Aussie Locker Question

[john.diachenko]

I had an Aussie locker installed on my 01 about 500 miles ago. Obviously new noises come with automatic lockers but there is a noticable clunk when I go from a coast to accelerating that seems to be out of place. It's like something is off just slightly and once things start roataing it will catch and go. All shifts are as smooth as the were before. (2nd to 1st in a little rough in the mornings but that was happening before the install.)

Fiona (my 01) is headed back to the shop next week for them to take a look but I wanted to ask if this clunk had been experienced before by anyone who's installed an automatic locker. Was something not set right that you were able to adjust? I'm not comfortable with diff work hense why I took it to a shop for an install so all I can rely on is a description of the noise and feel but if someone has some input as to what I'd actually causing the clunk, it will get me on the right track.

Thanks.

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[john.diachenko]

I had an Aussie locker installed on my 01 about 500 miles ago. Obviously new noises come with automatic lockers but there is a noticable clunk when I go from a coast to accelerating that seems to be out of place. It's like something is off just slightly and once things start roataing it will catch and go. All shifts are as smooth as the were before. (2nd to 1st in a little rough in the mornings but that was happening before the install.)

Fiona (my 01) is headed back to the shop next week for them to take a look but I wanted to ask if this clunk had been experienced before by anyone who's installed an automatic locker. Was something not set right that you were able to adjust? I'm not comfortable with diff work hense why I took it to a shop for an install so all I can rely on is a description of the noise and feel but if someone has some input as to what I'd actually causing the clunk, it will get me on the right track.

Thanks.

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Actually now that I think more about it, could this be a driveshaft noise? Maybe the U Joints?

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[thegipper]

Actually now that I think more about it, could this be a driveshaft noise? Maybe the U Joints?

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It certainly could be.

 

[BruceFD]

After I installed my Aussie Locker my truck started doing the same thing (2002 4x4 sr5).

I have lubed the drive shaft joints, even taken the driveshaft apart to look for play. After riding in the back of the truck when someone else has driven it around, you can faintly make out the diff 'unlocking' when you lift off the gas.

IMO after putting a few thousands miles on it, it seems to just be part of having an automatic locker (or at least I like to think so).

I wouldn't worry too much about it, but check back in after you have the shop look at it.

 

[phattyduck]

I wanted to ask if this clunk had been experienced before by anyone who's installed an automatic locker.

It is probably experience by everyone that has a (rear) automatic locker. They are also known as ratcheting lockers. You are probably hearing the ratcheting mechanism catching as you go from coast to drive on the ring gear.

-Charlie

 

[octanejunkie]

I've been driving my Aussie-locked 2WD since October/November and while the clunking is disconcerting at first, it is normal behaviour with a lunchbox locker like the Aussie.

The sound and feeling you are experiencing are the cam gears of the locker engaging the cross shaft in place of spider gears that used to take up driveline slack under load. This is most noticeable in an automatic transmission vehicle.

When you put the car in gear from park, the trans engages the drive shaft which starts to spin, taking up any slack (freespin) in the driveline, the cam gear rotates a degree or so contacting the cross shaft which then spins and contacts the opposite cam gear; which is when it clunks. When there were drive and spider gears in the dif, the gears would just spin, absorbing the free rotation silently because there was no hard stop. Torque Masters explains it here: https://www.torqmasters.com/how_it_works

You will notice this "camming" when letting off the throttle at speed and getting back on the throttle while driving, but if you ease back on the throttle you can minimize the forward engagement clunk. Again, this is driveline freespin (slop) that used to be absorbed by the gears in the rear end which smoothly and quietly meshed but are now replaced by hard plates that are contacting each other with force. Torque Masters says this is harmless to your driveline and transmission.

While on the subject of locker noises, the clicking noise when turning is the cam gear slipping and ratcheting against the drive/side gear; this is what allows one wheel to spin more than the opposite like in a turn; also normal. If you goose the throttle around turns you will engage both cams and lock the rear wheels, causing you to slip around the corner, spinning one tire. This will wear your tires unevenly, try to avoid doing this too much. Proper operation a cam-gear locker depends on equal sized rear tires and consistent tire pressure between both rear tires.

I hope that explains the sound and feeling and sets your mind at ease, from one locker driver to another.

 

[john.diachenko]

I've been driving my Aussie-locked 2WD since October/November and while the clunking is disconcerting at first, it is normal behaviour with a lunchbox locker like the Aussie.

The sound and feeling you are experiencing are the cam gears of the locker engaging the cross shaft in place of spider gears that used to take up driveline slack under load. This is most noticeable in an automatic transmission vehicle.

When you put the car in gear from park, the trans engages the drive shaft which starts to spin, taking up any slack (freespin) in the driveline, the cam gear rotates a degree or so contacting the cross shaft which then spins and contacts the opposite cam gear; which is when it clunks. When there were drive and spider gears in the dif, the gears would just spin, absorbing the free rotation silently because there was no hard stop. Torque Masters explains it here: https://www.torqmasters.com/how_it_works

You will notice this "camming" when letting off the throttle at speed and getting back on the throttle while driving, but if you ease back on the throttle you can minimize the forward engagement clunk. Again, this is driveline freespin (slop) that used to be absorbed by the gears in the rear end which smoothly and quietly meshed but are now replaced by hard plates that are contacting each other with force. Torque Masters says this is harmless to your driveline and transmission.

While on the subject of locker noises, the clicking noise when turning is the cam gear slipping and ratcheting against the drive/side gear; this is what allows one wheel to spin more than the opposite like in a turn; also normal. If you goose the throttle around turns you will engage both cams and lock the rear wheels, causing you to slip around the corner, spinning one tire. This will wear your tires unevenly, try to avoid doing this too much. Proper operation a cam-gear locker depends on equal sized rear tires and consistent tire pressure between both rear tires.

I hope that explains the sound and feeling and sets your mind at ease, from one locker driver to another.

Man I really appreciate the response and feel like a butt for not responding until now. Your explanation was very helpful and now that I have a lot more miles behind the wheel it's become my new normal and I have trained my foot to ease into the throttle. I also catch myself listening for the ratcheting on occasion because I don't notice it anymore. As others have said before, it has changed my driving habits for the better oddly enough.

For other responders, all is good with the Aussie locker. I have checked the diff fluid a couple of times looking for extra metal and no signs of bad wear.

Off-road capability is freaking amazing. Trails that gave me fits before I now go up with ease.

All in all I give daily driving with an Aussie 8/10.

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