Tractech Locker
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From: Clarksville,Tn
Tractech Locker I just got done with the 9" and z bars last friday and got it under the car and they work great, only problem is this damn locker I have. It's EXTREMELY sloppy. Just wondering if all detroit lockers are like this or do I just have a piece o ****?? It's a tractech locker and the manual that came with it says it's normal to have a 1/4 turn of play in it, I find that ridiculous. I let off the gas then get back on it and it's the loudest clunk and thud you've ever heard. I ran thru the gears pretty hard a couple times and it's bad, I'm afraid to race it like that. With the car sitting still in gear I can rock it back and forth way too much. Just wondering what kind of lockers yall are running and are they sloppy feeling? Any suggestions on another type of differential? I've never ran a spool on a daily driver but I'm considering it because this thing has to go! When making a turn from a stand still the rear locks then unlocks then locks and unlocks, I can hear the motor rev up when it unlocks then come back down when it locks and it makes the car start jumping. And before you ask the backlash on the gears is .009, I set it up myself and I know that part is right. Any advice or info??
Running Detroit locker 5-6 weeks( ran same in '60's for 6 years on strip AND street as family car , but do not remember noice )
i have a lot of slop also.
>> ""When making a turn from a stand still the rear locks then unlocks then locks and unlocks, I can hear the motor rev up when it unlocks then come back down when it locks and it makes the car start jumping. <<<this I DO NOT have, I also have .008-.009 back lash.
some one said some of clumk may come from pienon bearing ??, I am still runing the same pienon and bearing @ 65K, I ONLY INSTALLED MY RING TO THE NEW CARRIER , HAVE VERY GOOD PATTERN AND BACKLASH. if/when you learn any think new please PM me . thanks, Johnny
i have a lot of slop also.
>> ""When making a turn from a stand still the rear locks then unlocks then locks and unlocks, I can hear the motor rev up when it unlocks then come back down when it locks and it makes the car start jumping. <<<this I DO NOT have, I also have .008-.009 back lash.
some one said some of clumk may come from pienon bearing ??, I am still runing the same pienon and bearing @ 65K, I ONLY INSTALLED MY RING TO THE NEW CARRIER , HAVE VERY GOOD PATTERN AND BACKLASH. if/when you learn any think new please PM me . thanks, Johnny
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From: Kent WA
I have a detroit locker as well... only in my 12 bolt, not a 9 inch. I do have some play as well, there is a clunk, especially when putting it into gear from a stop. But it really isn't that bad... it does wobble a bit on 'lifting' shifts, shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd.
That's why the installer recommended not lifting at at the track, to avoid the possibility of it unlocking due to the loss of momentum when lifting the foot off the gas during the shift.
That's why the installer recommended not lifting at at the track, to avoid the possibility of it unlocking due to the loss of momentum when lifting the foot off the gas during the shift.
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From: Clarksville,Tn
I might call or email tractech tomorrow if I can find a number or address and just see what they have to say about it. But my thinking is they will say it's normally because the manual says a 1/4 of a turn is normal.
Everything in this rear is brand new so I don't think it's my pinion bearing but I will post up if I find out anything. I have a buddy that raced top fuel back in the 80's and he said no locker he ever ran had that much slack in it. I don't see how you could keep from tearing something up with this much slack.
Mine pushes the front of the car thru a curve in the road if I'm on the gas but I expect that out of a locker and it will pull the car left or right if I get off the gas then get back in it til it locks up again and I expect that but I don't expect a 1/4 turn of play. I havent actually measured how much play yet but it's too much. What brand locker are yall running??
Everything in this rear is brand new so I don't think it's my pinion bearing but I will post up if I find out anything. I have a buddy that raced top fuel back in the 80's and he said no locker he ever ran had that much slack in it. I don't see how you could keep from tearing something up with this much slack.
Mine pushes the front of the car thru a curve in the road if I'm on the gas but I expect that out of a locker and it will pull the car left or right if I get off the gas then get back in it til it locks up again and I expect that but I don't expect a 1/4 turn of play. I havent actually measured how much play yet but it's too much. What brand locker are yall running??
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From: Clarksville,Tn
Just looked at Tractech's site and went to the tech tips section and it also says backlash can be 30 to 90 degrees at the driveshaft. How could you keep from tearing something up at the track with that kind of slack??????
Who makes a locker with that kind of backlash? That's the one I want!! I DO NOT recommend buying a Tractech locker at all!! 
Summit sells it as their locker, just an FYI. By the way, I'll have one for sale shortly. 
Hmmm, should only have about 5* of slack in the locker unit. May wanna call Tractech and say "DUDE!!! WHAT GIVES???!!!"
Summit sells it as their locker, just an FYI. By the way, I'll have one for sale shortly. 
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From: Las Vegas
Originally Posted by NXSLT1
Just looked at Tractech's site and went to the tech tips section and it also says backlash can be 30 to 90 degrees at the driveshaft. How could you keep from tearing something up at the track with that kind of slack??????
I actually like driving lockers..... I have them in all of my trucks. I even like them in a track chassis, but, you have to have that type of driving style or learn real quick. In my driver, I have learned how to make an Eaton work even better on the street and track (and by track I mean driving the twisties at a road course) but it take time to learn clutch plate pre-load and tuning them to make it real fun.
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From: Clarksville,Tn
I assume when you say preload it before you go into the box that you mean when yer staging up on the line?? If so then it's not possibly to preload a manual car like that. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what yer saying. The way the tractech locker is designed is that it unlocks as soon as you let off the gas, at least that's what the manual says and that's what I feel it do going down the road too. And I still think 90* of slack at the driveshaft is way too much, yer bound to break something eventually coming off the line at a 4000-5000 dump wether it be a driveshaft, u joint or whatever. The other lil quirks of locker I can deal with but this I can't, it will be coming out of my car as soon as possible. I just don't know if I wanna try another brand of locker or go with something else.
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From: Blairsville, GA
That is odd, bubba. I have a Tractech Detroit No-Spin Softlocker in my Jeep, and the literature I read with it stated that there is about 5* of slack in the teeth of the locking mechanism, needed for the smooth operation of the locker. Even with that, you're still looking at only 20-25* of slack at the driveshaft. Mind you, that's still enough to scare you when you lift real quick, but definitely not no 90* of play. Sumpin's up, dude.
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From: Clarksville,Tn
Originally Posted by chicane
A little heel - toe work or a line lock will suffice.
That is odd, bubba. I have a Tractech Detroit No-Spin Softlocker in my Jeep, and the literature I read with it stated that there is about 5* of slack in the teeth of the locking mechanism, needed for the smooth operation of the locker. Even with that, you're still looking at only 20-25* of slack at the driveshaft. Mind you, that's still enough to scare you when you lift real quick, but definitely not no 90* of play. Sumpin's up, dude.
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From: Blairsville, GA
It took some getting used to in the Jeep, but then it's not really made for a good street ride so I can handle it. The spool will get rid of the clunking, but you'll wear tires out like crazy from going around curves. It's just my thinking, but if there's one stout enough to handle 10s(in case I wanna go all out) in the 1/4, I'd go with a limited-slip to keep some sense of street manners.
i like my spool. and it does wear tires but not as bad as you think. iv had my used rear tires on my car for about 4 months now and you can see wear but that mostly for frsit and 2nd gear burnt out leaveing stop lights LOL
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From: Clarksville,Tn
I'd rather have some type of limited slip but that's the question, do they make one strong enough for what I plan on doing to the car? I don't want it doing what it did to the 10 bolt, putting all the torque on one wheel and snapping the axle. The car is slowly but surely becoming less of a daily driver so I'm leaning more towards the spool. A spool is alot cheaper than the others so maybe that's what I'll do first.