Long story short, I went wheeling today for the first time after installing the front locker and I was GREAT... at first. Well the front locker started off doing a little clunking & popping here and there when I was in 4LO and doing sharp turning, I thought no problem it's probably normal cause there is more binding on the locker when you cut the wheel hard and the wheels are trying to spin at different speeds. Then towards the end of the day the locker was popping and clunking even going straight, What the heck??? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> I think the problem is that the locker came with the wrong springs. This was initially a concern of mine when I opened up the package and noticed the springs, they were shorter and very weak, I could compress them with just 2 fingers. I've installed lunchbox type lockers in my last 3 vehicles and and in all cases the springs were longer and very hard to compress. Before the install I even took a pic. of a spring that came with the locker with an old spring I had laying around and e-mailed richmond gear tech support and they said that the ones that came with the locker were the correct ones and not to worry. What do you guys think?

I ended up running most of the day in 2WD to prevent anything from getting messed up, I'll probably pull the locker sometime this week and replace the weak, smaller springs with some of the stronger, longer ones that I have as spares for the rear and go from there. Hopefully the teeth on the locker didn't round out with all the clunking/popping that was happening. Any one have any thoughts on what else it could be?

Fred R.
PS: being locked front and rear was AWESOME, my Jeep just crawled over everything and I didn't even have to throttle it up over obstacles that normally I had to when I was locked just in the rear. WAY more control while wheeling.

Just guessing here... but I'd bet NOTHING is wrong with that locker.. Unless you are in really SLICK stuff.. the lockers will make lots of noise.. It ain't the lockers making the noises it is everything that is in the drive system.
Unless all four wheels can turn at the exact same rpm you will have mucho popping, jumping and scare the hell out of yourself.
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

The springs in question are the ones behind the alignment pins correct? I don't think lighter strength springs would cause any increase in popping noises. If fact I'll bet they are a noise reduction device. You may have something else wrong, I doubt if the springs are to blame. I rarely heard any noise at all from my front Aussie locker no matter what I was doing in 4wd. Did you take the measurements needed to verify a proper installation when you put the diff together? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I know the popping and clunking going on aren't normal as they increased in frequency by the end of the day and happened even when I had the wheels point straight. I hardly ever get any popping or clunking from the rear locker. The springs that I'm referring to are the ones behind the dowel/shear pins. I did check the locker after the install and verified everything was to spec according to the manual. My thoughts are that the springs supplied with the locker are wrong and therefore aren't firm enough to hold the side gear's to the driver's with enough force so that when torque is applied through the application of 4wd the teeth don't suddenly jump causing the clunking and popping I'm getting. Any thoughts?

Thanks again,
Fred R.

Fred with all four wheels locked you will have various noises unless you are on a VERY slick surface! On a dry surface even going in a straight line you will have SOME binding from tires with different wear on them!!
Put her in some mud and see what happens.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

The pins and springs have nothing to do with the force on the side gears when the axles are under power. That force is provided by the crossshaft pushing against the locker. The pins limit relative movement between the two halves so the faster turning alxe doesn't try to relock (as if the Jeep were in reverse), but have to allow enough movement to allow disengagement. That's why spacing is critical. The springs keep the teeth engaged as much as possible while one axle is unlocked (causing the normal ratcheting noise)to lessen free play when force is reapplied, thereby keeping the teeth from slamming together more often than they normally do when they make an occasional Loud (yet normal) Bang, as they are prone to do. Stronger springs would just result in a louder ratcheting noise, not more force on the teeth when driven. I do believe there is something wrong either with the install or the locker but not the springs per se.
Just my opinion of course. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I'll pull the locker and re-check the clearance later this week. If this does end up being the case would I be able to replace the existing thrust washers with thicker ones or even more thrust washers (if that's even possible) to correct the clearance issues or will I just have to get a new case? Thanks again for the help guys.

Fred R.

I'd check with the locker makers tech dept. (if possible). Good luck.

Fred you are waisting your time and effort if you have not put her in the mud yet! I'm telling you it will make all the difference in the way it works.. What you have is not meant for dry surfaces.
Big Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

I was running this watered down and muddy frame twister & log obstacle course when I first started hearing the intermittent popping and cluncking...



Then toward the end of the day when I was playing on the rocks and ruts I was getting lots of popping and clunking even going straight...



You may have a point and I could be chasing my own tail here but just for my piece of mind I'm still going to open her up and inspect everything and make sure the teeth aren't rounded out. This has happened to me before in another vehicle when I started hearing excessive popping cluncking from the rear locker in that vehicle on the trail, it ended up being 2 broken dowel/shear pins but I didn't know that at first and ran it like that all day on the trail and by the time I got home to inspect it the teeth on the locker had rounded out <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" /> and the locker was useless after that as it never gave consistent locking after replacing the pins. The thing is here with the front locker I wasn't doing anything anywhere near as hard and was very light on the throttle as the jeep just crawled over everything since I was locked front & rear (well sort of <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />). Thanks again for all the help.

Fred R.