2018 PW locker engagement

[Paulbrunk]

Great site - 5 minutes here and the hill descent is now solved with the U61 recall info. Next problem - locker engagement specifically the front. Can a forum member share what my expectation should be with engaging the front on a functioning PW? My best experience seems to be engaging the rear first and driving a bit and then moving to the front/rear selection. Best case is that I drive for 500 yards fully turning right, left, etc. then stopping and fully turning right, left etc. and hoping to hell it locks. I've driven a half mile in a relatively straight line and it never will lock.

I've had air lockers in other vehicles and they lock at will - these electrics are ridiculous....are the Rubicons this bad? It doesn't really help if I have to engage the lockers a month before I plan on being in a spot to need them My 3500 diesel just chained up all around is starting to look preferable in the winter back-county of MT.....

Truck has 20,000 miles on it - back to the dealer, is this normal, or is there a "drill" to engage? THX !!

 

[Low_Sky]

Our e-lockers have a toothed ring locking mechanism. The teeth have to be aligned in order to mesh and lock the differential. The teeth have to be in a no-load condition in order to unlock. The truck has to be moving less than 3 mph in 4LO for the Smartbar to allow a lock-up to happen (to prevent damage from locking at high speed or under load). The front won’t lock until the rear locks.

Because of the way locked 4 wheel drives work, the front can be difficult to lock on demand on a high traction surface (“before I need it”). If the locking teeth aren’t aligned, you have to create differential action to line them up, most people try to do this by turning. To turn in a 4WD vehicle with a transfer case and locked axle (the rear in this case), two tires have to be slipping simultaneously. On a high traction surface the way tires slip is by storing torque in the drive train until the torque is high enough to break a tire free, which then spins quickly to relieve the torque and sticks to the surface again. Imagine trying to mesh teeth on a ring that is sticking, then spinning quickly, sticking, then spinning quickly, etc... not easy.

I’ve found the easiest way to get the front locked is to turn it on when I decide I need it, then drive the obstacle slowly. If conditions actually require it, it will lock up. If they don’t, I’ll come through the other side with a blinking light and an unlocked axle.



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[Paulbrunk]

Thank you Low Sky. Couple take-a ways for me: 3MPH - i was either stopped or possibly a bit faster than that. High/low traction situation to lock makes absolute sense, I would have been trying to lock either on a gravel two track or the other times I had v-bar chains on all four....good but not ideal to allow some wheel slip as you describe. I'll try locking up under more "slippery" conditions..........but its always more fun chaining up on a dry road than in the snow !!

 

[Low_Sky]

If you’re the inquisitive type, it’s worthwhile to do an experiment. On a level surface, with wheel chocks on the passenger side, put the driver side of the truck up on jack stands, so you can spin the driver side tires by hand. Function test the lockers (you can do this in 4LO, Park). If the lockers don’t engage right away, go spin a tire by hand and feel how effortlessly they lock and unlock under no load, and how much rotation it takes to put the locker teeth in and out of alignment.

Once you see and have confidence in how the lockers work under no load, it will be easier to envision what you need to do to get them working in the real world.


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[m25443]

Wouldn't it be great to be able to engage the front/rear lockers without being in 4lo? That may even be helpful in getting them locked in advance of needing them.

The 'Tazer JL' version of the Tazer from Zautomotive has the features below already as part of their product:

- Disable/Enable Electronic sway bar – for axle swaps or to run disconnected at any speed or drive mode
- Disable/Enable Front and Rear Lockers

The 'Tazer RAM' version does not have that, yet. They are looking for a PW to test on in the Long Island, NY area so they can get those features, along with some others that the jeep version has that teh PW version doesn't, added to the Tazer RAM version of their Tazer product.

The full feature set can be seen at https://zautomotive.com/product/tazer-jl/

Anyone know anyone who might be a test vehicle for them? Let me know and I can get you in touch with them.

-Mike

 

[olyelr]

Wouldn't it be great to be able to engage the front/rear lockers without being in 4lo? That may even be helpful in getting them locked in advance of needing them.

The 'Tazer JL' version of the Tazer from Zautomotive has the features below already as part of their product:

- Disable/Enable Electronic sway bar – for axle swaps or to run disconnected at any speed or drive mode
- Disable/Enable Front and Rear Lockers

The 'Tazer RAM' version does not have that, yet. They are looking for a PW to test on in the Long Island, NY area so they can get those features, along with some others that the jeep version has that teh PW version doesn't, added to the Tazer RAM version of their Tazer product.

The full feature set can be seen at https://zautomotive.com/product/tazer-jl/

Anyone know anyone who might be a test vehicle for them? Let me know and I can get you in touch with them.

-Mike

Well damn, I just got my Tazer in the mail today. Go figure.

 

[MJockey]

Wouldn't it be great to be able to engage the front/rear lockers without being in 4lo? That may even be helpful in getting them locked in advance of needing them.

The 'Tazer JL' version of the Tazer from Zautomotive has the features below already as part of their product:

- Disable/Enable Electronic sway bar – for axle swaps or to run disconnected at any speed or drive mode
- Disable/Enable Front and Rear Lockers

The 'Tazer RAM' version does not have that, yet. They are looking for a PW to test on in the Long Island, NY area so they can get those features, along with some others that the jeep version has that teh PW version doesn't, added to the Tazer RAM version of their Tazer product.

The full feature set can be seen at https://zautomotive.com/product/tazer-jl/

Anyone know anyone who might be a test vehicle for them? Let me know and I can get you in touch with them.

-Mike

I don't think it works like that. The disable function is for removing the factory axles and replacing them with a manual or air activated ones.

From the JL instructions:

Set LOCKER:
This setting is used if you deleted the factory axle lockers. You can delete front only, or both. If the front locker is deleted then the front axle disconnect is deleted as well and
needs to be disabled as well.

Set Front Axle Disconnect:
This setting will delete the factory Front Axle Disconnect for those
that have done axle swaps. This setting should be used in conjunction with the Locker setting.

 

[Paulbrunk]

If you’re the inquisitive type, it’s worthwhile to do an experiment. On a level surface, with wheel chocks on the passenger side, put the driver side of the truck up on jack stands, so you can spin the driver side tires by hand. Function test the lockers (you can do this in 4LO, Park). If the lockers don’t engage right away, go spin a tire by hand and feel how effortlessly they lock and unlock under no load, and how much rotation it takes to put the locker teeth in and out of alignment.

Once you see and have confidence in how the lockers work under no load, it will be easier to envision what you need to do to get them working in the real world.


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I'll do that - will be switching back to the OEM PW wheels/tires now that the season is over. I did try the limited traction scenario this weekend while getting a Christmas tree with the family in about a foot of snow and got things engaged pretty quickly compared to what I was experiencing chained up or on dirt. THX !!

 

[Low_Sky]

I'll do that - will be switching back to the OEM PW wheels/tires now that the season is over. I did try the limited traction scenario this weekend while getting a Christmas tree with the family in about a foot of snow and got things engaged pretty quickly compared to what I was experiencing chained up or on dirt. THX !!

Glad to hear you had some better luck. I had a brain fart when I wrote this. You’ll likely need to get all four off the ground for this little test to work in Park.


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[m25443]

I don't think it works like that. The disable function is for removing the factory axles and replacing them with a manual or air activated ones.

From the JL instructions:

Set LOCKER:
This setting is used if you deleted the factory axle lockers. You can delete front only, or both. If the front locker is deleted then the front axle disconnect is deleted as well and
needs to be disabled as well.

Set Front Axle Disconnect:
This setting will delete the factory Front Axle Disconnect for those
that have done axle swaps. This setting should be used in conjunction with the Locker setting.

I'm confused now. This Tazer JL video sure makes it sounds like it will work as I described. What am I missing???
-Mike

 

[olyelr]

I have been in contact with the guys at zautomotive (who make the tazer ram) since I purchased my tazer ram. They are planning on getting a power wagon back in there shop to crack the code on the lockers just like they did on the jl. Told me it shouldnt be that big of a deal for them. Once they do it, they will just send out an update and BAM. I will know more in a week or so.

 

[Reuben]

I have been in contact with the guys at zautomotive (who make the tazer ram) since I purchased my tazer ram. They are planning on getting a power wagon back in there shop to crack the code on the lockers just like they did on the jl. Told me it shouldnt be that big of a deal for them. Once they do it, they will just send out an update and BAM. I will know more in a week or so.

That's good to know. I'm getting ready to order the Tazer. How do you like it on the Ram? I really liked it on the JL. How was the install?

 

[continuecrushing]

hmm the tazer diff/swaybar stuff sounds good to me...hope they can get it working. I'd order ASAP if they did.

 

[olyelr]

That's good to know. I'm getting ready to order the Tazer. How do you like it on the Ram? I really liked it on the JL. How was the install?

I like it. Does just as it states, and install is pretty simple. Little tricky to use at first, but once used to it no prob. I printed off the instructions on small pieces of paper and made a small booklet to leave in the truck, because it comes with no instructions and remembering all the buttons to press for different functions is about impossible. The idle up feature for winching is pretty slick.

 

[Reuben]

I have been in contact with the guys at zautomotive (who make the tazer ram) since I purchased my tazer ram. They are planning on getting a power wagon back in there shop to crack the code on the lockers just like they did on the jl. Told me it shouldnt be that big of a deal for them. Once they do it, they will just send out an update and BAM. I will know more in a week or so.

I’m ordering one as we speak. I’m also going to add the front camera while I have the radio out.

 

[56PW17]

I’m ordering one as we speak. I’m also going to add the front camera while I have the radio out.

Would be interested to see the steps involved in that if you have the time to post

 

[Reuben]

Would be interested to see the steps involved in that if you have the time to post

I’ll do it. I just ordered it along with a camera from Amazon. It will be nice to have a front cam and fix the speedo. Then soon be able to run the lockers in any config. I had the Tazer in my JL and it was really cool.

 

[MJockey]

I also want to add a front camera. Be sure to post a write up.

 

[MJockey]

I’ll do it. I just ordered it along with a camera from Amazon. It will be nice to have a front cam and fix the speedo. Then soon be able to run the lockers in any config. I had the Tazer in my JL and it was really cool.

So in the JL were you able to lock the diff in high gear with the Tazer?

 

[m25443]

I'd like to see the front camera installation steps as well. I would especially like a wide angle camera that comes on-screen every time I lock the front diff.