Calgary Jeep Association

4x4 Related Groups => Tech Talk => Topic started by: Vinman on December 24, 2011, 10:58:17 AM

Title: Noisy front locker, is that normal?
Post by: Vinman on December 24, 2011, 10:58:17 AM

05 Rubicon LJ.
When I rotate one wheel by hand, there is a rumbling noise/feel coming from the front diff. If I raise both wheels and engage the locker so both wheels turn in the same direction, there is no noise and it's nice and smooth. It sounds like spider gears are not meshing properly (assuming the front locker has spider gears) is that normal?

I bought this rig about 1,500 miles ago and changed oll fluids before I drove it, the old fluid came out in good shape, no unusual metal particals and the fluid was clean but not too clean like it was just changed.
I did not pull the cover yet and thought I would post up and see if it's normal or not first.

The Jeep has 75k miles and is all stock except for the 33 Engineering skid I installed.

Any input?

Vince

Title: Re: Noisy front locker, is that normal?
Post by: Vinman on December 24, 2011, 03:17:51 PM

Ok, I pulled the cover and the fluid came out like new, very, very little fine metal on the magnetic drain plug, more like a powder than filings.
Everything looks good but when I put a stethescope on the cross pin that holds the spider gears, I get a definite tick-tick.....tick-tick.....tick-tick at about the frequency the spider gears mesh with each other.
I visually inspected the spiders through the holes in the carrier and didn't see any obvious signs of damage but of the 4 gears, I could only get a visual on 3 of them.

I guess the next step is to pull the carrier and remove the spiders for a thorough inspection.


But before I do that, anybody happen to have a Rubicon on stands that could spin the front wheels and check for me? May save me messing around if it's normal operation.

Vince

Title: Re: Noisy front locker, is that normal?
Post by: Rubi03 jef on December 24, 2011, 09:30:06 PM

I would say ur spiders are worn a bit.  

But I never had any issues with my rubicon with the stock lockers

Title: Re: Noisy front locker, is that normal?
Post by: Vinman on December 24, 2011, 09:59:36 PM

Quote from: Rubi03 jef on December 24, 2011, 09:30:06 PM

I would say ur spiders are worn a bit.  

But I never had any issues with my rubicon with the stock lockers

Any ideas where I can get replacements or should I bother? the FSM as well as Jeeps parts list show the carrier as an assembly and no separate internal components.

Vince

Title: Re: Noisy front locker, is that normal?
Post by: Rubi03 jef on December 25, 2011, 06:39:24 PM

run her till u cant stand the noise then change it out for a better locker


no point in changing it if it still works