slamming in and out of engagement, OR can not take the torque... BUT it happens at very light throttle OR heavy throttle, going straight or taking a gradual corner...

Thanks for the help!!!!!!!!

Any other ideas out there???

 

it will make noise upon engagement but it should be brief and after it is engaged - there should be no noise

 

There is a DEFINITE NOISE LOL!!!!!!! Ill try to video it to let you all know!!!!!!

 

You don't think the brake modulation from the Traction control has anything to do with the noise??

 

The AAMCO commercial is coming to my mind when talk of how does it sound.

Sorry to hear you are having issues with your truck.

 

Once the elocker has been activated, isn't it designed to disengage at a certain speed then re-engage when the speed is lowered? Isn't it somewhere around 18-20 MPH?

 

The control for that is electronic, to my knowledge it simply electrically disengages whenever wheel speed exceeds 20 MPH.

It's funny how the OP mentioned a chipped ring and pinion, as I just had that happen to my wife's Toyota. It was obnoxious as hell, and there's NO WAY that a noise like that could be caused by a correctly functioning ABS system. It sounds to me like the OP's E-locker is broken and not engaging all the way. Sounds like a trip to the dealer.

I sympathize with the OP; my truck is in the shop right now for differential work.

 

depending on speed, it is possible.

IIRC the RSC reactivates above 30mph after shutting it off.

i'm not sure the threshold at which they let you get stupid either with the TCC/RSC turned off. that is to say, if you were on a frozen lake with the TCC/RSC off and pinned the gas, i think the system would intervene regardless of the setting you were in.

one thing to try would be to activate your locker in 4-low. IIRC the TCC/RSC is turned off by default, and your e-lock will work up to 60mph (or so). I'm not sure if the TCC/RSC work at all in 4-low, i'd have to look that up, but regardless the limits at which they activate are much higher.

something to try.

all of that being said, if it was the TCC/RSC activating, i can't imagine that it would be loud enough to hear outside the vehicle. if you wife heard it 200' away, you very well may have something wrong.

 

im not sure what you mean by brake "modulation"

the brakes either work correctly or they don't - if they don't you will get a trouble code. same thing for the traction control.

if it was brakes you would get noise at the wheel not the rear end differential - if it is the transfer case you get noise under the transmission tunnel and some noise is okay and is stated in owners manual.

 

My E-locker has banged before when I engaged it while moving about 5 mph. Never did it again, but then again I never tried to engage it again while moving either.

This may be a stupid question, but I'll ask anyway. What were you trying to accomplish by turning advance trac off, turning e locker on and still trying to spin the tires?

 

My truck does the same thing. It feels like the e-locker is locking and unlocking very abruptly or the e-locker is slipping. I took it in about a year ago and they replaced the e-locker assembly but it still makes the noise. I would be taking it in and don't let them tell you its normal. Mine is the worst when on very icy conditions when there is very little load on the rear end.

 

I only engage the locker when truck is at full stop and in neutral, I treat it like shifting into 4LOW

There are circumstances where the advancetrac and traction control is more of a hindrance than a help.... Im old school and used to modulating my own power introduction into the drivetrain... Besides, I also tried with it on and did get it to make the banging noises as well...


Exactly like mine then!!!!!!!!!!! Horrible when it sounds like your rear diff wants to grenade when you arent doing anything to "purposely " harm the truck.... Just driving like a normal truck and its a huge let down....

 

There's no need to do that. Your e-locker doesn't care if your axle is under power because the two sides of the mechanism aren't moving in relationship to each other unless there's a differential in your wheel speeds. You do NOT want to engage it if one of your wheels is spinning and the other isn't, but otherwise there's no reason not to engage it. The reason it won't engage above 20 MPH is because of safety and handling concerns; locking the rear axle greatly enhances the chances of a fishtail.

That's because it's broken. I've never had any trouble out of mine, and you really don't hear of them failing often. Take it to the dealer and let them fix it, and then you can come back and tell us how great it is.