Spartan locker makes violent banging noise after sharp turn or hard acceleration

guitardave

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Interested to see comments. This new Spartan lunchbox locker in my 99 TJ Dana 35 rearend makes a VIOLENT bang after a sharp turn or a hard acceleration. I have googled this and found tons of situations exactly like mine. I even called the customer service people and they said "normal behavior with these lockers" so..... just wondering if anyone has had this issue lately ?? I did remove the inspection cover and checked for any shavings or gears missing or parts out of place. Nothing out of the ordinary. I replaced the lube with heavier syn grease and it did help a bit but still does it some. And btw the locker works and I hear ratcheting on tight turns but this bang is VIOLENT. Shakes the whole Jeep. Comments welcome. Over. Out
 
I recently had a Powertrax No-Slip "Lunchbox" Locker installed in my front Dana 30 when I had it regeared to 4.56.

I'm still in the break-in, and honestly haven't driven a lot yet, but I haven't noticed anything except a little chatter when cold. Maybe mine isn't installed correctly?
 
I recently had a Powertrax No-Slip "Lunchbox" Locker installed in my front Dana 30 when I had it regeared to 4.56.

I'm still in the break-in, and honestly haven't driven a lot yet, but I haven't noticed anything except a little chatter when cold. Maybe mine isn't installed correctly?

The fronts run fairly quiet. The rears are the ones that make you think you just broke something. Lol
 
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Interested to see comments. This new Spartan lunchbox locker in my 99 TJ Dana 35 rearend makes a VIOLENT bang after a sharp turn or a hard acceleration. I have googled this and found tons of situations exactly like mine. I even called the customer service people and they said "normal behavior with these lockers" so..... just wondering if anyone has had this issue lately ?? I did remove the inspection cover and checked for any shavings or gears missing or parts out of place. Nothing out of the ordinary. I replaced the lube with heavier syn grease and it did help a bit but still does it some. And btw the locker works and I hear ratcheting on tight turns but this bang is VIOLENT. Shakes the whole Jeep. Comments welcome. Over. Out

A friend had one in his C8.25 rear axle of a 2000 XJ. It banged violently when he first got it, but got much better the more he drove it. Barely noticed it 50k miles later. The first time we drove around with it the thing banged so loud we thought the rear end was sitting on the ground, and people in parking lots would turn around.
 
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I put a Spartan locker in the front Dana 30 and sent it back a week later replacing it with a LSD… The Spartan lockers unload was so violent sounding it would turn people’s heads in parking lots and the fact that it misbehaves in ice and snow was enough for me… for a rock buggy or a mud buggy it might be okay but for a DD it didn’t work for me!
 
This new Spartan lunchbox locker in my 99 TJ Dana 35 rearend makes a VIOLENT bang after a sharp turn or a hard acceleration.

The hard acceleration makes sense as the locker engages any time torque is applied through the driveshaft. It is supposed to disengage when the vehicle is coasting (no torque applied through driveshaft) but it sounds as if it is taking a moment to fully disengage. Maybe try letting off the throttle just a bit earlier for turns and coast through them.
 
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... I replaced the lube with heavier syn grease...

You replaced the gear oil with grease?

Sounds like normal automatic locker behavior. You can minimize it with driving habits once you figure out how not to make it lock/unlock.
 
I recently had a Powertrax No-Slip "Lunchbox" Locker installed in my front Dana 30 when I had it regeared to 4.56.

I'm still in the break-in, and honestly haven't driven a lot yet, but I haven't noticed anything except a little chatter when cold. Maybe mine isn't installed correctly?

Maybe mine isn't!! But the guy that did it has done hundreds. This I'm sure of.
 
You replaced the gear oil with grease?

Sounds like normal automatic locker behavior. You can minimize it with driving habits once you figure out how not to make it lock/unlock.

It's heavier than oil. My dad always said grease when years back it was 90 weight. I still say grease. Sorry. Lubrication.
 
Rear mounted lunchbox lockers are notorious for being extremely poorly behaved when on the street. For a street driven TJ a lunchbox locker should only be in the front axle.

And any type of locker in a stock Dana 35 axle is notorious for breaking its axle shafts. Be very (!) careful.

The front Dana 30 has an Eaton E locker. I did replace rear axles with an upgraded type axle tho. I am a nervous wreck afraid now I'll still break something. At least, I don't drive it much. Just to the mountains.
 
The front Dana 30 has an Eaton E locker. I did replace rear axles with an upgraded type axle tho. I am a nervous wreck afraid now I'll still break something. At least, I don't drive it much. Just to the mountains.
What was upgraded in the Dana 35? If it was upgraded to 30 spline 1541H axle shafts you're good to go with a rear locker and up to 35" tires. If it still has the factory size 27 spline axle shafts it's time to be careful. This is what happened to friend's stock Dana 35 axle shaft. She's smiling here only because we had just finished installing her replacement axle shaft.

Broken Dana 35 Marianne~2.jpg
 
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The looks people give you in parking lots when they hear the ratcheting and bangs is priceless.don't think I'd run another though

Yeah after driving his XJ with the Spartan it confirmed my thoughts on selectable lockers. Fine for a trail-only rig though, it did work well otherwise.