Issues after lift install

[oldcjguy]

@Razz Sorry, I just looked up that DTC and it's a front axle code. Same testing procedures but with the front locker on and jacking up the front axle. It might be a little tricker to hear the front tires dragging since you can't lock just the front and you'll hear the back tires too. You should be able to see the fronts dragging though.

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[Razz]

They did finally release a replacement locker sensor, if you decide that's the issue and it feel like replacing it.

just found it. Holy shit it's expensive ?

 

[Pinky Tuscadero]

Obviously your lift guys broke something so quit dickering around and have them fix it... Now !

 

[jaymz]

@Razz Sorry, I just looked up that DTC and it's a front axle code. Same testing procedures but with the front locker on and jacking up the front axle. It might be a little tricker to hear the front tires dragging since you can't lock just the front and you'll hear the back tires too. You should be able to see the fronts dragging though.

You'll feel the front trying to yank the steering wheel out of your hands if the lockers are engaged on a hard surface.

 

[mgroeger]

Yes, lock the rear diff and drive in a tight circle with the windows down. You'll hear the tires dragging if the diff is locked. Driving in a circle makes the outside wheel try spin faster than the inside wheel (it has a larger radius to cover). When the diff is locked it can't so the tired will chirp and screech on the pavement. You'll be able to feel and hear it.

Short of that you could jack up the rear so both back wheels are off the ground. With the vehicle in Park try to spin one wheel. If the diff is locked they won't turn. If it's not locked the other wheel will rotate in the opposite direction. (Make sure you chock the front wheels)

Ummm yeah, I'd highly recommend not locking your axles and driving in a tight circle on pavement.
Getting it up on jack stands is a much safer way to avoid damaging things. My buddy was only in 4H, not 4L and not locked and drove off the sand onto a road pulled a U turn and grenaded his t-case.

 

[oldcjguy]

Ummm yeah, I'd highly recommend not locking your axles and driving in a tight circle on pavement.
Getting it up on jack stands is a much safer way to avoid damaging things. My buddy was only in 4H, not 4L and not locked and drove off the sand onto a road pulled a U turn and grenaded his t-case.

Your buddy had something wrong with his t-case before he got off the sand. Driving on pavement for a tight circle won't break anything (unless something is already broken). Much more load to the drivetrain happens on rocks with one wheel in the air or wheels spinning then a tire grabbing.

But yes, 4hi binding on high traction surfaces is real. I can remember people up north driving into a parking garage from snowy streets and forgetting they were in 4wd. After the 2nd or 3rd floor they couldn't get it out of 4hi because the drivetrain was all bound up. Some even got to the point where the vehicle didn't want to move anymore! Had to jack up one wheel and you could see the whole drivetrain relax as that one wheel would rotate and the binding settled down. Then everything was back to normal and they could put it in 2wd again

 

[mwilk012]

Your buddy had something wrong with his t-case before he got off the sand. Driving on pavement for a tight circle won't break anything (unless something is already broken). Much more load to the drivetrain happens on rocks with one wheel in the air or wheels spinning then a tire grabbing.

But yes, 4hi binding on high traction surfaces is real. I can remember people up north driving into a parking garage from snowy streets and forgetting they were in 4wd. After the 2nd or 3rd floor they couldn't get it out of 4hi because the drivetrain was all bound up. Some even got to the point where the vehicle didn't want to move anymore! Had to jack up one wheel and you could see the whole drivetrain relax as that one wheel would rotate and the binding settled down. Then everything was back to normal and they could put it in 2wd again

you can and will blow up a transfer case with no preexisting flaws by turning sharply on pavement in 4wd.

 

[oldcjguy]

you can and will blow up a transfer case with no preexisting flaws by turning sharply on pavement in 4wd.

Not trying to argue, agree to disagree

 

[mwilk012]

Not trying to argue, agree to disagree

You can agree to be wrong all you like, but you don’t get to freely spread bad information without rebuttal. This is what I do for a living. When you are locked in 4wd your front and rear driveshafts turn at the same speed. In a sharp turn, the inside rear tire slows immensely, the outside rear accelerates and both front tires accelerate more. The differentials take up the difference left to right but there is no such mechanism for the front to rear. The transfer case will bind and literally explode right through the case.

 

[oldcjguy]

You can agree to be wrong all you like, but you don’t get to freely spread bad information without rebuttal. This is what I do for a living. When you are locked in 4wd your front and rear driveshafts turn at the same speed. In a sharp turn, the inside rear tire slows immensely, the outside rear accelerates and both front tires accelerate more. The differentials take up the difference left to right but there is no such mechanism for the front to rear. The transfer case will bind and literally explode right through the case.

I understand how the mechanics of how it all works and did it for a living when I was younger. None of the transfer cases I've taken apart appear to be that fragile. I worked for a business that did a lot more drag cars than 4wd, but I've worked on my share. The transfer case will bind and get damaged eventually. The rollout and difference in radius of travel between front and rear is not great enough to damage or "grenade" a healthy t-case in a u turn. There's your rebuttal. Happy?

Op, not trying to derail your thread, I won't argue this any further. Everyone claims to know what they're doing on the internet. (I'm including myself in that statement) Good luck, I hope things get worked out for you.

 

[Dyolfknip74]

Imagine having to lift the vehicle to tell if lockers are on. Lol. It's quite obvious, regardless of surface, even more in the front.

Here is the litmus test for front lockers:

Can you steer?

Op, the shop that did lift screwed up that wire harness. Even if the ZAuto thing works, you're gonna have a locker light on.

 

[mgroeger]

I understand how the mechanics of how it all works and did it for a living when I was younger. None of the transfer cases I've taken apart appear to be that fragile. I worked for a business that did a lot more drag cars than 4wd, but I've worked on my share. The transfer case will bind and get damaged eventually. The rollout and difference in radius of travel between front and rear is not great enough to damage or "grenade" a healthy t-case in a u turn. There's your rebuttal. Happy?

Op, not trying to derail your thread, I won't argue this any further. Everyone claims to know what they're doing on the internet. (I'm including myself in that statement) Good luck, I hope things get worked out for you.

At the end of the day you gave REALLY bad advice. You told the OP to put it in 4LO, engage the lockers and drive in a tight circle on pavement. That is seriously bad advice and can lead to more problems. That's the take away from all of this. There are simpler and safer ways to tell if your lockers are engaged.

 

[Bill_P]

I would say quit trying to diagnose it and thinking about fixes for it and get it back to the lift shop. I found out the hard way, if you do anything to it they will deny having anything to do with the problem.

 

[Razz]

Well, my rear will lock but the front won't. They definitely bent a pin or pinched the harness on the front. I'm dropping it off right now with them. Fingers crossed it's an easy fix.

 

[cubanrob]

@Razz did you ever get it fixed? find out what the problem was? i just had ball joints installed and now my front lockers wont engage. the service axle locker warning light is on, and when i try to engage, it starts blinking and then says cancelled. i already had a z-locker on my rear cause the sensor had gone out. so i purchased another z-locker and installed on the front axle, and still not working. i swapped both z-lockers to see if maybe i got a defective z-locker, but rear locks just fine and front wont.

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