Front Locker Performance in a 2nd Generation Explorer

[JDraper]

If you're talking about the front locker, you're correct. You won't even notice it's there in 2WD.

 

[Josh Adams]

Cool, thanks buddy!

 

[jobunn]

My front Powertrax no slip has been installed in my X for about a month now (thanks again GJarrett) and I've done 2 wheelin trips with it. It really is amazing how different my X is offroad. I went back to a few places that I frequently have trouble and shot right up at a nice slow crawl with very little/no wheelspin. I love it! Just flip a switch and I can get through stuff I never would have considered before. I wanna go every weekend again.

Even in the snow I was very surprised at how I was able to keep momentum and get through some scary spots. Nice!

The steering off road with the locker engaged was not anything like I expected. I've never driven a front locked vehicle before and from what many say, "the steering gets really tuff and requires a lot of effort." Granted I only have 31's but with power steering it only requires minimally more effort. Just two hands on the wheel at ALL times and I am fine.

On the road the locker has made my steering effort a little heavier, which I am still getting use to but actually like. I've always felt the steering was too light. (I am sure 33's will change the steering even more). And I did have an on road break in period with the locker, a few loud pops and some intermittent locking of one axle, but that has stopped and it is now nearly undetectable on the road.

I highly recommend for the second generations if you are more serious about wheelin than having a "car-like" SUV.

Now for some 33's and sliders.

 

[Premier]

Dang... mine is still sitting around

 

[jasonb]

I guess I should chime in as well. I got my front No-Slip installed shortly after Thanksgiving of '03. I've had only one wheeling trip with it so far (that sucks!). First I'll mention on road issues.
Onroad:
I did the brown wire mod in the beginning of '03 and loved that from the start. The locker only popped twice during "break in", once for the first time I turned the wheel each direction. I have yet to notice any adverse side effects while driving. I do notice that my turning radius SEEMS to have decreased a bit even in 2wd but this may be made up in my mind because the truck still turns pretty dang sharp. I have not had any lock ups like jobunn mentions. Basically, I can't tell its there.
Offroad:
AMAZING! Now the place I finally got to test it was not a difficult place, but I still got a taste of what it does. We did some poser stuff such as driving a tire of big logs and it was absolutely effortless. I did a "bank climb" of sorts where i climbed up a tall embankment on the side of a trail that I could not have done previously. I'm sure of it. I can't wait to try it out on a real trail with obstacles that I know I've had issues with before. I will edit this then with my thoughts on that.

 

[Premier]

Well, got mine installed... and it has caused me nothing but problems. It works phenominal off-road. But I am unable to drive the explorer on the street. I think the culprit is the T-case not dis-engaging all the way. But the shop I took it to doesnt know yet. So... For lift, new gears, lockers and everything the bill is at 4200$ and is sure to steadily rise
Sorry for the rant.

 

[jobunn]

Originally posted by Premier
Well, got mine installed... and it has caused me nothing but problems. It works phenominal off-road. But I am unable to drive the explorer on the street. I think the culprit is the T-case not dis-engaging all the way. But the shop I took it to doesnt know yet. So... For lift, new gears, lockers and everything the bill is at 4200$ and is sure to steadily rise
Sorry for the rant.

Weird. Do you mean after the brown wire mod and locker it still feels like the front get power sometimes and locks up?

 

[ronnie mullins]

So does the brown wire mod make any difference on the 96 Explorer with the control trac 4x4.Heck I don't really know what the control trac does or how it works.

 

[GJarrett]

Premier, have you corresponded with Josh Adams and seen if you have similar problems? You are the only two that ordered LockRights instead of NoSlips and are the only two with problems..... I cannot help but believe that something about the LockRight isn't right....

....and I concur, did you do the brown wire mod? If no tcase power at all is going to the front, I wouldn't think it would lock, The NoSlip doesn't..... maybe the LockRight does, even while freewheeling????

Does anyone else have a LockRight installed? Maybe the only locker we can put in is the NoSlip???

Something isn't adding up.......

 

[jobunn]

I think JDraper put a lockright in the front of a '96 without any issues.

 

[Premier]

I was under the impression that brown wire mod wasnt needed in the 95-97?!?!

The shop says that in 2wd that the front(right) wheel is freew wheeling. They said that the left wheel is constantly turning because the front driveshaft is always turning. So if brown wire mod is necissary in my 96' then I have my shop chasing a ghost *doh*.

Where is JDraper? Didnt he install a lockrite in explorereb96's rig?

Yes, I PM'ed Josh, after he initially contacted me... Havent heard back. I will PM him about this recent turn of events though. Thanks.
-Jake

 

[GJarrett]

Jake, you've gotta make sure that no electrical power is going to engage that t-case. PM JDraper, but IMO you've gotta disconnect that puppy. Mine's a mutherbear on the street when I flip the switch and give power back to the brown wire.

I hope that's your problem - it's just a $10 switch, some wire, and less than an hour to do. If your front left is always turning, that's telling me that there's power going to it, and that will engage the locker. Does it grab and pull you back and forth in a lane of traffic?

The left front is under power but the right front doesn't engage until told to via a vacuum contol in your 95-97. I'm thinking you have to release all power to any of your front (?)

JDraper, please chime in... somone contact him please

 

[JDraper]

Yep, I installed a Lock Right in a '96, and it works perfectly. In 2WD the right front axle should disconnect and freewheel. If it doesn't there's a problem with the front axle disconnect. The brown wire mod is not necessary at all. I added a switch to manually override the axle disconnect so it could be switched at will.

 

[GJarrett]

Can Jake simply pull out the plug of wires at his tcase to test that, and run it on the street to see if it still acts up?

Theory 2: maybe he needs to run it awhile to break it in? Most of us had a helluva clank after first installing the NoSlip, but it worked fine after a few miles and the first run.....

 

[Premier]

Well yes, it was jerking right VERY hard when on the gas, and then hard left under engine compression. But the shop said that the right front is free wheeling, so there shouldnt be a problem? Like I said I didnt think that a 96' needed the brown wire mod.?

I drove less than 100miles with it like that. I havent had it for almost 2 weeks now

And the locker never "clanked" or "popped" once.
-Jake

 

[GJarrett]

Those symptoms confirm that it is engaging, acting the same as when I flip my switch to engage the front axle.

Find out from Jeff Draper if he thinks you can simply unplug the muther at the tcase just to test it to see if that fixes it and then go from there..... Jeff?

Or try it anyway, let us know what happens.

 

[Premier]

Well, I dont have my truck... Its at a driveline shop. They said they would know by tomorrow what the deal is. I will call them early in the morn and ask Eric if he were to unplug the transfer case, if it will still engage. I really appreciate the help guys.
If it doesnt disengage, is there anything I can do?
-Jake

 

[JDraper]

If the locker isn't installed properly (and not disengaging), but the drivetrain is working as it's supposed to, the truck will pull to the right constantly. I test drove Karol's truck in 4 hi with the axle disengaged, and that's what it did. It was manageable, but just pulled a lot.

 

[Premier]

Yea, it was managable. So are you saying that 4WP installed the locker wrong?

 

[JDraper]

It's possible, it wouldn't be the first one they installed wrong...Especially if you are running 4.10 gears or higher.....