Eaton E-Locker Clicking?
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Junior User
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From: New Mexico
Eaton E-Locker Clicking?
I installed an Eaton E-Locker in my 96 8.8 back it Sept. It has seen light use only. Took my Bronco out today and engaged the locker and I noticed it was clicking off and on and at various speeds and rpms. Any ideas what may be wrong? Thanks.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Gateway to the West
Given the way the E-locker operates, I would be hard pressed to make an accurate guess. One of the best things going for the E-locker is the relative simplicity of the design and small number of moving parts. Is the relay clicking off and on? And if it is, I can only assume the locker is then engaging and disengaging. In my experience, I would look to the electrical portion of things first. Connections and the relay itself would be my first thoughts.
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From: New Mexico
The relay is clicking on and off and the Locker is engaging. It's wierd, the locker seems to be working fine but the clicking has me wondering...I'm going to call Eaton tomorrow and see what they have to say. If I get ahold of them I'll post what they say. Also, next weekend I'll pull the cover and take a look. Thanks.
Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Gateway to the West
Is the clicking coming from the diff. with the E-locker in it or is it merely coming from the relay cycling off and on? Because from the way you described it, it would seem the problem is due to a loose connection in the power or ground to the relay itself. If the locker is merely responding to the relay, I would correct the electrical problem first and see what happens. Assuming the intermittent off and on hasn't damaged the electromagnet in the locker itself, I doubt there is anything mechanically wrong. Again, I cite the relatively simple operation of this locker and the fact that your description would suggest the locker is still functioning but losing electrical power to maintain its "locked" position.
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From: New Mexico
Is the clicking coming from the diff. with the E-locker in it or is it merely coming from the relay cycling off and on? Because from the way you described it, it would seem the problem is due to a loose connection in the power or ground to the relay itself. If the locker is merely responding to the relay, I would correct the electrical problem first and see what happens. Assuming the intermittent off and on hasn't damaged the electromagnet in the locker itself, I doubt there is anything mechanically wrong. Again, I cite the relatively simple operation of this locker and the fact that your description would suggest the locker is still functioning but losing electrical power to maintain its "locked" position.
I spoke to Barney at Eaton yesterday and he said pretty much the same as you. He added that if the locker is engaged incorrectly it will round off the locking pins or just break them. The only way to tell if that has happened is to pull it and send it back to Eaton (that's what Barney told me). Now, I haven't engaged it incorrectly so I think it's in the electrical system too. Going to go thru it tonight, I'll let you know what I find.
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Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Bend,OR
did you have a shop perform the install or did you do the install yourself? if a shop did the work i would take it to them and tell them to fix it.
also i know that locker can be engaged while moving but i have heard you should try to avoid that if possible. so is it possible incorrect engagement practices have occured? :-)
also i know that locker can be engaged while moving but i have heard you should try to avoid that if possible. so is it possible incorrect engagement practices have occured? :-)
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Lead Driver
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Gateway to the West
If the E-locker is engaged while the truck is moving, the design basically keeps the engagement pins from moving at all until the holes align. The electromagnet provides a constant power feed to dislodge the roller ***** in the ramps and as they roll up the ramps the plate with the pins meets the plate with the holes... this is why the worst that happens is a rounding of the pins (or a shearing of the pins but to accomplish that you'd almost have to have one wheel stationary or spinning opposite of the other to achieve enough pressure to shear off all four of them). The E-locker is OEM equipment on several models and is engaged both by traction control computers and manually.
I offer the description simply because I doubt the locker has sustained that kind of physical damage from what is most likely an intermittent engagement problem.
I offer the description simply because I doubt the locker has sustained that kind of physical damage from what is most likely an intermittent engagement problem.
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Junior User
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From: New Mexico
If the E-locker is engaged while the truck is moving, the design basically keeps the engagement pins from moving at all until the holes align. The electromagnet provides a constant power feed to dislodge the roller ***** in the ramps and as they roll up the ramps the plate with the pins meets the plate with the holes... this is why the worst that happens is a rounding of the pins (or a shearing of the pins but to accomplish that you'd almost have to have one wheel stationary or spinning opposite of the other to achieve enough pressure to shear off all four of them). The E-locker is OEM equipment on several models and is engaged both by traction control computers and manually.
I offer the description simply because I doubt the locker has sustained that kind of physical damage from what is most likely an intermittent engagement problem.
I offer the description simply because I doubt the locker has sustained that kind of physical damage from what is most likely an intermittent engagement problem.
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Junior User
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From: New Mexico
did you have a shop perform the install or did you do the install yourself? if a shop did the work i would take it to them and tell them to fix it.
also i know that locker can be engaged while moving but i have heard you should try to avoid that if possible. so is it possible incorrect engagement practices have occured? :-)
also i know that locker can be engaged while moving but i have heard you should try to avoid that if possible. so is it possible incorrect engagement practices have occured? :-)
I did the work myself, so I'm on my own. The install was straight forward and I didn't encounter anything out of the norm. You're correct, Eaton says do not engage the locker over 3mph, but at a complete stop is strongly recomended. I'm the only one who has driven it and I haven't done anything but engage it while at a complete stop. The build went great though and it's the best truck I've ever driven! It handles great, tows great. Climbs and looks great. Hell, even my console gun rack sweet. Just need to figure this out...and add a bunch more cool stuff. haha.
Why would anyone want anything other than a Bronco?
Hotshot
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,285
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From: Bend,OR
have you made sure the diff is full and the fluid is in good shape? does that locker require any type of friction modifier to be added to the gear oil?
since this required a carrier change didnt you have to resetup the gears and backlash? or did you just swap the ring gear onto the locker and dropped it back in with out checking tolerances and such?
since this required a carrier change didnt you have to resetup the gears and backlash? or did you just swap the ring gear onto the locker and dropped it back in with out checking tolerances and such?
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Junior User
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From: New Mexico
have you made sure the diff is full and the fluid is in good shape? does that locker require any type of friction modifier to be added to the gear oil?
since this required a carrier change didnt you have to resetup the gears and backlash? or did you just swap the ring gear onto the locker and dropped it back in with out checking tolerances and such?
since this required a carrier change didnt you have to resetup the gears and backlash? or did you just swap the ring gear onto the locker and dropped it back in with out checking tolerances and such?
The diffs (front and rear) have approx 1000miles on them since complete rebuild and I've change the fluid twice in the rear. After a gear swap break in is 100 miles then change the fluid and no modifier is required with this locker as there are no cluches. Everthing is new in the housing except the 1050 factory axles. New bearings, shims, seals, ring and pinion (4.88 Yukon) T/A diff cover urathane bushings (outside of course). I mean everything.
I pulled the front and rear diffs to swap everything out. Backlash, pinion bearing pre-load, Ring gear torque everything was set according to the specs given in "Differentials" a book I got from Jeff's BG. A great book by the way and worth every penny if you've never done a gear swap, heck even if you have it's a great reference book. I still need to pop off the cover and just take a look, but that's got to wait till the weekend.
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Junior User
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From: New Mexico
I don't know about the auburn but the e-locker runs as an open one legger when not engaged. Eaton has a 3D exploded view of the internals on their website that's worth a look.
I'm going to work on it tomorrow so I'll let you know what I find.
Thanks