How bad is it to not use the locker?

Just curious, I've read a few threads about lockers not engaging, or something frozen up, when you need it to work. I'm going to be honest, I might use the locker once or twice ever, but would hate to find it frozen at that one time.

I'm going to wager there are thousands of Off-Roads out there, that have never had the locker used, probably let alone put in 4WD. One of my clients which is a house wife, purchased a new Off-Road about four years ago, looks like it's never been in the dirt ever. When I asked her about the features in the truck one day, she didn't even know what I was talking about. I'm guessing her rear locker might be frozen, if she went to use it??

 

The first time I really really needed it it did not want to lock. I was stuck up to my doors in mud and I was starting to freak out thankfully it eventually did. I think the previous owner never used it.

When I've needed it after that it has been a lot easier to lock up.

 

I make sure to engage mine every couple of months. I've prob put a few thousand miles on my locker.

Sometimes it won't engage unless I creep a few inches

 

Yep, if you don't use it the actuator rusts up. Every day use allows moisture to build up in the actuator, lack of use it gets rusty and eventually toast. The actuator is a really a cheap little motor that cost $$$ to replace.

From day 1 the locker is difficult to get locked in, I think the Amsoil Severe gear that I used helped. I didn't lock it nearly as often as I should have, one day I got stuck and it let me down.

Over all... cherish its existence... the electric LSD in the Sport sucks.... I've had both.

 

So just to clarify, should I periodically, say once a month, or once a week. Pull into a gravel lot and engage it? Or is doing it in my driveway ok?

On my old truck '13, Fx4 Ford, it was a dial on the dash you pulled out. You could actually hear it click on/ off with the motor off. Is the one on our tucks the same idea? or does it physically have to roll forward or back?

 

id say once every month... you dont have to be on gravel, just do it in your driveway. Push the button, and roll a little bit slowly (you will probably have to turn to get the axles spinning at slightly different rates) and it will pop in. Once its in, you can push the button and roll slowly again and you might need to turn again in the opposite way to unbind. boom done.

Really you just need to move the actuator back and forth from fully engaged to disengated, actually driving with the locker in is not necessary

 

I heard you shouldn't engage it on pavement because sometimes the wheels shift when they lock and it bad for the locker?

 

If I'm not hitting the hunting trails or messing around off-road for a while I'll swing by a local service drive and pop the truck into low with the locker engaged and drive a couple of hundred yards (straight shot), engaging and disengaging the locker a couple of times. No problems so far, engages whenever I push the button.

 

Well fuck... This thread made me go out and check and sure enough the locker won't engage...

 

Yea that's what they say, but the locker is stronger than the gears in the rear end. If 4wd needs to be engaged its a no go, in 2wd slow speed won't hurt anything but your tires.

 

Okay, I am new too the 4X4 world. I have engaged the locker a few times but how do you know it is engaged?

 

The light should stop blinking and normally you can hear it click when it engages

 

Shit, mine has 20k on it and I have never engaged it. Not sure it ever has been either (bought it at 7k). I will do so on my road trip next week and report back.

 

This is great advise. Just like what has been said "Use it or lose it"

 

I always had to rock mine, if that doesn't work, welcome to SNAFU.

 

When I bought my truck, the guy I bought it from had never used it. First time I tried it, didn't work. I put it in reverse and it freed it. I now engage the locker once a month and it works as it should.

 

Just curious, did you put it in reverse while engaged? Where you in D? Or some 4x4 speed?

 

Great title for this thread, glad I took a look. I've had mine 2 1/2 years and never used or engaged it also. I plan to check if out tomorrow and routinely engage. Read last month about checking battery fluid level, for some reason I thought it was maintenace free. It was OK but now I will keep a check on it.

 

How does the ECM know the difference between a PreRunner and 4x4? I'm sure there are countless threads about modding or working around this, but is there a plug & play part from the PreRunner TRD/OR that can be easily swapped in to use the locker in 2wd?

You could use the e-locker on the FX4, F-150 in 2wd or 4wd, pretty cool actually.

 

Got it, thanks.