How to properly use e locker

I just did a tacoma elocker swap with 12voltguy.com harness and I am wondering what the safest procedure for locking and unlocking the rear diff is. Can it be unlocked while driving? Can you use it on high way? Can it be locked while driving?

 

I always stop when I lock/un-lock the rear of my truck.

yes you can drive with it locked, but turning will be a nightmare and you'll hop a lot. I wouldn't stay locked while driving on the highway.

I was told you can unlock while moving, but you need to be going slow. I haven't tried it and won't.

 

stop vehicle
put truck into N, then 4lo
engage locker
drive a bit, you'll hear a "click" from the rear diff
wont usually engage right away, gotta drive forward or reverse a little

proceed to climb over rocks
by the power of lockerskull
keep climbing until you reach the moon
you glorious locked astronaut




you shouldn't need it on the road
when you disengage it, when you start to drive you'll hear another "click" and the diff lock light should go off

 

Driving locked won't be a nightmare, but it will be different. On road there's no reason (usually) to be locked, if you are you'll end up scrubbing the outside tire for every turn. If you do it a lot you'll eat a lot of otherwise useable miles off the rubber. On dirt it will just slide. On ice, it will be really interesting for all but a straight line.

For the most part, lock when you need it, stay unlocked the rest of the time.

For most selectable lockers you can engage and disengage at will, but you want to be going in a straight line and at a low speed so the axles are turning the same speed. If you're turning, stress and shock loading will do some damage.

 

So, I've only used the locker when I'm out mudding or in sand. I've been curious about using it while mudding. Most of my mudding is only in a flat dried up pond that turns to slick mud and I just go spinning around. Not really a lot of stress on it, except a few bumps or whatever from deep tire tracks. Should I be more cautious with it? It says only use it to get unstuck.. But I don't see how it could harm it if I'm just spinning around.. unless it takes a jolt. How much force would it take to break something?

 

Use it before you think you'll need it. No use of it when you actually get stuck and the locker isn't engaged yet. Hence why sometimes you got to drive back and forth a bit.

 

Quite a bit. But a spinning wheel that stops RIGHT NOW carries quite a bit of energy. An open carrier actually safeguards a lot of moving parts. Thats one of the reasons you see a "just installed my locker" thread, followed a week later with a "how do i change a broken axle" thread

 

accelerate to 60, hit the lock button, post results

 

I'm betting nothing. Even with the gray wire mod, mine won't lock in until I'm under 5mph or stopped.