Noises after locker installation
 

Hello everybody!

i just finished installing a Detroit Locker on my K5 90', it's a gm 8.5" 10bolt by the way. the installation also included a new 4.56 "Yukon Gear" pinion & gear.
now when i drive the truck there's no noises what so ever, as the matter a fact i barely hear the locker. but when i come to a turn and apply NO gas i can hear this humming sound coming from the axle area. when i turn to the right i can hear it from the right and when i turn to the left the noise is less loud but i can still hear it. and when i come to a straight line and it's time to push the paddle again the noise disappear.
the installation went fine, the pattern and the backlash were in order, bearings were replaced and i tested the locker off road to see that it is actually doing it's job.
now if you guys will tell me that the noises I'm hearing are perfectly normal and that's the way a locker should work, i'll sleep better at night, that's all i need. i just don't want to look away because the locker is working and in 2 years time to find out that i caused it a lot of damage.

Thanks in advance, Yarin.

no one can tell me if the noises are normal or not. i know that a locker should make some noises while it's working but since it's my first one i don't really know. as i said it's a humming sound, not to loud but not quite as well, when i let off the gas while turning.
hope someone will be able to give me some idea, Thanks yarin.

The way I view it is that the locker is "locking" the axles... now when you take a turn, normally the outside tire spins faster than the inside tire, but with the locker they spin the same, this could be causing the sound, which would be normal for the locker, but I have never had a locker vehicle nor drove one, so thats just a guess... there should be a much better answer shortly

jump on the inter webs and youtube it. lockers have a very distinct sound that is a little :icon_really: at first. So long as it's in there right, you will have 'noises' whether or not yours are normal, would take more to determine. it will be "clunky" and "buzzier" and you will have more "tire sound" when turning, or on wet pavement and on the accelerator...

youtube until you can't stand it, or you hear one that sounds similar.
or
protect your investment and take it to a 4x4 place and just confess your noobiness <-- feels like showing weakness, but it beats buying a new axle...

i would venture a guess and say that you are in the green, just not used to the sound, and playing it safe. <-- but who can say with out hearing it...

you sure you topped the diff off with the right juice when it was all back together? did the new seal hold up? diff cover on tight?

well the installation went fine like i said. all the bolt were tighten. the pattern was pretty good on both sides. the backlash was perfect, there's no leaks from the seal and the cover is sitting in his place like a glove.
when i finished installing the locker i drove the truck for a couple of days before i drove it off road. and when i did i discovered that the locker is working perfectly.
my dad drove the truck while i was standing out side and watched the tires in action. i double checked every angle to make sure that they're locking.
so that's the scary part - knowing that the locker is working and hearing those sounds. I'll take you're advice and youtube the entire thing. maybe I'll find something interesting,
I'll keep post. thanks, Yarin.

well i opened the diff cover today and found out that the right bearing isn't sitting right in it's cup. the cone is about 1 millimeter away from the cup.
which means that the locker is "free" between the two bearings, as much as the pinion will let it.
from this i came to a conclusion that the noise came from the fact that the shaft was pressing down on the bearing in corners.
during this week i'll get the indicator back and i will keep updating after I'll try to close the gap between the cup and the cone with more shims i guess.

Yarin.

well today i reinstalled the locker, i fixed the gape between the bearings, preformed all the necessary check ups, put in new oil and took a test drive.
the locker is preforming well but the noises are still there, I'll try to be clear with the description:
the noise comes only when i lay off the gas and when i turn the wheel to the right. i drove on a deserted road and "played" with the wheel continuously to the left & right.
and only when i get to the right the noise appears. it sounds like a dim cry, a long cry.
i can't find the source of the noise, i just need to be sure that i'm not damaging the locker by driving with that noise.
if the noise is coming from the shaft's bearing then I'll live with that, even though i replaced the carrier bearing, all though i didn't replaced the outer shaft bearing.
i'll be very thankful for any help and information.

Yarin.

This only happens when you turn right? No noise when you turn left?

no noise at all when i turn left. and like i said, it's not just complete turns, even when i play with the wheel back and forward, well... right and left. only to the right.

I'm rerunning the entire installation process again in my head and i just remember something I'm not sure about.
while i was adjusting the preload of the carrier, every time i needed to add or remove shims the locker came out with much ease, i mean i didn't used any tools to get it out, i just needed to let it go and it slipped right out. there's no gapes between the bearings but is it ok that the locker came out like it did?

there's no word in Hebrew for preload so just to be sure, I'm talking about the amount of shims I've put in each side. I'm not talking about how hard i closed the caps that comes over the side bearings, because those i closed with a long pipe as hard as i could and that's it.

it has happened to me too man, i have a locker. and my noise is pretty loud, only when i let off the gas, and push the break.
its in the shop today, ill get a call tomorrow and figure out what it is, and ill let you know.