HELP!!! Rear-end Issues?

[RKCHARGER]

  I recently rebuilt the rear diff and put a detroit locker in. When I put the car in drive it bangs hard,well help from a buddy i got under the car and marked the driveshaft so I could track rotation. It seems to rotate 60-70 degrees then 'bang' in gear it is.. Is this normal, any ideas on whats wrong?

[Chryco Psycho]

not normal , either there is a broken tooth or the gears are out of mesh inside the locker unit

[RKCHARGER]

I will double check but it is a brand new unit so it shouldn't be an issue.....could there be anything else?

[elacruze]

That unfortunately is standard with a Detroit Locker. Just the nature of the beast. I have one in my pickup, and I wish I'd used a Tru-Track instead.

[RKCHARGER]

You mean it's broken and I need a new one, or all lockers bang into gear?

[elacruze]

You mean it's broken and I need a new one, or all lockers bang into gear?

Detroit lockers all bang into gear. The severity can change too, depending on which wheel is leading, what direction you were moving when last parked, etc. The locker mechanism is basically a big ring with clutch dogs on it, which is disengaged by a ramp as a wheel overspeeds. So, depending on conditions and positions you can park it with both dog rings disengaged, one only engaged, both engaged at opposite directional locks, or both engaged mirror image-the last which results in something like a half-inch of slack in the ring/axle connection. That translates into a bunch of driveline lash.

[Brickster]

I have had to remove a few lockers becuase of this, it is just they way they work. They do what they are designed for well but their road maners for a street driven car are somewhat undesirable.