I have been experiencing a jerky motion occassionally shrtly after take off from a dead stop. At first I thought it may have been loose U-Bolts, but I found that not to be the case......I was wondering, this is my first Detroit Locker and Is it time for a rebuild?

Check the tire pressure in the rear and make sure they are equal. If one is low, you will get the ratcheting.

Detroits don't need rebuilding, they either work or don't.

I get that motion as well. What you're feeling is the detroit engaging when you hit the gas. It kinda pulls a bit to one side as well.

Yea, it pulls to one side with a jerk, I have had rear u-bolts come loose on me before on a friends truck one time, and I thought that might have been what I was felling. Check them and there tight....

I have had the detroit for over a year and it seems that just this last couple months I have had this happen. But it happened twice today just on my way to work.

So, If I understand correctly,..You don't rebuild Detroits...?

Just let it continue and replace it when it breaks? What can I expect when it goes? Will I be able to drive it home when it goes?

Detroits are expensive, & shouldnt "go". Check your shit out.

ive been having the same thing recently

usually after a hard stop and a hard take off, im getting a pop halfway through first gear. I thought it was a loose u bolt or a bad ujoint. both checked out fine

Sounds normal...mine does it too, more of a bang than anything. It's just the locker loading/unloading when accelerating/braking. I also get that "bang" when I put it in reverse.

First time I heard that bang I thought I broke an axle shaft in a parking lot :laughing:

I'd say something's up if it was hardly doing it before (or not at all), but now its happening a lot.
A bent axlehousing will make it actup like that.

Mine makes a harsh bang like that once in a great while (maybe once or twice in 100 miles of driving).

All these descriptions sound like tire problems. If one tire loses air pressure, or you get uneven wear, the Detroit will get a lot noisier because the tires are no longer the same diameter. The more difference between the tires, the more misbehaved the Detroit seems to be. If you have a problem that seems to get worse over time, try swapping the tires around to see if things change.

It's definitely tire issues. I had the same thing when I had to put a smaller spare on once, the truck would pull real hard to one side, then BANG!, starighten out, and start pulling again. I finally had to swap a front tire to the rear and put the spare on the front after it happened 50 times.. Make sure the psi in both tires is exactly equal.

It's definitely tire issues. I had the same thing when I had to put a smaller spare on once, the truck would pull real hard to one side, then BANG!, starighten out, and start pulling again. I finally had to swap a front tire to the rear and put the spare on the front after it happened 50 times.. Make sure the psi in both tires is exactly equal.


Haha duh! :laughing: Didnt you see that one coming? :flipoff2:

Haha duh! :laughing: Didnt you see that one coming? :flipoff2:

LOL...probably not the best thing for the gears either.

last time i herd of that he just kept on the gas to leave a 1/2mile tire skid till he changed it.

:)
Tires?,....WOW! I think the tires where recently rotated......This happened prior to rotations also? Not too often still has some concerns?

Tom, you can delete this tread when ever you want.

Thanks for all the Help,...... :p

Usually detroits don't "Go-Out" like a limited slip. As most of the above posts point to, the biggest culprit could be tire pressure or possibly your truck going dog tracked. Sometimes when you straighten after a slight turn the driven teeth on the drive gear are still being overtaken by the teeth on the driven clutch (e.g. the teeth aren't lined up). With the teeth not lined up, the second you apply power the load on one side causes a motion to the opposite side; thus, causing a sudden re-engagement of the opposite gear making a big "bang" sound.

This happens all the time, Detroits aren't ARBs. I find the clunk and bang makes people stay away from you on the street so I wouldn't worry about it.

A Detroit can start slipping. Both on my rig and other rigs I work on, I've had cases where the allen bolts around the case have come loose and caused the locker to not have a positive locking action. You might want to open the cover and make sure the Detroit is not separating.