Baystate Jeepers

Just wondering, has anyone had their aussie "lunchbox" locker lock up on them when dd? A couple weeks back at was at a drivetrain shop and the owner stated "if you install a "lunchbox" locker in the front, be aware of your axle locking up on you". Just wondering if this has actually happened to anyone.

Lunchbox lockers stay locked unless you are taking a corner, while coasting. That's when you get the classic lunchbox "click". If you power through a corner, your rear may lock up. You might feel a locker in the front of a later model Jeep (i.e. no locking hubs) around corners.

So when your climbing a hill and turn the tires left or right does the axle stay locked?

Just trying to understand how it works and is there a danger of the front locking up on pavement when turning.

Yes Chris when you turn left or right with the gas on it will stay locked It might slide more sideways with both tires pulling
with a lockright there is no diif in 2 wheel drive just a clicking noise Mine only locks when I give gas in 4x4 In 4x4 I can coast around corners no problem like a open diff If i give it any throttle at all it will lockup same as the rear As soon as you give gas it will lock up I dont use 4x4 on pavement With a ft locker that the best way to pop a axle

Chris wrote:So when your climbing a hill and turn the tires left or right does the axle stay locked?

Yes. They lock when power is applied. Not like a spool, but both wheels will rotate at least as fast as the power being delivered from the driveshaft. One wheel can rotate faster than the other

Chris wrote:Just trying to understand how it works and is there a danger of the front locking up on pavement when turning.

No power applied, no lock. Pavement or trails, you'll need to be in 4WD for the front to lock.
A lot of people have lunchbox lockers in the rear diff and they survive, you just have to be careful when accelerating while turning

Chris wrote:So when your climbing a hill and turn the tires left or right does the axle stay locked?

Yes, when you apply power, the cross shaft forces the driver into the coupler, regardless if you are turning or going straight.

Chris wrote:Just trying to understand how it works and is there a danger of the front locking up on pavement when turning.

The Lockright/Aussie is always engaged unless turning without applying power. There are 4 small springs and pills inside the drivers to provide a constant force to keep the unit engaged. When you make a corner, the cross shaft is not forcing the drivers out, and the difference in wheel speed overcomes these springs, causing the teeth on the driver and coupler to skip over one another (the click noise you hear) to provide differentiation to the outside (i.e. faster) wheel.

Now, in a front non-powered application with no hubs, you may get some feedback when turning as the locker is dissengaging to provide differentiation. I drove this way for many years and accepted the feedback.

FWIW - I have Aussies front & rear. I notice the rear one more than the front one.

Id say i dont notice my lockrite in the front very much on the road except when parking, just got to coast in to the slot...