Topic: downey cable locker engagement

[fritz]

howdy, i just put a cable locker on my trd/4 cylinder axle and engagement is a biatch. the plug slides fine but the gears have to be lined up just right for it to fully engage. on stands its easy to line the gears up right by spinning one tire slightly, but on the road it takesa 1/4 mile of driving and trying it to get it to slide in or disengage. when it does engage or disengage it does so easily and smoothly. this suks. there has got to be a way to make this work on demand. any expirience, help?!  fritz

[BigMike]

Its not going to happen on demand unless you make the locking collar corse (less splines) which would make it weaker.

Even when you use the motor with the e-locker it takes a couple of roataions of the tires before it unlocks.

FIREBALL will coment on this if he see's it as he built his own custom cable locking adapters for both his front and rear e-lockers. I rode with him and watched him engage/disengage them. He would hold his lever with a couple of fingers for about 2 or 3 seconds and then it would lock/unlock. Sometimes it pushes right in and othertimes it takes a couple of seconds. He was in Crawl when he was doing this, so hes going really slow so that takes a bit more time to..

[fritz [OP]]

ya a few tire rotations i expected but im talkin a 1/4 mile or more somtimes. its like i just have to get lucky for it to go in or out.  i dont know...

[BigMike]

1/4 mile

Well I've already got an e-locker in the rear of my rig, and once I get it wired up (maybe in another week) then I'll let you know how it does using the stock electric motor as compared to the cable.

[reklund5]

Sounds like you're applying too much load to the axle while driving.  We have customers complain about this with their e-lockers all the time.  You  should try driving on loose dirt (not pavement) while switching between throttle and coasting,  and saw the steering wheel back and forth while trying to engage.  This will allow the rear tires to slip a little and change the load, allowing quicker engagement.  At least once a week I have to take a customer out in his Tacoma and show him how to engage the locker properly.  Also, stopping and backing up sometimes works too.  I think I've got a e-locker third member out in the garage somewhere and I can post up some pics of the internals- it'll explain a lot more than my rambling....

HTH,
Ryan

[79coyotefrg]

i was going to suggest turning a bit to help it line up,

ryan, can you just send me that elocker,       

[reklund5]

I would but I'm saving it for a rainy day 

[79coyotefrg]

  see its raining here 

[GrimReaper]

My sisters taco has one and when I have played with it no trouble getting it to engage at all. I just coasted and weaved back and forth a little and it was showing engaged in less then 10 feet. Coast and weave.

[BigMike]

Hey fritz-

I wonder if something is wrong with your diff?

I built a temporary wiring loom that I can plug in and activate the motor, then unplug it and go. I just did Claw Hammer yesterday and I locked/unlocked it twice and each time I didnt even have to move the truck. I was on flat ground and it engages and disengages every time I've tried it -- even without moving.

If I had a cable I would imagine I could sit still on flat level ground and just work it in and out of lock over and over without even moving the truck.

Once I get the switch wired into my cab then I'll use it alot more often and I'll let you know how it does then......

[reklund5]

I need to check a Taco EWD tomorrow, but I think that the factory installed Lockers have a voltage reducer wired in to slow the movement of the motor that engages the locker.  Bypassing this and using a non factory setup with straight 12V+ (a'la BigMikes setup) will usually result in a faster engagement.  **I THINK**  I'll check to be sure....

Glen- No, it is in fact, NOT raining over there...but the storm is headed my way.  I promise.  Besides, mine is a Hi Pinion Elocker from a FJ-80.  Who would want that crap?

Ryan

[BigMike]

Hey Ryan,

Are they doing that so its a smoother engagement for the "American" consumers or are they trying to prolong the life of the motor?

'cause Im running straight 12-volts (well 14 with the alternator). I could eaisly step it down to 10 or 8 volts if people are burning up e-motors......?

[79coyotefrg]

  but i WAS raining,  anyway      hey Hi pinion elocker,   cool i'll take it,  for my front 

[FIREBALL]

It also helps if you jump up and down on one foot while spinning around counter clockwise. (jumping on left foot is best)
Mine doesn't kick in right away everytime either, but a 1/4 of a mile seems very excessive. It is true, if you work the steering a bit it usually does help. I also think that the more you use it the better it will work. My rear works easier than the front, mostly, I think, because the front is brand new, and the rear was used. I'm not familiar with how the downey unit works, or if it has any adjustment, but I know that with the way mine is set up, I have to have the gear set in just the right spot, or the cable wouldn't rotate the arm very easily.

[reklund5]

I totally forgot to check...but I'm pretty sure that voltage is stepped down.  The main reason the voltage is stepped down is to keep from sliding the hub slider over the gear too fast and stripping the teeth.  Exactly as you said BigMike- to protect the average 'merican from fawking up the diff.  I don't think that there is an issue with the motors- I've never personally seen one burnt up.  As long as you are mindful of how the thing works, running straight 12-14V to it won't matter.  Just be careful when engaging/disengaging and go slow.  The idea is ALWAYS to engage the locker BEFORE you think you need it- not when your're all twisted up on a rock with only inches to move before plummeting to a firey death off the side of a mountain. 

I'll really try to check into that crap tomorrow!

Ryan

[fritz [OP]]

the downy cable works!!!! i finally got some time to do some dirt driving and it locks up within 100ft. the coast thing is crucial. the system works very simply by sliding an aluminum dowel inside an aluminum block. if the end of the cable that pushes it is not perfectly aligned it sticks. so with a good alignment and some practice on dirt roads it is smooth and sweet! I am so frukin stoked!!! im gonna have  a cold one  fritz