Hey all!
I have a bit of a mess on my hands. I'm currently regearing and locking my 8.8 in my '95 F150.
I recently pulled the 8.8 out of a Bronco and put it in my truck. I bought the 1822-LR, which doesn't work in the Bronco's LSD carrier so I pulled the old open carrier and threw it in my new axle.
Anyway, I regeared to 4.56, and tried to install the locker. It looks normal, but I can't make it ratchet on the bench. I REALLY don't want to fill it and install the axle again just to have it never unlock.

I've done all the research I can. The thrust washers are in, the springs are right, I just don't know.
Is it supposed to ratchet immediately after install? Maybe it needs oil to function? I dunno.

Thanks in advance!
/Quinn

 

Probably fine as long as it's together right. I installed one in the front of my 350 and never tried to bench check...at least I don't remember trying,and it works fine.

 

It might take 2 or 3 people to test it, and you'll need the axle shaft in it.

Have someone hold one axle from rotating while someone tries to turn the pinion shaft (they shouldn't be trying to overpower the first person, just trying to load up the locker in one direction). While they are doing that have someone try to turn the other axle. They should be able to turn it in one direction pretty easily, but won't be able to turn it in the other direction (without making the pinion shaft turn the opposite way that person is loading it). You may or may not hear any ratcheting sounds, but if it won't turn easily in one direction it's not unlocking.

You can then repeat it with the pinion being turned the opposite way (will reverse which direction the second axle side will turn) or by holding the second axle side from turning and trying to turn the first one.

 

i doubt youll be able to get it to ratchet on the bench. it works off of brute force, and the tires create alot more force than you can.

remember, it is locked by default. it only unlocks and ratchets around corners...

like brian said, as long as you got it together correctly its probably fine.

 

Unless the LockRight has changed a lot from the one I put in the 8.8" in my F-150 back in '98 that's not true. The LockRight I had did not require much force at all to operate. If at least one of the axle shafts had some resistance when the pinion was being twisted, the center shaft (the one that holds the spider gears in an open diff) pushes tangentially against the curved surfaces of the grooves in the two inner clutch parts. Pushing tangentially against the curved surfaces results in an axial force pushing the inner clutch pieces against the outer clutch pieces (the ones that go where the side gears went).

But if you turn one of the axles forward, the outer clutch part on that side drives the inner clutch part on that side ahead so the center shaft isn't pushing on it. Then the angled surface of the clutch dogs will push the inner clutch part away from the outer part, disengaging that side.

I don't recall this many years later if there were springs between the two inner clutch parts, pushing them out against the outer clutch parts. I think there were, and if that's correct, then you do need to twist the axle ahead with enough torque to compress those springs to disengage the clutch. But they aren't heavy springs, so it shouldn't be hard to do if you are grabbing the flange on the end of the axle.