Taming the Lock Rite...

[AndyC]

Not a lot of info out there on this one. New to the Lock Rite in my 1992 pathy/auto. I'm just this side of being impressed with its on road manors. Right now it has 80w90 fluid in the rear end. I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck smoothing out the lockers operation with a different weight or specific brand of fluid ( right now valvoline). There aren't any clutches so a friction modifier wouldn't help, right?? Any help would be appreciated!

[MY1PATH]

Tame it lol. You mean the chirping around corners? (let off the gas) The noise? or the slight binding feeling you get when turning?

These are things you will have to live will when using a lock right.

 

I, on the other hand, have a MODIFIED LSD. IF I goose it around corners it locks (or if its slippery out it will too) up but turning regular on dry road it acts normal.

It took 3 tries but I now have the pre-load set specifically to where it does not bind or wear tires excessively on the street but will pull the whole vehicle off of jacks when just one wheel is touching the ground. (so spinning the wrong wheel on the trail is not an issue.)

[AndyC]

I may have been a little premature on my judgement of the lock rite. The PO kept the original (20yo) shocks with a 3 in lift. I had no travel left in them, they were topped out. Around corners the whole vehicle would cavitate from the locker ratcheting. Now with the appropriate length shocks, it is almost unnoticeable. Still chirps on right turns from a stop, but I think I can mitigate that with tire pressure changes. Once the tires heat up the chirping goes away. I am much happier now.

[KovemaN]

I've been DDing my lock-rite equipped Pathfinder for over a year now with few complaints. The only times I notice it are: low speed tight turns, goosing it during a turn (slight chirp) or getting in/out of power when on the highway (slight shimmy). I only notice the ratcheting sound when I have the window down driving next to a wall. I don't ever perceive any friction when it ratchets.