Outer Limits 4x4 Board

I had an air locker fitter recently by a reputable shop...however the last three times ive been whelling and used the locker it has vented what appears to be an excessive amount of oil from the solenoide (sp). I dont get that crisp venting sound it is muffled by the bubble of diff oil. Is this normal...if not what can i do to fix it?

Thanks.

A small amount of oil is commom but what you have said is not write, I`d be taking it back and getting them to fix it if it was fitted not long ago.

Luv to 4B wrote:I had an air locker fitter recently by a reputable shop...however the last three times ive been whelling and used the locker it has vented what appears to be an excessive amount of oil from the solenoide (sp). I dont get that crisp venting sound it is muffled by the bubble of diff oil. Is this normal...if not what can i do to fix it?

Thanks.

I had the same thing. I think it means the seal where the inner O ring is, isnt sealing. Locker still works but it will fill your compressor with oil.

Just for interest? What sort of vehicle? What end?

Bazzle

1990 D hilux rear end

Sounds like either
leaking O ring,
Blocked breather or
off centre seal housing



Bazzle

I'll check the breather, thanks baz....is there a way of getting the iol in the air line out...assuming that the breather is the prob?

Mines the rear on an 84 lux.

To get the oil out, disconnect the line from the diff and turn on rear locker so that air comes out the line, and in doing so, pushes all the oil out too. If there is enough, aim it at your wheels for some burnout action.

That to me sounds like.
1st Blocked diff breather and also it sounds like they have broken the seal when installing the end plate on the locker.It will still work as the air will still go in,but it is leaking out and pressurising your diff and when you dis-engage it it is forcing oil up into the locker line.
I would be taking it back and asking them to fix it.

Jamie
The 4x4 Specialist

thanks guys it was a bloched breather, my mate who put them on put plugs in them...i didn't know....i used you trick tonka and only a tiny bit is venting now...i assume just the residue left in the air line.

You will always get a little bit, just residue from around seals, doesnt affect locker op.

Bazzle

this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

o dear

rock hopper wrote:this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

show us a pic.
website shows a poxy sixty but no difflock image????

derangedrover wrote:

rock hopper wrote:this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

show us a pic.
website shows a poxy sixty but no difflock image????

SEND US YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS.
AND I WILL SEND U A PIC .

rock hopper wrote:

derangedrover wrote:

rock hopper wrote:this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

show us a pic.
website shows a poxy sixty but no difflock image????

SEND US YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS.
AND I WILL SEND U A PIC .

that HJ60 is will out do most 4x4's out there.

post pic here.

yer me thinks spam warning.

rock hopper wrote:this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

it's hardly a problem at all. a minor inconvenience if you have the solenoid valves mounted in the cab, no problem at all if the solenoids are in the engine bay/tray whatever. First culprit is a blocked axle breather, followed by poor installation technique. Often, it is just excess oil that was used on assembly, and has got into the air housing which indicates care taken by the installer NOT to damage the side housing o rings. ARB's air locker is a neatly engineered solution which requires only minor modification to the differential housing (drill and tap one hole), perfectly integrates with factory components, is completely portable from one diff to another, it is well priced, and parts are widely available and for most parts, quite cheap. I have installed air lockers that have performed flawlessly for well over 100,000km without any maintenance other than oil changes, without any air or oil leaks, and with flawless off-road locking performance in some very hard terrain.

properly installed, the ARB locker is pretty hard to beat, on price, strength, performance, installability, warranty, parts availability etc. You're trying to re-invent the wheel - if you have the engineering skill and shop facilities, why not invent something cool that will have people lining up at your door, like say a dual transfer case adaptor for 75 series for under $300 or something.

dumbdunce wrote:

rock hopper wrote:this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

it's hardly a problem at all. a minor inconvenience if you have the solenoid valves mounted in the cab, no problem at all if the solenoids are in the engine bay/tray whatever. First culprit is a blocked axle breather, followed by poor installation technique. Often, it is just excess oil that was used on assembly, and has got into the air housing which indicates care taken by the installer NOT to damage the side housing o rings. ARB's air locker is a neatly engineered solution which requires only minor modification to the differential housing (drill and tap one hole), perfectly integrates with factory components, is completely portable from one diff to another, it is well priced, and parts are widely available and for most parts, quite cheap. I have installed air lockers that have performed flawlessly for well over 100,000km without any maintenance other than oil changes, without any air or oil leaks, and with flawless off-road locking performance in some very hard terrain.

properly installed, the ARB locker is pretty hard to beat, on price, strength, performance, installability, warranty, parts availability etc. You're trying to re-invent the wheel - if you have the engineering skill and shop facilities, why not invent something cool that will have people lining up at your door, like say a dual transfer case adaptor for 75 series for under $300 or something.

yeah, that would be cool. can i have one please

derangedrover wrote:

rock hopper wrote:this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

show us a pic.
website shows a poxy sixty but no difflock image????

and it installs poxy GAIN, cant you afford to run your shop without crappy adware

roly wrote:

derangedrover wrote:

rock hopper wrote:this is a big problem with the locker you own .
thats why i started making my own air lockers .

show us a pic.
website shows a poxy sixty but no difflock image????

and it installs poxy GAIN, cant you afford to run your shop without crappy adware

got Unix? nyuk nyuk.

dumbdunce i totaly agree with all you said regarding the air locker. I unblocked the breather and blew the oil out of the air line and theres no probs. they are a great unit and as you said...fairly priced. Anyone with the engineering knowledge and skill shoul create a 4" lift kit that is affordable, comes with parts including ext brake lines, dropped drag link, shaft sapcers etc. and that will actually flex. (for a hilux that is)

Luv to 4B wrote:dumbdunce i totaly agree with all you said regarding the air locker. I unblocked the breather and blew the oil out of the air line and theres no probs. they are a great unit and as you said...fairly priced. Anyone with the engineering knowledge and skill shoul create a 4" lift kit that is affordable, comes with parts including ext brake lines, dropped drag link, shaft sapcers etc. and that will actually flex. (for a hilux that is)

i custom make parts + accessories .
i do a 4 '' lift kit .......
with the locker , i improved on there design. less problems etc ........ The air locker developed by L.C.4 X4 has an Pneumatic air ram that locks and unlocks the differential.
This is assisted by a spring that holds the locked differential in the unlocked mode and also assists in faster unlocking.
 
Other brands of differential locks use inferior "O" ring technology to engage the locking mechanism.
When in the locked position,they rely on no pressure too unlock the differential.As they do not have the patented L.C.4X4 "spring technology" there can be delays of up to one minute in the unlocking procedure
This can cause loss of steering and result in broken constant velocity shafts as well as personal injury.
                           PROBLEMS WITH OTHER BRANDS.
1. LEAKING "O" RINGS.
2.THIS CAUSES THE DIFFERENTIAL AIRLINE TOO ACT AS A BREATHER,RESULTING IN LOSS OF OIL.RESULT.DIFFERENTIAL FAILURE.
3.AS OTHER BRANDS DO NOT UNLOCK IMMEDIATELY UNTIL ALL PRESSURE HAS BEEN RELEASED, IT WILL STAY LOCKED,SOMETIMES FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD.
4.L.C.4X4 ARE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF TECNOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND AS SUCH HAVE MANY MORE PRODUCTS COMING TO YOU SOON.
 
.
 

rock hopper wrote:4.L.C.4X4 ARE AT THE LEADING EDGE OF TECNOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND AS SUCH HAVE MANY MORE PRODUCTS COMING TO YOU SOON.

ARB's locker also uses springs to disengage the locker and keep it unlocked. It is true that they will remain locked, sometimes for a considerable time, after unlocking, if there is significant twist loading between the two half axles. This will occur with ANY dog spline locking ring design, including your own, unless the disengage spring is enormously powerful, which in turn requires a more and more powerful air ram. ARB's locker is completely internal to the housing and is virtually bomb proof. Your feeble assertions about the weakness of the o-ring design are baseless and pathetic. Anyone who has suffered o-ring failure in an ARB air locker should know the truth, that the o-ring failure is a secondary failure and is the result of over-pressure, poor installation, carrier side bearing failure, or abrasive damage due to free wear debris from a catastrophic ring and pinion failure. As for a blocked breather causing a diff failure from pumping out all the oil, it would take thousands of locker actuations to pump out even a cupful of oil. Most differentials will run quite well with even half their specified oil level. Anyone who operates their locker that frequently also changes their diff oil regularly. ARB air locker failures just don't happen often enough to warrant your kind of criticism. Good on you for taking them on, competition is a great thing - and if your price was competitive, it would be good for all of us! As I've already said, your time and engineering skill would be far better invested in something that hasn't already been done, and done well.

and if you want to be 'Leading Edge', learn to spell 'Technological'

As an automotive engineer I have to say the ARB air locker is the best unit i've ever seen that locks diffs. It's strong, quick and easy to use/install.

I wouldnt try and mess with their market dominance on this product unless I could supply a similar product at a reduced price.

And i've had this oil coming out of the solinoid for quite a bit, i'll try and do the remedy suggested with unblocking the the breather, thanx for the hint

roch hopper, tell me more about this total 4" lift kit:

Price for installed and uninstalled?
what it comes with?
where the components are made?
anything else important.

4 '' lift .
hi-lux ..
parabolic springs + 50mm longer shackels . caster wedges .
if you would like more info
ring : 07 46696639 7 day 6am to 9 pm

rock hopper wrote:4 '' lift .
hi-lux ..
parabolic springs + 50mm longer shackels . caster wedges .
if you would like more info
ring : 07 46696639 7 day 6am to 9 pm

I don't meen to be nit picky,But are those 50mm extended shackles street legal or at a minimum engineerable?????
So basically
The lift would only comprise of 2"lifted leafs and the shackles am i right???

Jamie

Fourwheelin wrote:

rock hopper wrote:4 '' lift .
hi-lux ..
parabolic springs + 50mm longer shackels . caster wedges .
if you would like more info
ring : 07 46696639 7 day 6am to 9 pm

I don't meen to be nit picky,But are those 50mm extended shackles street legal or at a minimum engineerable?????
So basically
The lift would only comprise of 2"lifted leafs and the shackles am i right???

Jamie

they would have to be 3" lifted leafs + 2" shackles to make 4" lift. And what do you do with the Dudelux draglink?

parabolics... got axle wrap?

cheers
Brian

dumbdunce wrote:

Fourwheelin wrote:

rock hopper wrote:4 '' lift .
hi-lux ..
parabolic springs + 50mm longer shackels . caster wedges .
if you would like more info
ring : 07 46696639 7 day 6am to 9 pm

I don't meen to be nit picky,But are those 50mm extended shackles street legal or at a minimum engineerable?????
So basically
The lift would only comprise of 2"lifted leafs and the shackles am i right???

Jamie

they would have to be 3" lifted leafs + 2" shackles to make 4" lift. And what do you do with the Dudelux draglink?

parabolics... got axle wrap?

cheers
Brian

Brian
How do you get 4"lift out of 3" + 2"?????