Spartan Locker

[Ronin8002]

Nice work! sorry to hear you had difficulties, glad you got it worked out though!

 

[xTOM153x]

I smacked my axles in with a hammer both sides locked in no problem. No modification needed to be done with the locker.

 

[justanother1]

My axles were hitting the cross pin. The circlips didn't come out of the side couplers. I would have never gotten the axles to locked in.

Our locker didn't come in a Spartan box. It was plastic shrunk wrapped on a piece of cardboard. We bought it off ebay. Here is the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-8-8-Yukon-Spartan-Locker-31-Spline-SL-F8-8-31-Posi-Locker-Axle-NEW-/221724672199?hash=item339fd200c7&vxp=mtr

I got it all back together last night. Took it for a short ride. The wife drove it to work today. It seems as if the 4x4 is engaged during low speed turns. There are not 4x4 lights lit on the gauge cluster. Has anyone else noticed this since installing a locker? What is the best way to verify the 4x4 is not engaging? We have 4x4 auto, 4x4 high, & 4x4 low (I don't think this is the control trac system).

 

[xTOM153x]

Well the locker is going to give you some decent feedback on low speed turns. It's trying to turn both wheels at the same speed vs the open differential allowing the inner wheel to turn at a slower speed. Just give it some gas around the turns and hear those baby's screech!

 

[Ritsui]

It seems as if the 4x4 is engaged during low speed turns. There are not 4x4 lights lit on the gauge cluster. Has anyone else noticed this since installing a locker?

Exactly the same thing happened after I installed my Aussie (seems the locker trips primitive wheel slip sensors). I did the Brown Wire Mod, so I can disable auto 4WD on the street.

 

[justanother1]

I did the brown wire mod. No more 4x4 feeling but so easy to squeal the tires now. Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[sixty9santa]

I found a vid on youtube of an Explorer playing in the snow with a Spartan locker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7UtgrJ6Ic8

I can't wait to install mine and a big thanks to Ronin for hooking me up with the locker!
I will however, have to wait until summer to install the Traxda 102020 leveling kit and the locker all in one shot.

 

[sixty9santa]

Quick question about the axle removal, where are the circlips?

 

[Ronin8002]

Quick question about the axle removal, where are the circlips?

See the little metal band just before the right end of the shaft in the picture? That's it. It's got a split in it so it can squeeze all the way down into the groove it's sitting in when enough pressure is applied to it (in other words, hitting the axle outward like in the third gen Aussie locker install thread).

 

[sixty9santa]

Thank you for the clarifying visual!

 

[jsfordboy02]

Will the Spartan locker fit in the Ford limited slip diff carrier?

 

[Ronin8002]

Will the Spartan locker fit in the Ford limited slip diff carrier?

Physically it might. I believe the instruction manual on the manufacturer's website says it is not for limited slip carriers though. I think that Powertrax made a model of their No-Slip (similar to the Spartan) that was designed for those with limited slip carriers.

 

[jsfordboy02]

Anyone use any of the Powertrax products in the front diff of the gen 3?

 

[Mr. Truckles]

Sadly the spartan locker will not fit in the limited slip carrier. When I installed mine I needed to find an open carrier to use and had to re-shim everything accordingly. If I were to do it again I would probably just pull an already open differential out of a junkyard explorer and just pop the locker in.

As far as mechanical front lockers go, it will tear apart the t-case and/or axles since we don't really have a way to put the T-case in neutral. To solve this I am considering doing a swap to manually locking front hubs. I know some 2nd gen owners who have done it, and I know we share the same hub assemblies with them, so there might just be a way! Alternatively, you could use an Air-Locker.

 

[jsfordboy02]

If you brown wire mod your xfer case that would pretty much solve the neutral issue. I drive around 99% of the time in 2 wheel drive thanks to that.

 

[Mr. Truckles]

I have a mechanical rear locker in now and the bwm is the only way I have to stop the binding. It works, but it still puts some stress on the clutch due to the pre-load on it. With manual hubs I may be able to overcome some of the resistance.

 

[jsfordboy02]

Swapping the entire diff would be the ticket except Im pretty sure that all the V8's came with the limited slip and 3.73 gears. So Im not going to swap to a open diff with 3.55 and then have to re-gear, because I have the 4.6 with 3.73 and limited slip.

 

[Mr. Truckles]

Any 3rd gen with an axle code 46 is a 3.73 open. The differential is the same for all of them, and the 46 is likely more common in the more base model explorers. I used the carrier and pinion out of a 2nd gen solid axle, but had to set it up with new bearings/shims etc in my independent case. If you have a pull it yourself junkyard near by it may be worth a shot.

Code List
43 Open 3200 3.08
41 Open 3200 3.27
42 Open 4.10
46 Open 3.73
45 Open 3200 3.55
D4 Limited Slip 3200 3.73
D2 Limited Slip 4.10
L73 Limited Slip 3.73

 

[jsfordboy02]

Interesting, I thought I knew just about everything on the gen3 but I didnt know they came with a factory 4.10. My day job includes going to a lot of wrecking yards, now I have a new mission!

 

[Mr. Truckles]

I haven't found one yet, but I believe they are only in 2wd models. There was also a version of the 3rd gen made for the postal service who I know favors 4.10s in their vehicles. Check every door and let us know what you find!