popping toyota 8" axle

[CSR]

I have a popping noise coming from my front toyota 8" that has been there there since I bought and installed the used axle. It only does it when the front axle is loaded (4 hi, 4 lo). The axle has 5.29's and a lockright. I have also noticed that the front driveshaft completes almost a half turn before it begins to want to move the tires . I had the third member out the other day. the ring and pinion look fine, the lockright teeth are intact and not rounded, and the cross pin is fine. I can't imagine there being enough backlash to allow the driveshaft to turn that far before moving the tires, and I don't know if the popping is related to the excessive driveshaft rotation before engagement. I'm kinda stumped. I expected to find something obvious because something has to give for the driveshaft to rotate that far. Any ideas?

 

[iamsparticus]

you may have the backlash not set right making the teeth skip, or it could be the u joint is giving away or is gone but looks fine but i don't know how that could allow that much flex

 

[notajeep]

A lot of play is normal with a lockrite type locker. And if this is your first one, the noises are weird and take some getting used to.
That being said, I would look extra close at your birfs..... clean all the grease off them and look for small cracks in the bell and around the ball cage.

 

[Rot Box]

Are you sure that it is a Loc Right locker? Detroit EZ lockers and GG Quick Loc's are known to do this right out of the box in Toyota axles.

If it is a LR the first thing that comes to my mind is the locker and the axle housing. Lunch box lockers do not like bent housings at all and it is very possible that your housing is slightly bent--it is actually very common. Do you have a truss and large tires? Trusses are actually more bad than good if it was welded on without having the entire housing removed and placed in a jig. Any heat at all can warp a Toyota housing they are not very thick.

I have personally seen very few lunchbox lockers in 8" Toyota front axles that haven't made a lot of noise. I have beat the tar out of my LR in the rear without any problems, but I never put one in the front (when I had the Toyota front) for this reason. Good luck.

 

[Goose]

I had a LR in one of my toy front housings
X3 on what these guys have said. mine always made noise & I had problems with my front one not engaging all the time. just like you I would pull it out & it looked fine.
rot box is right on, bent housing = problems

 

[CSR]

Thanks, guys. Yes, the housing is bent to snot. I had to cut the knuckle ball off and re-weld it in better alignment with the locker splines just to get the longfield in. I didn't notice how bad the housing was bent until I had the full hydro ram and link tabs all welded on, so I kept the housing. Thanks, notajeep, for the info on play being normal on a LR. No cracks in the birfs as they are longfields. I'm thinking I'll just put the rear 3rd with the Detroit in the front and get a spool and install it in the front 3rd and put it in the rear.

 

[CSR]

One more question: What do you all think of me just swapping the 3rds so that I have a detroit in the front and a lockright in the rear, just to eliminate the noise? I'm running 39.5 Iroks in a very lightweight buggy (under 2000 lbs) and a 1.6L sidekick engine with an automatic. Based on your experience, will the lockright hold up in the rear?

 

[choptopbII]

One more question: What do you all think of me just swapping the 3rds so that I have a detroit in the front and a lockright in the rear, just to eliminate the noise? I'm running 39.5 Iroks in a very lightweight buggy (under 2000 lbs) and a 1.6L sidekick engine with an automatic. Based on your experience, will the lockright hold up in the rear?

It might help, but if i was you i would just keep the Detroit in the rear. And eventually upgrade to a detroit in the front.

I remember hearing that noise from your front axle out at the snakes and it was most definitely your locker.

or just swap the detroit to the front and spool the rear, I have a spool and a front axle housing for sale

 

[Greg]

One more question: What do you all think of me just swapping the 3rds so that I have a detroit in the front and a lockright in the rear, just to eliminate the noise? I'm running 39.5 Iroks in a very lightweight buggy (under 2000 lbs) and a 1.6L sidekick engine with an automatic. Based on your experience, will the lockright hold up in the rear?

It will hold up in the rear for quite awhile. I had a friend who competed in UROC with a Lock-Rite in the front of his Bronco with a V8, manual trans and 37" tires. The Lock-Rite lasted thru a lot of abuse with competition and a lot of hardcore recreational wheeling. Eventually the teeth got so worn that it would lock up, then spin and lock again but it took a few years for it to get to that point.

 

[CSR]

Yeah, Kyle. I called about that spool the other day and also posted on your classifieds thread that I want it. Call me back and I'll take it off your hands.

 

[choptopbII]

OK cool.

 

[Rot Box]

One more question: What do you all think of me just swapping the 3rds so that I have a detroit in the front and a lockright in the rear, just to eliminate the noise? I'm running 39.5 Iroks in a very lightweight buggy (under 2000 lbs) and a 1.6L sidekick engine with an automatic. Based on your experience, will the lockright hold up in the rear?

I wouldn't worry about it. The locker will hold, but at that point your center pin becomes the weak link. I would dare say that a pinion shaft would go before that breaks, but its a gamble...

 

[Goose]

the spool in the rear isnt a bad way to go. some guys dont like them, but youl never have to worry about it breaking or not working. good luck !

 

[matchpangie]

Just ripped apart my front axle and found the left birfs had a few cracks. Ring and pinion and locker look good. gonna purchase some new birfs, hope that popping would go away.

 

[iamsparticus]

Sounds like the problem, but if it doesnt go away check to see if the axle housinf is bent at the knuckles or axle tube