Locker issues

my Dana 41 rear axle in my jeep has a locker in it, I was told when I bought the axle as a complete assembly already installed it is a lock rite. the only markings I could find on the locker are a couple numbers and 2 diamonds stacked sideways and overlapping each other

I am having a whole lot of banging and stuff that to me doesn't sound normal but this is my first locker so I am not familiar with them and was hoping for some opinions from those of you who are familiar with them

taking off from a stop is where I hear most of the bad banging mostly when I take off using too much throttle, and when I do a burnout in gravel both tires spin well but the entire burnout I hear non stop banging until I stop the burnout

I opened the cover just now to inspect and I don't see any obvious problems to me but like I said I'm unfamiliar with lockers.

when I rotate 1 wheel back and forth slightly while watching the locker the springs and shear pins seem to be in good shape but sloppy or loose in their bore I don't know if that's normal. and all the spring and pin kits I see for sale as replacements have 8 springs total but my installed locker only looks to have 4 small springs

the center space between the 2 main pieces of the locker I would think would have a smaller gap but I don't know the spec or even if I am measuring in the right place. my only feeler gauges I could find are well coated in surface rust so I cant read the writing on them but after finding what of my feeler guage fits I then measured the stack of the feeler gauge with my digital caliper and it tells me it is .1730 thick of a gap between the 2 parts of the locker

I took a video for youtube of the slack or backlash whatever you call it that I'm talking about

any opinions or advice would be appreciated I would like to make this work quieter or I will probably replace the axle with one that's open and not locked so it isn't so noisy

 

Which part of it are you saying looks loose? So I can inspect further

 

To try and lessen the gap and get it within spec. I have ordered a total of 4 thrust washers to see if I can replace them and fix the gap. And I'd I need more than just 2 new thrust washers, then I will add more thrust washers to "shim " the locker.

According to tracking I should have them for next weekend and at that time I will remove the locker completely and inspect further I am thinking I will at that time order new springs and pins but I will wait until I see if it's needed

 

Waaayyy too loose. Side thrust washers most likely worn or the case could be worn. Remove the locker and make sure the holes are not wallowed out. Check your axle endplay as well.

 

Ok NOS side thrust washers just showed up off ebay.

I am tearing back into the differential now. Upon disassembly I see my end play on driver side seems perfect. But my axle end play on passenger side is way too much. Just fyi my axle shims are on both sides

Would too much end play cause my locker having too large of a center gap? I don't think so, I think the locker side pieces are splined for axle all the way through so no matter how deep the axle is inserted it shouldn't cause the extra gap in my locker.

I'm about the remove the carrier. How do I inspect for worn carrier?

 

now that im off work i have dug even further into the locker. the carrier is now fully torn apart and the locker is removed. my original thrust washer i measured at .0275 and the other original washer measured .0330

3 of the nos thrust washers i ordered off ebay measure at .0390 and one of the nos measures at .040

 

the 2 drivers of the locker that have the holes for the pins and springs. the side that has the springs is a more oval hole on both halves. the holes for the pins are not ovaled out

the center block that sits in the center of it all that the pinion shaft for the locker goes through. that sits between the 2 axles for endplay has grooves worn into it and its more into one side of the block than the other like it is not riding centered

 

many times when i was having issues with this locker, it was feeling like gears were binding then breaking free and moving fine. it seems i may have discovered that issue. which may have really been my whole problem all along. upon further inspection looking at this locker and moving everything every way possible trying to figure out how it works to get a better understanding of how my issues might happen

i looked and saw scoring in the machined surfaces for the upper and lower spider gears where it seems my locker had been making contact with them which would explain my gears binding then breaking free "feeling". its only on the passenger side locker coupler it doesnt do it on the driver side coupler.

i can move the couplers which replace the original side spider gears, around in its bore so it seems like either the carrier itself is worn or the side gears are worn. i would think it is probably the carrier being worn.

 

i just picked up a spare dana 44 10 spline from a fellow earlycj5 member yesterday here locally. thanks heimburg.

so now i have to make a decision on how i want to do this since i have concluded my carrier is worn.

1 rebuild the unoriginal dana 44 i picked up with new seals and wheel bearings and install it

2 see if i can find a nos carrier on ebay or something and fix my original dana 41 to keep it original

3 if spider gears and carrier interchange between dana 41 and dana 44 10 splines, then rob the carrier from the spare 44 to install it in my 41 reusing the original 41 ring gear on the 44 carrier but that probably means i need to set up the backlash and gear meshing on the ring gear on spare 44 carrier

and if answer is 3 i need to think if i want to leave it an open diff when i transplant carrier or if i should install the lock rite into it before i transplant since currently i am leaning towards the lock rite being in correct working order

 

First, you are dealing with a differential CASE not a carrier. The carrier is the part the axle tubes are pressed into and welded to that houses the ring and pinion (or crown wheel and pinion), the case, bearings, etc.

You cannot use the 44 case in the 41 housing or vice verse. They will not interchange. You can interchange the 41 and 44 10 spline side gears and pinion gears.
The thrust washers you received are probably different thicknesses due to different thicknesses being available as a service part to accommodate for wear. I would install the parts and new thrust washers if you haven't in the 41 case and check the clearances. If out of spec try it in the 44 case and see where you are at. That may help you decide what to do. Keep in mind even though the 44 is 10 spline currently there far more upgrades and parts available for the 44 for the future.

 

at least for now. the current plan is to put new seals into the spare 44 I picked up, pinion seal, axle seals, grease seals. reuse my current dana 41 axle shafts and their bearings and races and my current brake assemblys. all as a open differential.

I will save my lock rite in a box for now until a later point when I decide to try and use it again or maybe sell it off since currently I am in the belief that my locker is fine. and all my issues where likely caused by the case being worn and allowing the side spider gears (currently the locker gears) to move around while they rotate which made my locker side gears to contact the machined surface where the original upper spider gears were installed. I thought about removing the locker and installing spider gears into my worn 41 case making it open diff again but decided I will just wait until later when I may come across a 41 case or a 41 assembly maybe or like I said I may just sell the locker and keep mine 44 with open diff

 

OK so today i changed my mind again since dana 41 parts are harder to find and i wanted to keep mine going.

so i removed the locker from my 10 spline dana 41 and transplanted the spider gears from my spare 10 spline dana 44 i just picked up, basically turning my 41 back to a stock configuration open differential. then i put the 41 all back together and adjusted endplay and got it to .004 with my starrett dial indicator.

after adjusting the brake shoes i bled the rear brakes and test drove to find axle is working perfectly with zero noise and i am super happy with that.

but i had almost zero brakes????

so i brought it back home and bled brakes again starting at the master cylinder this time and now i can easily lock up the stock rear 9 inch drum brakes

yea i know i lost some off road traction but i drive this jeep on the road mostly so i just wanted a better on road drive. now with zero noise i am happy as can be. no more banging and clanging and im sure my gravel burnouts will now be quieter as well

Thanks again Heimburg