Broken Eaton E-Locker

ScottR

ScottR

It's never done.
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Raleigh, NC
On my last trip to tellico my Eaton E-Locker in my rear 8.8 axle was giving me some issues. It would lock sometimes and other times it would not engage. I was not sure if it was an electrical issues or a mechanical issue. Well, this past weekend I quickly diagnosed that the electrics seemed to be in order. So, I pulled the axles shafts and removed the locker. After removing one of the side gears I quickly found the problem- the locking pins were all rounded off (not sheared off clean). I guess this is why the locker worked sometimes and not at other times.

Has anybody else had this problem? Any idea what caused it. The locker has been in my jeep for almost 3 years. I am not real hard on my equipment- I was in Graduate School for two of those years so I did not have much time for offroading and when I did go I had to take it easy. At that time the jeep was my daily driver. (It has just become my second vehicle, a couple of months ago.)

Scott
 

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Since you did not wheel much or engage locker I would call them ask about warranty and see if others have had same issue..
 
I talked to the guy at Eaton. They only warranty for 1 year. He said that 35's are too big. In order to get the pins that I need you have to buy the entire "Gear Service Kit 29308-00S"- side gears, thrust washers, spider gears, cross shaft, and the locking pins. $200 ouch! Plus it takes 10-15 days to get them.

Upon further research Eaton has had a lot of issues with this locker in the 8.8 (not so in other axles) because it is a c-clip axle. The axle moves the side gear in and out some so this causes the locking pins to not fully engage sometimes...which leads to worn locking pins.

Should have gotten an ARB. Figured I was being safe with the Eaton- makers of the tried and true detroit and less systems to mess with (air pump for the ARB). Guess I was wrong.
 
So are you going to replace the pins and bite the $200 bullet or jump in the rest of the way and buy the ARB?

FWIW - I read about those issues when I researched a locker for the 8.8 in my TJ. I figured I'd rather replace sections of airline or possibly a solenoid vs replacing locker internals. So far not a hint of trouble with my 8.8 ARB... but of course you knew that already.

I'm glad nothing else was broken in there!

Steve
 
I am going to bite the bullet and pay $200 for the new parts. I figure I can do this at least 4 times and it would still be cheaper than an ARB. (ARB ~600, gear install ~150, air pump ~50-100)

I don't want to spend a lot of money on this axle. I suppose on down the road a larger axle will go in so I can keep up with you guys on 38s.

Scott
 
if they think the c-clips are the problem thats messin up the pins then get a c-clip eliminator kit.
 
bsrober3 said:
Should have gotten an ARB. Figured I was being safe with the Eaton- makers of the tried and true Detroit and less systems to mess with (air pump for the ARB). Guess I was wrong.
Click to expand...

The ARB has been around for practically forever. The E-locker has been shipping for what, 4 years, maybe 5? Not to mention that until recently Eaton did not own the Detroit brand. Don't get me wrong, I work for Eaton (Electrical) and have spoken with those guys a lot over the past few years, so I support their products, but from a durability and longevity standpoint the E-locker is bascially brand new.

Good luck with the rebuild.
 
I was about to buy lockers for my Jeep this spring. I loved the idea of the Eaton E-locker, so I wouldn't have to run a compressor.

In talking with a vendor, then an Eaton rep, I found out the lockers had been pulled from production and were being redesigned, and I was told they'd be re-released around August of this year.

So I went with ARB's. I decided that I didn't want what was on the shelf already, because there must be a problem since they're redesigning them. And I didn't want to wait and get the new, updated parts, because who wants to be the guinea pig?

About the rep saying 35's were too big....they come standard in H2's....don't H2's have about a 35" tire?
 
Pacfanweb said:
About the rep saying 35's were too big....they come standard in H2's....don't H2's have about a 35" tire?
Click to expand...

IIRC they are 33's, but regardless the axle is not the same as an Ford 8.8. I never liked the "ball-ramp" idea for the locking mechanism on those things, seemed weak. I like roller bearings.
 
Dejavu- pins rounded off again. 'Luckily' I have new pins from the kit I had to buy in the spring when the side gear teeth broke off.
Bigger axle with a different locker is sounding better everyday.

Moral of the story- if you have an 8.8, do not put an Eaton E-locker in it!!!

Scott
 
And to think they canned the Detroit Electrac because it was a competing product. That thing was bulletproof from what I remember.

Ah well, my Detroit keeps going. Automatic lockers FTW!
 
OnlyOneDR said:
And to think they canned the Detroit Electrac because it was a competing product. That thing was bulletproof from what I remember.
Ah well, my Detroit keeps going. Automatic lockers FTW!
Click to expand...
The Electrac was bullet proof? Not from what I remember. I seem to remember a lot of stories about diff cover mounted solenoids snapping off.

And as for the Eaton E-locker, I had the same failure with mine, although I remember the rebuild kit only being about $130. Here is a write up I did on the rebuild in case anyone needs to do this in the future. It's pretty easy to rebuild. For what it's worth I ended up selling the rebuilt E-locker right after this rebuild and replaced the axle with a Sterling 10.25 and ARB; no more failures!

http://fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109143
 
Roughshod said:
The Electrac was bullet proof? Not from what I remember. I seem to remember a lot of stories about diff cover mounted solenoids snapping off.

And as for the Eaton E-locker, I had the same failure with mine, although I remember the rebuild kit only being about $130. Here is a write up I did on the rebuild in case anyone needs to do this in the future. It's pretty easy to rebuild. For what it's worth I ended up selling the rebuilt E-locker right after this rebuild and replaced the axle with a Sterling 10.25 and ARB; no more failures!

http://fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=109143
Click to expand...


Looks like it would be simple to machine those pins on a lathe--out of a stronger material even. Though it may make something else the weak spot, I would get tired of pulling the bitch apart and paying $200.
 
Yep, it sucks. Bad locker design. I took the locker over to East Coast Gear Supply to get the bearing removed so I can swap in the new locking pins that I already have. Chase is a great guy. Pulled the bearing on the spot in just a few minutes.

Picking up a 14 Bolt this weekend.

Scott
 
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