Who here has experience driving with lockers?

[Scott Liggett]

I'm looking for help with my Caprice. I've never had a locker until this one. I'm trying to figure out some drivability issues with the car. Namely, the rear diff seems to move about, side to side when I get off and on the gas. I'm wondering if that is normal.

I've been under the car a dozen times to see if there is anything cracked, broken or loose. Found a bunch of things, but nothing fixed it.

My problem is that I changed so much stuff at once so it's impossible to figure out if it is the problem. Besides adding the locker, I installed a completely different differential with a different gears, 3.31's. I also replaced the coil springs, shocks, and the bushings in the lower trailing arms.

Any help will be appreciated.

[squirrel]

Check the tire pressure, also check the alignment of the rear end.

I can tell when a rear tire gets low because the car steers a little bit when I let off the gas.

[Barry Donovan]

I wrecked a car that did that. monte carlo SS

quiet at normal speeds.
at 130 or so an audible click and back and forth. Car not heavy enough to sway, but it did move. intimidating.

never got an answer for it.

I guessed shims. But adding them creates heat, shortens life. Just lived with it. Good stiff tires, a sway bar. Not really a helper.

[Scott Liggett]

Check the tire pressure, also check the alignment of the rear end.

I can tell when a rear tire gets low because the car steers a little bit when I let off the gas.

My next step is checking all four wheels for their alignment. I realize that my new diff may be bent.

[68scott385]

I have a Traxx mini locker (replaces the 4 spider gears of an otherwise open diff.) and I can feel & hear it move and unlock when one side starts to turn slower than the other. A racer/mechanic/shop owner I know calls them popcorn rearends.

[CDMBill]

Scott, I have a Detroit Locker in the Mustang, and they do exactly what you describe. You'll have the nose of the car point slightly left and right as you go down the road as it locks and un-locks. It will also alternately cause what will feel like a push in corners followed by over steer for the same reason. You'll get used to it if you stick with it and you'll find you make the little corrections autonomically. Anybody you who has any vehicle awareness will notice the first time they ride with you, but its part of the charm.

Be careful in slick/wet situations as what is fairly benign in dry conditions can have you swapping ends in wet ones at higher speeds. I've driven the car in an auto-cross with it so it's not impossible just something you have deal with.

The primary benefit is for straight line. Some folks report that they will push left or right when you launch but I haven't experienced that with a leaf spring car. Beats driving on the street with a spool.

[Scott Liggett]

Scott, I have a Detroit Locker in the Mustang, and they do exactly what you describe. You'll have the nose of the car point slightly left and right as you go down the road as it locks and un-locks. It will also alternately cause what will feel like a push in corners followed by over steer for the same reason. You'll get used to it if you stick with it and you'll find you make the little corrections autonomically. Anybody you who has any vehicle awareness will notice the first time they ride with you, but its part of the charm.

Be careful in slick/wet situations as what is fairly benign in dry conditions can have you swapping ends in wet ones at higher speeds. I've driven the car in an auto-cross with it so it's not impossible just something you have deal with.

The primary benefit is for straight line. Some folks report that they will push left or right when you launch but I haven't experienced that with a leaf spring car. Beats driving on the street with a spool.

That's the answer I've been looking for. I've got no problem dealing with it's weirdness as long as I know it's normal. I've been driving it like this since I installed it a year and half ago. I kinda like how the rear diff will rotate the car in a turn if I hammer it.

Wet weather driving is exciting with my bald, hard ass, 12 year old BFG's.

[hauen]

I haven't driven a car with a locker in over 20 years, but we used to run detroit lockers on hard-pack/dry-slick dirt tracks and of course on asphalt tracks, what you and CDMBill describe is pretty typical. One other piece of advice when using one is just remember NOT to unload in the middle of a corner; while fun in its own way, end-swapping usually ensues. The old ones you could hear (and feel!) ratcheting as they locked and unlocked driving around corners or bouncing down crappy roads, but supposedly the newer ones are pretty quiet and smooth now.

[Scott Liggett]

I'm using a Powertraxx Lok-Rite. It replaces the spider gears in an open diff. It's noisy in corners and especially in when parking. I don't care.

Hey, Bill has your locker ever let loose and freewheeled until you let off the gas? Mine has done it twice. I have to admit I installed it without checking the clearances.

[SuperBuickGuy]

That's what I have in the Skylark. The feeling you're getting is from loose bushings - if you have rubber bushings the sensation can be almost frightening at times. The loc-rite doesn't unlock it simply make sure both wheels are going at least the speed of the driveshaft; which is awesome for traction, not so good for keeping it in a straight line on a rutted road because it will tend to push.

I was following my Buick and that's when I saw what the car was doing - it does try to pull the car out of line when you get on it. I cured mine with poly bushing on the lower control arms (the upper are adjustable and can flex). But it could be any rubber bushing that's causing your problem - it'll flex at the weakest point, including the front lower control arms. Be warned, though, if you do fix it with a hard bushing, it will then start popping at you when the rear gets bound up (sounds like the floorboard is flexing and tin-canning).

That said, even if you don't chase down the loose parts, it's quite driveable, and the one thing I love about the loc-rite - it's dead nuts predictable when you start using your throttle to steer

[squirrel]

wow, sounds like a locker can be really exciting. I don't experience any of that with mine, maybe because it has leaf springs and it's a Detroit Locker, not an off brand.

[TC]

wow, sounds like a locker can be really exciting. I don't experience any of that with mine, maybe because it has leaf springs and it's a Detroit Locker, not an off brand.

I got mine from the Ford Dealer just before they stopped making them and you can feel the ratcheting when pushing the car while turning........

[SuperBuickGuy]

loc-rites don't do the "lock the rear end on a slippery downhill"... that's a detroit locker-only feature

[Loren]

Lockers (mine's a Detroit) do that pulling-to-the-side thing when one axle is in "on the notch" and the other isn't quite. Torque is only then being delivered to one side, until the other catches up, say in a slight turn or if you blip the throttle (chirp!) so both sides are engaged, or something. Normal, 'cause even if they're both evenly engaged, it only takes the slightest turn to get one side between notches again.

Try this, as a demonstration. In a total straight line, do a tiny brake-stand, enough to hear some tire noise. Likely, it only came from one side at first, then both. Now with no steering (go totally straight), get the car moving and then try blipping the throttle...with both sides caught-up and engaged evenly, you won't have that yaw effect happening.

[squirrel]

loc-rites don't do the "lock the rear end on a slippery downhill"... that's a detroit locker-only feature

In southern AZ we never have slippery downhills to test this feature.